From Turkeys to Switchbacks: June 4 - 8 in High Gear (and High Heat)

 The next stretch of our journey brought us to the Klamath Falls area, where we found a mountain/gravel biker's paradise and some of the kindest trail builders we've ever met. They sent us off on a spectacular 24-mile gravel route around Aspen Lake-just us, the trees, and one very aggressive mama turkey (Bob got chased..).  To top it off, Bob also saw an elk sprint across the trail. Me? I saw the dust it kicked up. Magic!

We ended up camping nearby at Lake of the Woods, a dreamy spot straight out of On Golden Pond meets Dirty Dancing.  we stayed two days, soaking in the serenity-biking, paddling, kayaking, and sipping cold beers on the lodge deck while the lake shimmered in the sun. 






Crater Lake followed, and WOW! No words. Just deep blue stillness and sheer cliffs that made us feel very, very small.













From there, it was off to Bend. Laundry, chores, and urban exploration via bike.  The Deschutes River was alive with tubers, swimmers, and happy dogs. The Cascade Lakes Scenic Highway that led us in? Absolutely breathtaking.  Our Bend overnight was at Bridge 99 Brewery (yes, it's as good as it sounds), and then on to Madras for pizza, whiskey, and  camping in the parking lot of New Basin Distillery.  








June 8th: we aimed for the Columbia River Gorge and were greeted with a scene straight out of a postcard - Mt Hood, Mt Adams, Three Sisters, and Mt Bachelor all playing peekaboo with the horizon.  Shout out to our friend, Joey, for his suggestion that we check out AniChe Vineyards. (A+ wine, A++views). we also made a detour to the charming town of Stevenson for riverside lunch, and then rolled into Beacon rock to camp.

With temps around 95 degrees, we waited for the sun to mellow before hiking up Beacon rock-just one mile, but 52 switchbacks (yes, we counted). the top rewarded us with panoramic views of the Columbia River that made every sweaty step worth it. We showered off and slept well, cooled off by nature, fans and exhaustion.

The next morning, we hit the trail early at Multnomah Falls, tackling a stunning 7-mile loop past waterfalls surrounded by wildflowers, and solitude-thankfully beating both the heat and the crowds.  Wild lilies, delphinium, bluebonnets, and berry bushes lined the path.






The day ended in Benton City at Kiona Winery. With temps peaking at 106 degrees, we sought refuge in a brewery until things dipped to a "comfortable" 85.  a cold shower in the vineyard, a crisp glass of chardonnay, and a night with every van window flung open and fans on high, wrapped up another beautiful, sweaty, unforgettable day.



Comments

  1. Joey DJune 11, 2025 at 11:02 AM

    Honesty, had never considered how badly I want to see Bob chased by a turkey!

    LOVE your Cascades life. And so happy you experienced Aniche!

    ReplyDelete
  2. GeorgiaJune 11, 2025 at 11:10 AM

    Thanks for the update! It sounds like a beutifully scenic adventure. In concert with Joey, I pictured the turkey chasing Bob and laughed!

    ReplyDelete
  3. DeeDee JensenJune 12, 2025 at 7:29 PM

    Oh my . . . those are some incredibly hot temperatures. I’m glad that crisp glass of Chardonnay helped to cool you off.

    ReplyDelete

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