Old Growth Ridge Trail: Hwy 126

Old growth trees, fall color, a scenic drive, and hiking in an unexplored area are what drew us to the Old Growth Ridge Trail a couple weeks ago. Have you heard of Old Growth Ridge? The trail head is located in the Whittaker Creek Campground not far off Highway 126 (roughly half way between Eugene and …

Diamond Creek Falls

I keep a mental list of hikes I'd like to do and places I'd like to see, some day. Over the years, I am slowly making my way through the list (though I am also adding to the list so I'll never see or do them all!). The trail to Diamond Creek Falls was on that …

Shotgun Creek: Marcola

Shotgun creek flows southeast into the Mohawk Valley, not far from the town of Marcola. As the story goes, one day many, many, many years ago, a young man was out hunting and forgot his shotgun along a creek. He had to go back to get it, thus giving this creek its name. Fast forward …

Waterfalls!

Western Oregon has experienced a lot of rain this past winter and spring -- so much, that we've set a record for the number of "rain days" since October 1. Couple that with a good snow pack, and the rivers and creeks are running full right now. You know what that means? It is the perfect …

Eel Lake: Winchester Bay

I know that many people go to the coast specifically to walk the beach -- and I love the beach too -- but I also like walking through the coastal forests with its salal and rhododendrons filling in the understory. While at the coast a couple weeks ago, we stopped by Eel Lake to explore. Eel …

Bohemia Mountain Trail

  On top of the world.... ....that is what it feels like standing at 5,994' elevation with views from Mt. Hood to Mt. Shasta, in other words, on the top of Bohemia Mountain. You have to work a little to get there, but it is totally worth it. I enjoy the drive up Bohemia Mountain, and …

Bobby Lake

I love heading up into the Cascades to explore the mountain lakes. They are so incredibly blue and -- to me -- they somehow seem closer to the sky than the lakes here in the valley. With so many lakes to chose from, there is always a new lake and a new trail to enjoy. This summer we hiked the trail …

Fairview Creek Trail

When it gets hot in the valley, I know a lot of people head for the coast. Not us. Instead, we head to the mountains. On a hot summer day, I prefer to cool off by walking through the shade of towering fir trees near a babbling creek or eating a picnic lunch with my toes in a …

Andrew Reasoner Wildlife Preserve

Traveling along Lorane Highway earlier this summer, the sign for the Andrew Reasoner Wildlife Preserve caught our eyes. After a quick Google search on our smart phones we realized we had just discovered another place to explore in Lane County. The Andrew Reasoner Wildlife Preserve protects almost 300 acres of oak savanna, through a conservation easement to …

#OptOutside Cottage Grove

  Are you planning to "#OptOutside" this weekend? When most of us hear the term "Black Friday" we probably think of shopping at the mall and long lines to get great "bargains."  I have never been much of a shopper and if you have read this blog much, you know that I happen to love …