Scenic Loop Lakeview

• Lakeview, Oregon
• Fort Bidwell
• Fandango Pass
• Davis Creek
• New Pine Creek
• Adel

My parents were in town visiting recently and helping with some much needed and fairly urgent home repairs. During their visit we made sure to get out and take them exploring! We decided to take them on a loop drive starting from Lakeview going East on hwy 140 to Adel Oregon, then heading south over to Ft. Bidwell, and crossing over the beautiful Fandango Pass into Davis Creek and then back up hwy 395 through New Pine Creek and back into Lakeview.

The first part of the drive will be on pavement as you leave Lakeview going north on Hwy 395, you will then turn onto East hwy 140 heading towards Warner Canyon Ski area and the small town of Adel. There are some beautiful stops along that route if you have time to explore. Once you reach the turn for Adel you will want to turn right and begin heading south towards Ft. Bidwell California. The road will start out paved and then will transition into a dirt road, this road is not maintained in the winter making this a late spring/summer/early fall drive only.

We followed this road and enjoyed the views. We found lots of cows and some fun small roads to explore. One of our roads we explored we found a lot of interesting rocks including obsidian.

During the drive you will pass some old homesteads, and a lot of scenic views. I also recommend looking out for Bald Eagles and other birds of prey, we saw at least 4 Bald Eagles! Then you will come into the small town of Ft. Bidwell. If you have time be sure to stop in at the NFB Restaurant and have a bite to eat. The food is fantastic and the service very friendly. We were there on a Friday night and got to enjoy live music while we ate.

Make your way out of Ft. Bidwell and then turn onto the road for Fandango Pass. This will be another dirt road and is a nice drive over the mountains. There are some nice scenic stops and historical points of interest in addition to the amazing views of Surprise Valley.

Great view from Fandango Pass

When you come into Davis Creek at the end of Fandago Pass and you will turn right on Highway 395 to head North towards Lakeview.

This is a beautiful and nice scenic drive. It will take as little as 2 hours and 45 minutes, but make sure to plan extra time so you can stop and explore.

Happy Adventuring,

Stephanie

We had to stop and enjoy the rainbow!

How We Adventure.. Part 2

Spring 2016 near Spokane Washington

A large part of our traveling and adventures is hiking! It is perhaps my favorite part. Many people feel that if you have kids and love to hike that you need to find a sitter and leave them at home. For some hikes that is true, but for many it is not necessary. I suppose, it just depends on what your ultimate goals are and why you are hiking.

I began hiking and fell in love with it for a multitude of reasons. The fresh air, open space, exercise, and ability to experience places not easily seen by everyone. Through the years more reasons have been added to my list. When I hike with my children they help me slow down and notice the little things. We pick up sticks, find cool rocks, and investigate the leaves. We talk A LOT and about anything and everything. We talk about hiking, how to be safe, how to take care of the trails and nature. We don’t make good time mileage wise, at least not yet, but we make memories that last. I would not trade them for anything.

We started hiking with our kids before they could walk. A quality child hiking pack is important at this stage. As they reached toddler years we started having them walk safe portions of the trails. We let them hold sticks and leaves (not always very pleasant for my head). The older they got, the more they walked and the slower we became. It was a necessary sacrifice to help build their comfort outside as well as their stamina.

Our two oldest children at ages 3 and 1 getting ready for a hike.

Spring 2017 hiking in Northern Alabama.

As they were growing and starting to get harder to hold we needed to help encourage them to push through and continue hiking. At this point we offered each of them a goal. We told them if they successfully hiked three 2+ mile hikes in a row without being carried they would earn their own hiking bag!! This was actually very motivational for them. It also allowed us to give them their own water bladder and to have them begin carrying their own snacks and small toys if they wanted them. Once they earned their bags then if they complained or wanted carried we could simply remind them that they have proven they CAN hike, even when it is hard or they are tired.

Our youngest earned her hiking pack after our Georgia trip! We picked it up at REI in Chattanooga, TN.

Our oldest is turning 10 this summer and is a very confident hiker, and our younger two are also well on their way. We are starting to be able to hike further and a bit faster these days. Speed to me is not the most important thing, I love that they enjoy hiking and nature. I hope this will be something that will carry us through their teen years and help us to continue to feel connected.

Our tips for hiking with kids:

• Find a comfortable Child Carrier.
• Bring lots of snacks. Space them out on the trail (they are great motovation for kids).
• Choose a hike based on the abilities of all in your group, including the children.
• Encourage the child/children to hike as much as possible on their own. This will sometimes feel frustrating but in the long run it is beneficial. They are learning to hike. Try to make it fun for them!
• Familiarize yourself with first aid and other safety measures. Hiking with young kids often means first aid will be necessary.
• Slow down and enjoy nature. Use the slower pace as an opportunity to teach and connect with your child.
• When they are old enough get them a backpack sized correctly for them, and add a water bladder. We LOVE the child sized day packs by REI.

Georgia 2017

Spring 2020 in Lake County, Oregon

I hope you feel inspired to get out and hike and explore with your children. If you don’t have kids of your own, hopefully this information will help if you ever join a family/friends with kids on a hike! Our children love encountering friendly hikers on the trail. Hikers who understand how kids hike and encourage them are immensely inspiring for our children.

Happy Adventuring,

Stephanie

Wild Goose Chase 2019

Today we attended the 19th annual Wild Goose Chase which is organized by the Lakeview Rotary Club. The proceeds each year go directly back into the community. This year they went to providing much needed pool covers for the Town of Lakeview’s Pubic Pools.

Each little goose released has a number on the bottom of it. That number matches it to a ticket that was purchased by a member of the community. There were amazing prizes for the winners!

This was our first year attending the Wild Goose Chase and I was very excited to see what happened and how it all was done. My husband is a new member of the Lakeview Rotary, so we made sure we were there early to help set up. We were pleasantly surprised to find people gathering and visiting before the event. There was even a bbq where they made hamburgers and hotdogs for those attending!

Right on time at 12:00 they released the wild Geese into Drew’s Creek where they would travel about 1/2 mile (what I heard) down the creek to the catch spot where we would be able to collect the winners.

After the release we all ran across the road to see them start their journey down the creek.

Then we made our way back to the finish line. It took approximately 12 minutes until we found the first ducks approaching the finish line. The excitement was real as the first 3 battled for the winning position!

This was a really fun community event! The rotary does a great job with it, it was organized and well planned out. I still think it is amazing to see how the community comes together for events such as this one. The prizes were amazing for those who won, but really all of Lakeview wins because the money goes directly back to the community to a worthy and needed cause each year.

Noni’s Trails – East Trailhead to West Trailhead

Yesterday was the official dedication and opening of the very special Noni’s Trails. This trail system has been used by hikers, trail runners, and mountain bikers from Lakeview for many years but volunteers in the community worked hard to raise the funds necessary to map, mark, and rename the trail.

After the official opening my 8 year old son and I went and hiked the sections of trail closest to the town of Lakeview. We drove up Bullard Canyon Road and parked the car near the East Trailhead.

Upon arrival to the East Trailhead you will have your first obstacle – a creek crossing – which in the early spring can be a bit challenging but all things considered is easily passable for most.

We wound our way up the hill through the wildflowers and lightly forested section. We noticed a few lizards and a small snake scurry off the trail in front of us. At this point of the hike you are hiking above one of the Forest Service Roads and may hear vehicles here and there but it is still a very peaceful hike.

As you hike the trail the views are truly beautiful and it becomes hard to imagine you are actually very close to a town. We took Dave’s Bailout Trail because my son wanted to go see the river crossing. I was so happy he asked to go down that trail because it was full of densely packed and beautiful wildflowers! It ended up being one of my favorite parts of our hike yesterday. Dave’s Bailout trail is a fairly steep climb back up to the main trail but it was worth the extra effort!

As we were hiking I realized that this trail leads you through a lot of the landscape diversity you will encounter in the Oregon Outback. There was some mountain meadows, forested sections, rocky cliffs, and your classic high desert landscape. The wildflowers were on point and the butterflies were loving them.

We reached the end of the trail and my husband met us at the park and we drove up to get our other vehicle. It made for a wonderful afternoon hike.

Things to know:

• The section of trail we hiked was 4.1 miles. If you do not hike down and back up Dave’s Bailout trail it would have been 3.5 miles.
• There are some creek crossings, some steep sections, as well as some water rutted sections where you will need to watch your footing.
• You can use Dave’s Bailout to make a shorter loop if you do not have someone to shuttle you back to your car and don’t have time for a 7 mile hike.
• Look for the blue trail reassurance markers as you hike if you are unsure you are on the correct path.
• Also remember your 10 essentials, and to always tell someone where you are going and when to expect you back.
• Trail maps will be available soon and can be found at the Lake County Chamber of Commerce
• If you message me I can send you my all trails recording to have as you hike.

Noni’s Trails Grand Opening Celebration!

The Outback Adventure Trails Committee has been working for close to a year to officially map, mark, and dedicate their first trail project to a local community member who touched many lives and many hearts during her time in Lakeview.

I did not have the opportunity to meet Noni but I can feel how loved she is by this community. She has left a lasting legacy and one that will continue to live on through this wonderful trail, as well as the Color Run for Noni Vanderberg hosted annually by the Lakeview High School National Honor Society.

Sunday June 2nd will be a big day for both the Outback Adventure Trails and LHS National Honor Society. It will start with the 5k color run for Noni which will end at the Lions Pool Park. At 11:30 the Outback Adventure Trails Group will do a short presentation (at Lions Pool Park) and then a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open and dedicate their first trail project.

An immense amount of work and planning has gone into this project and the group is excited to provide this trail to the community as well as to those who visit the area. It is a beautiful trail that is now well marked and is a wonderful addition to Lakeview and Lake County. The committee was able to secure grants and funding from the following businesses and organizations: Travel Southern Oregon, Travel Oregon, Anderson Engineering & Surveying, Town of Lakeview Lodging Tax, and the Noni Vandenberg Memorial Fund. Countless hours of work were also donated by committee members, and other volunteers throughout the community.

In celebration of this work the trails group is hosting a community celebration after the official dedication with games and a BBQ in the Lions Park. Rumor has it there may even be some swag to be given out with the new Outback Adventure Trails Logo! It is sure to be a great day here in Lakeview!!

Quick reference details:

What: Noni Trails Grand Opening Celebration.

When: Sunday June 2nd 2019 at approximately 11:30am (after the Color Run for Noni).

Where: Lions Pool Park – downtown Lakeview

Activities: Presentation & Ribbon Cutting, Picnic, and Games.

Donations are welcomed but not required.

Goose Lake & a Quick Trip to Carson City

This past week for Spring Break we went to visit Grandma who lives southeast of Reno, Nevada. It is not a long drive, in fact Reno is only about 4 to 4.5 hours from Lakeview!

On our way we stopped to check on the conditions at Goose Lake State Park, which is located in New Pine Creek, Oregon. New Pine Creek is a town that is almost divided down the middle with half located in Oregon and half in California. There is also a road not far south of New Pine Creek that will give you access to the National Forest. The campground is currently closed for the season so we were not able to enter that portion of the park on our trip over the weekend. The day use area as well as the lake access was open but the road in areas was very muddy. We do our best to avoid driving on soft muddy roads because we do not want to damage the road by leaving ruts. At that point we parked the truck and then went on a little walk down by the water. There were hundreds possibly thousands of birds on the water by the park! It was amazing to see!

Goose Lake – March 2019

The day use area is really nice and very large. They have ample picnic tables, they were still pulled off to the side of the fields for winter. They also appear to be completing work and removing downed tree branches. I am excited to come back and see it again a little later in the spring. There appears to be a lot of shade throughout the park and flush toilets with showers available to campers! They even have a pet waste removal station available to visitors.

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After we left Goose Lake State Park we went south down highway 395 and on to Reno. While visiting Grandma we spent some time in Carson City, Nevada. Carson City has a fun children’s museum, lots of shopping, and is a short drive to Lake Tahoe. During this trip we had lunch at In-n-Out Burger and then went to the Nevada State Railroad Museum which is full of beautifully restored trains. They take great pride in the work they do on their restorations and it shows! We have been to many train museums and on many train rides around the country and these trains stand out as some of the most beautiful. They also have the only remaining fully restored Mckeen Motor Car in the world. It is beautiful and they even have weekends during the late spring and summer where they use it to give rides at the museum!

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During our visit they had a handcar out and a volunteer helping visitors to ride the handcar! It was a great highlight to our visit and we will be back for a ride day later this summer!

Happy Adventuring!

~ Stephanie

A Southern Oregon Loop

On Sunday morning we took a drive from Lakeview out to the Crooked River Railroad Bridge about 30 minutes north of Bend and then South towards Lakeview along highway 20.

Heading north out of Lakeview on hwy 395 you will be on the Oregon Outback Scenic Byway. One of the first interesting geological features you will notice is Abert Rim which is one of the highest fault scarps in the United States. It towers over the valley rising to 2,490 ft above the valley floor and is definitely a site to be seen. Abert Rim is well known in the hang gliding communities because of how the thermals are created when the warm valley air rises up against the cliffs.

About halfway through your drive you will come to a rest stop in the town of Summer Lake. I recommend stopping here to take a rest, stretch your legs, and really take some time to appreciate the beauty in the area. My kids love the rest stop here because there is space to run and rocks to climb! As a bonus I have always found the bathrooms to be clean and well stocked.

Playing at the Summer Lake Rest Area March 2019

We continued our trek north after stopping in Summer Lake. We were on a tight schedule on this particular morning so we enjoyed the beautiful scenery from the car until we reached the Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint.

As you enter the viewpoint you will notice plenty of parking, nice fields with picnic tables, and some bathrooms. Also of note at this point are the warning signs. The canyon cliffs are steep and drop off almost immediately over the rock wall. Please keep kids close and plan on keeping pets in the car or in the designated pet area away from the bridges and cliffs.

We were pleasantly surprised to find the old highway bridge is open to visitors which provides amazing views of the canyon and the railroad bridge. While we were on the old highway bridge we even got to see a train cross over the railroad bridge. The kids all got a kick out of it, I posted the video below!

It was a beautiful day and we loved the effect the remaining snow had as you looked down in the canyon. The kids loved seeing a train bridge so closely and really thought the canyon was amazing. We also all really enjoyed watching the birds flying through the canyon, including a bald eagle! This spot is well worth the time to stop and learn a lot more about the area as you walk along the paths.

After we finished our picnic lunch we stopped and did some shopping at the factory outlet stores in Bend we then headed south on highway 20. We found the landscape of the highway 20 to be much different than the first part of our drive, as it goes through what is known as the Oregon Badlands. We passed may OHV/Dirtbike areas early on during this section of our trip, as well as some hiking trails. There is a lot to explore in this and we are excited to get out there on our motorcycles and quads to see what we can find once the weather warms up.

You will notice the landscape starts to change and the dirt turns to sand. Then you will pass some of the area sand dunes, which are open to exploration also.

There are two rest area along this route which was good because our kids needed both of them. The second rest area was in a beautiful part of the drive and had a lot of informational signs about the area landscape and rattlesnakes. We got to this rest area just as sunset was hitting and as you can see by the 2nd picture below the area is not heavily traveled at this point in the evening.

You will turn onto highway 395 not long after this and enter about 90 miles of open range so be sure to watch for cattle, deer, and long horn sheep as you get close to Abert Rim. We were amazed to see how large Lake Abert was as we went through. Lake Abert is an alkali lake and as such fish cannot live in the water, however because of its high salinity it does support Brine Shrimp which provides an excellent habitat for a wide variety of shore birds!

We made it back to Lakeview by about 8pm. The kids had a good time, although they said we needed to stop more to explore on our drive home. Lakeview has some great hotels, a hotsprings, and restaurants so it makes a great stopping and starting point. It also is a good area for a base camp if you enjoy hiking and mountain biking. If you decide to make this drive keep your eye out for animals, and birds of prey, and try to allow yourself time to stop and explore along the way.

Happy Adventuring,

~ Stephanie