Deschutes River

We had ridden our mountain bikes on the Deschutes River Trail while visiting Bend a few years ago and thought it would be fun to try it again. It was beautiful and peaceful with very few people along the way.

A series of three parallel trails winds through pine forests, lava flows and riparian zones along the various placid and tumultuous waters of the Deschutes River.

 

The Benham Falls are more cascades than actual falls but still quite impressive with the sound of water rolling over the rocks.

We could see the lava flow area across the river which had it's own appeal.

 

Going into Bend to take care of shopping and getting the oil changed started out as a nice idea but turned into work upon hitting the traffic. We turned around in Costco deciding to skip it when we saw the lines at the checkout and tried back in a few days which was much better. I am not sure if it is because of tourist season or just this many people living here now. Maybe we have been in the woods too long. 
 

Sunriver is a quieter touristy area but the kayakers on the river were out in full force in the mornings. There was more than enough to keep us happy over the two weeks here.

Not a bad place for lunch and a rest.

A trip later in our stay to Bend was much more pleasant with a stop at the Northwest Farmer's Market and a stop at Drake's Park in the middle of Bend. I was not hiking or biking today.

A little Tejano music. A person can find music playing everyday somewhere in this area.

The Deschutes River along Drake Park

A bubble machine in the park for little kids.

Something for the big kids

 

Sparks Lake was closed for construction so we took our kayaks down the road to Hosmer Lake. It must be the go to place. I have never seen so many kayakers in one place. We parked on the road above the boat launch and got the kayak on it's wheel and took it down. Most of the people were leaving as we paddled out and were soon alone among the ducks, birds and fish. It isn't very deep and we could see some nice sized trout right under us. Little Lava Lake down the road was much quieter and would be our choice next time we want to paddle.

There are 30 Cascade Lakes

We heard the warning sound of the baby ducks in the lily pads before we saw them. We backed up to avoid bothering them anymore.

 

It looks strange with the wheels on top of the kayak but I wasn't going to carry them back up the hill to put them in the truck when there were perfectly good bungees in front of us. Our kayak is inflatable and is not any lighter than the hard sided. The wheels were a good addition.

A couple parked by a trailhead looked like something was bothering them so I asked where they were going to hike. They were from Britain and said they had forgotten their wallet to pay for their pass. Mike handed them $5 and you would have thought it was $100 as happy as they were. We know the feeling of getting somewhere and have forgotten something important. We once road our mountain bikes in hiking boots after driving an hour to get to the trail and forgetting our bike shoes. We weren't leaving without a ride if we could help it even if it was clumsy riding.

 

 

 

Sunriver, OR

We have been fortunate to have cool temps while here in Sunriver. This area is called the high desert and we were told that we were going to be hot as we were leaving the cool coast.

 

Sunriver has a network of bike paths and do not allow bikes on the streets.

This eagle's nest houses the parents and two offspring. As we were riding our bikes down the rode, I saw two people sitting along the road with their cameras. I had to see what they were looking for. (Mike calls me the "interrogator") This couple had been watching the family for 9 weeks and showed us some great pictures of the eagles landing . Their cameras on tripods with clickers were much better than mine.

It has been a busy two weeks here in central Oregon. We wanted to get another mountain bike ride in before leaving. Seeing some cross country ski trails that looked like they might be nice, we chose the  going up hill for 3 miles through some sandy single track before leveling out. At one point, I said I might be done. After sitting a bit and having some water, I realized if we turned around, our day would be over in 15 minutes riding downhill and was glad that we didn't turn around.

 

Paulina Lake had some nice chair to enjoy the cold drink we bought at the little store before starting the downhill.

Mike informed me that my front brake had been dragging as he was cleaning up the bikes after we returned home. Maybe, that is the reason I thought about turning around. I always check my brakes before taking off for a ride. I don't want a brake incident. This time I was checking them while he was messing with my odometer and he told me to stop. I may have not noticed the drag during my check but let's put it on him.

 Several people had told us to visit the High Desert Museum and the rainy weekend seemed like the perfect time.

 

Early mobile home

The Works Progressive Administration was a New Deal measure during the Depression that I was not aware.  It was a government attempt to employ a variety of artists, writers, and musicians so that the work they produced could help them make a living and enhance the quality of American life during the Great Depression. The WPA commissioned thousands of artists to observe the American scene; its people, its landscape, and its architecture, and capture through their brushstrokes and lenses, the life they were seeing.



There were many interesting exhibits with lighting and sounds to enhance the experience.

 

Gallup, NM

Gallup, NM has always been a place we would stop on our way to somewhere or just pass by. We had been driving a few days and felt that we needed a day off and take a hike or bike ride. After looking on the internet and finding the Quaking Aspen Trail in the Zuni Mountains and High Desert Trail System, we decided to check it out.

We rode 8 miles and the trails were in good shape even with the recent rain

 

 

 

When we arrived at the trailhead we ran into Alvin Whitechair, the district ranger. He was waiting for the local 4th graders to arrive and learn about  the Zuni Mountains and taking care of them. He was very knowledgeable and taught us about the area which was quite interesting.

The ranger noticed a tarantula running by. He was smaller than those in Colorado. 

 

 

We took our GPS since we didn't have a printed map but found out that every intersection had a map like this.

 

 

 

Most of the time, all we heard was our tires on the ground and the wind in the trees. The slick rock wasn't so slick and bounced my head around a bit.

 

There is an initiative to increase the mountain biking and hiking trails in this area. Hopefully, they won't tell anyone. It was so peaceful and the only other person we saw was a lady arriving when we were leaving.

 

The trails have been managed very well and mitigated nicely for water and rain.

After a little investigation on the area, we won't be passing by anymore without seeing what else we can find. I hope to spend some time in Red Rock Park or Ramah next time.

A monument to Fort Wingate Calvary

 

  The United States established Fort Fauntleroy on the site of modern Fort Wingate in 1860, as part of a campaign against the region’s Navajo population. The Civil War disrupted the campaign, and Fort Fauntleroy’s troops quickly deployed away from New Mexico.  Fort Fauntleroy served briefly as a mail station before being abandoned 1865.