Deschutes River 23-Jun-2012
Posted: June 24th, 2012, 11:28 am
We had other, closer in, hiking plans for the day, but the rain kept coming and we kept heading E until it finally stopped - at Deschutes River State Park.
We figured we could get a little hiking done before the weather caught up with us and so we headed S along the river, enjoying the aroma of damp sage brush as we hiked, first on a trail, then along the old roadbed.
Despite the foreboding weather, there were some interesting flowers blooming beside the roadbed.
The weather kept taunting us with sucker holes and small patches of blue, but bluebird weather would prove to be a cruel joke.
We got to where the S end of the Ferry Spring trail joins the main trail and checked out the small "arch" just off the trail,
and a cool golden beetle on a pale lavender thistle flower.
We went a little further down the trail, turned a corner, and got a good view of the weather heading toward us from the S.
It still seemed (to me at least ) like we had time for a little more hiking, so we doubled back and headed up the trail to Ferry Spring. About 100 yds up from the main trail, the loved one experienced a moment of mutual surprise with a young skunk hiding beside the trail. Tails were raised and things got a bit whiffy for a moment, but it seemed the skunk was running on empty for whatever reason and we were spared having to walk naked back to the TH. Even if spraying had happened, it's likely the 40 kt cross wind we were starting to experience would have simply blown the spray right back on the skunk. The skunk ran away, we ran up the trail, the wind kept howling, there was thunder in the distance, and soon it started raining. It kept that up from before Ferry Spring all the way back to the car. The loved one is smiling at this point either because we've finally reached the car or because she doesn't smell like a skunk or because the thought of beating me to death with a wet stick was making her happy.
We stayed in Hood River that night and were treated to one of the more spectacular sunsets we've seen in Oregon.
It's too bad it's such a long drive from Portland, because the lower Deschutes is usually a good place to go to avoid the rain and has a number of flower and bird species you don't see (or often see) in the Gorge proper. The loop from the parking lot out and back via Ferry Spring is only 4.8 mi and 800' gain.
We figured we could get a little hiking done before the weather caught up with us and so we headed S along the river, enjoying the aroma of damp sage brush as we hiked, first on a trail, then along the old roadbed.
Despite the foreboding weather, there were some interesting flowers blooming beside the roadbed.
The weather kept taunting us with sucker holes and small patches of blue, but bluebird weather would prove to be a cruel joke.
We got to where the S end of the Ferry Spring trail joins the main trail and checked out the small "arch" just off the trail,
and a cool golden beetle on a pale lavender thistle flower.
We went a little further down the trail, turned a corner, and got a good view of the weather heading toward us from the S.
It still seemed (to me at least ) like we had time for a little more hiking, so we doubled back and headed up the trail to Ferry Spring. About 100 yds up from the main trail, the loved one experienced a moment of mutual surprise with a young skunk hiding beside the trail. Tails were raised and things got a bit whiffy for a moment, but it seemed the skunk was running on empty for whatever reason and we were spared having to walk naked back to the TH. Even if spraying had happened, it's likely the 40 kt cross wind we were starting to experience would have simply blown the spray right back on the skunk. The skunk ran away, we ran up the trail, the wind kept howling, there was thunder in the distance, and soon it started raining. It kept that up from before Ferry Spring all the way back to the car. The loved one is smiling at this point either because we've finally reached the car or because she doesn't smell like a skunk or because the thought of beating me to death with a wet stick was making her happy.
We stayed in Hood River that night and were treated to one of the more spectacular sunsets we've seen in Oregon.
It's too bad it's such a long drive from Portland, because the lower Deschutes is usually a good place to go to avoid the rain and has a number of flower and bird species you don't see (or often see) in the Gorge proper. The loop from the parking lot out and back via Ferry Spring is only 4.8 mi and 800' gain.