Hike Info - Ball Point to helispot: Trailhead: lat � 45.29850 N / long � 121.36485 W Total Miles / Elevation Gain: 7.2 miles round trip / 1400 feet elevation gain Difficulty: Moderate Family Friendly: Yes All Season: No
Hike Info - Badger Creek: Trailhead: lat � 45.25725 N / long � 121.39180 W Total Miles / Elevation Gain: Up to 11.4 miles round trip / Up to 900 feet elevation gain (I did roughlly 6 miles round trip, could extend the trip further going up to Badger Lake) Difficulty: Easy to Moderate Family Friendly: Yes All Season: No
With names like Ball Point, Felt Tip, Pen Point, and Hootnanny Point, you have to wonder if a former pen salesman was given a promotion with the forest service and in jubilation cried out �Hootnanny!� when subsequently granted permission to fill in some unnamed features on the map. Such odd and unique names in the Badger Creek Wilderness grabbed my attention, and with wet weather again arriving in time for the weekend I was motivated to make the 2.5 hour drive to this quiet eastern nook of the Mt Hood National Forest.
Not sure if the trailhead was even accessible yet, I was a bit concerned as I drove past my backup plan south of Government Camp where the rain was coming down in force. But by the time I turned off highway 26 conditions were dry and I even kicked up dust along one of the gravel roads as I swung around the wilderness boundary to the trailhead. I found minivan was already parked and a gentleman outside when I arrived.
It turned out the gentleman, Allan, was on a 2-3 week vacation through Oregon camping, or otherwise sleeping in his van, along the way. He�d driven down from Alberta and was just out on his trip�s second day of hiking. What a nice situation to be in, I could sure go for that! Allan has an open schedule for the trip and with a 100-classic Oregon hikes guidebook seemed to be set to experience the many highlights throughout the state. Later this summer he�s going to be working at a hostel in Banff National Park. What a great reason to go check it out huh?
Neither of us needed to go particularly slow or fast on the day so opted to head out together. Besides the disconcerting crack of a distant hunter�s gun early on it was a pleasant day outdoors, though the landscape�s colors were a bit subdued with clouds still overhead. It was a refreshing change to walk among old oaks and ponderosa, trees I rarely otherwise get to see. Balsamroot and lupine flowers dotted the meadows while the pleasant sage-like smell of the Central Oregon desert teased our scent glands. I think the real treat and unexpected surprise for both of us were the blooming Dogwood trees intermixed under the canopy of Douglas and true fir further up along the trail.
Starting out on an old jeep track among hardy oaks
Ball Point
Dogwood blossoming (upper right) and one of many boulders lining the trail
We traversed around tree-covered Ball Point, not looking so much like a pen's end, but certainly prominent, with Pen and Hootnanny Point visible on the next ridge north. The trail continued on for another 2 miles before we hit our turnaround at an old helispot. Gauging the location in person it made sense why they chose the area for a helicopter landing zone. A �Helispot 122� sign still stood marking this flat outcropping of land. Several rock pinnacles surrounded the helispot and would�ve made for some fun scrambling if the wind out in the open wasn�t so cold.
Gnarled manzanita
Rocky pinnacles
Felt Tip in the distance, and helispot sign
We quickly finished up lunch, took a few pictures, and started our return. The woods shielded us from the wind and by the time we got back to the cars the sun was shining through the ever diminishing clouds.
Looking out to Central Oregon
Allan and Kodi lead the way
Last view to Ball Point
With another wet day forecast Allan was off to the Bend area for some camping and exploring Sunday. I bid him adieu and opted to take advantage of being in the area by driving a few miles back south to hike along the Badger Creek trail.
Ball Point route
Badger Creek trail
My dog Kodi and I went in about three miles on the trail which never wandered far from the creek. We did see three other small groups, but again found this trail not very busy. The highlight was spotting an American Dipper at our turnaround point, the first I�ve ever see one of these birds. The bird let me get astoundingly close along the bank, but when I did finally get too close was abundantly clear on the matter when it flew upstream to another rock and started crouching and then standing back tall in a most boisterous manner. Whoops!
American Dipper
Lupine
Any ideas on this one?
Driving out I left satisfied on the day, but still wanting to come back again. Allan and I had spotted a trail to the north heading past Pen Point which followed an open ridgeline and beckoned for exploring. Looking at the map it the trail leads up to Flag Point Lookout, so perhaps a backpacking trip someday�Allan, you coming back sometime?
Pen Point upper left, the beckoning trail on lower ridgeline
Badger Creek route
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