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July 22nd was a beautiful summer day.  Five CONC members hiked through a forest of towering trees, cascading creeks, rocky slopes  interspersed with Huckleberry bushes to reach the summit of a former fire lookout with commanding views of  Marion lake and Cascade peaks.   One trail junction was renamed after some pesky mosquitoes but it was just a momentary inconvenience as the group gained elevation.  Roz O'Donague led the group on a short side hike on the return, which yielded the sounds and a view from the top of a waterfall.  A hike well worth a return.

Contributed by hike leader John Stephenson

Sunday on Tam McArthur Rim

On a refreshingly cool day (at least by July standards), twelve capable CONC hikers trekked up to Tam McArthur Rim and beyond to enjoy the Central Oregon Cascades high country. The expansive views were beautiful, and we even crossed a couple snowfields. The snow was tinged with reddish patches that we sleuthed out as being “Watermelon Snow” -  a type of algae that grows in snow.

Who was Tam McArthur you ask? Well, I looked it up and he served on the Oregon Geographic Board for 35 years and got the first edition of Oregon Geographic Names published in 1928, which is the authoritative source for information on the origins and history of Oregon place names. After his death in 1951, Tam McArthur Rim was named in his honor.

Photos by Clark Broyles and John Stephenson

Submitted by hike leader Kelly Clemen

There were only three hikers who went along on this hike as the temperature was forecast to be in the 90s. We got to the trailhead by 8:30, but it was already getting warm. Fortunately much of the hike is in the shade during the morning, so while it was warm heading up to the ridge, it wasn't too bad. The flowers were starting to fade on the main trail, but once we turned onto the Heart Lake trail the flowers were doing pretty good on this section. The side hike up to the top of the ridge was steep but the trail was easy to follow and the views got better and better. We could see down to Diamond Peak at one in and up to Mt Hood on the other side. We found a shady spot in some trees for lunch and then headed back down as it really started heating up. Places that were shady on the way up were now in sun, so we were glad to be going downhill. We ran into several hikers on their way up and felt sorry for them as they were laboring in some pretty warm temperatures. We got back to the car around 1:30 and the thermometer on the car registered 90 degrees! The drive back through Sisters was uneventful as the quilt show had ended and the crowd was mostly gone. We had a lovely day despite the temperatures. 

Nine club members hiked a lesser traveled trail up to the summit of Bachelor Mountain via Bugaboo Ridge off Hwy 22.  The group encountered numerous downed trees and brushy sections but were rewarded with abundant wildflowers and expansive views.

Photos from trip leader Jacque Tennant and hiker Ed Johnson

Ten hikers worked their way up Crescent Mountain, enjoying a profusion of flowers, including lots of bear grass.  The views are worth the climb!

Lunch on Crescent Mountain

Hikers climbing through the meadow

Prolific bear grass

Spotted coralroot orchid

Another perspective on the trees.

Contributed by hike leader Ann Padgett

It was a beautiful day for a hike from Dillon Falls to Benham Falls. The cool morning kept the mosquitoes at bay and we were able to enjoy the profusion of wildflowers. We walked past the falls to the footbridge making this an 8 mile round trip.

Contributed by hike leader Sharon Evoy

Sunday proved to be a lovely day for a mellow hike in Shevlin Park. We started on the lower part of the Railroad trail continued onto the Shevlin Loop where we able to spot the active eagles’ nest on the opposing ridge. Then, crossing the third bridge, we continued along the ridge above the creek. We managed to stay mainly in the shady parts. Wild rose, penstemon, buckwheat and others were in bloom. 

Sometimes you just take an easier route to go to a unique place.  Roz O'Donaghue led CONC members on the lesser used North Trail in the Mill Creek Wilderness on June eleventh and found green meadows, a desolate canyon and a spectacular volcanic rock formation.  The North Twin Pillars trail is shorter than the Wildcat canyon version and hikers can descend to the Pillars, rather than ascend from the other side.  There was a Falcon aloft at the Pillars, wildflowers and a herd of sheep encountered in our drive down to Prineville. A day well spent!

Eight CONC members experienced Round Mountain at it's finest.  Sunny skies, moderate temperatures, abundant wildflowers, expansive views, morel mushrooms and even a wild turkey made for a memorable hike.  Round Mountain challenges hikers with nearly 2000 feet elevation gain and ten miles from trailhead to summit and back.  The Ochocos have a charm all their own due to a parkland forest setting and less crowded trails.  All these factors made for a memorable day.

Contributed by hike leader John Sweat

Our hike started with picture perfect weather,  blue skies and very comfortable temps.  My group of seasoned hikers treated this outing as though nothing more than a walk in the park.  After posing for some personal selfies at the first falls the second leg of bushwacking was just a game of bob and weave with some over  and under of blow downs through the unmaintained trail.  Our lunch spot and turn around point was not enough for some who wanted a little more in elevation and a better photo of the upper falls.

I'm thinking my next hike will have to be a little more challenging in order to satisfy some of these veteran members... Game on!

Views along the way to Chush Falls

Posing @ First Falls

Lunch @  Upper Falls