News

Contributed by hike leader Gary Jones.

Four hikers enjoyed the last club hike of the season in the Whychus Canyon Preserve Sunday, November 24.  Mostly sunny weather and light winds made for a great late season outing!

Sorry, no picture.

Contributed by trip leader Kelly Clemen

Eight snowshoers met at Skyline Park on a Saturday morning to head up to Swampy Sno Park. The drive up the Cascade Lakes highway was uneventful but there was already a steady stream of cars heading up to Mt Bachelor. Later weekend snowshoes will have to meet up earlier in order to beat traffic up to the mountain.

We met up with two additional participants at the Sno Park and the whole group met up at the kiosk for introductions. As we headed out, the sun was peeking out and no snow was falling. We found the first part of the trail to be well-trod with a light layer of new snow over the top--easy walking. The trip leader demonstrated the important concept of avoiding walking too close to trees as one of her legs broke through the snow into the empty space around the tree. She needed a little help getting out and sheepishly reminded the group to avoid tree wells.

We got to the first junction and discovered that the trail had not been broken from there. Participants started taking turns being the leader and breaking trail for the group. Everyone was enthusiastic about the additional effort required and we soon found ourselves at the Swampy Shelter. We stopped inside for a snack break and discussed whether we wanted to complete the loop or head back the way we came in order to avoid having to keep breaking trail. The group decided to continue breaking trail to complete the loop. Snow was now falling continuously as we headed out again, making for beautiful surroundings as we slowly worked our way around the loop. We made it back to the original junction and previously trod trail. It was easy-going to get back to the trailhead and we passed the only other snowshoers we saw all day. We let them know that we had kindly broken the trail to the shelter for them.

We made it back to the trailhead a little over 4 hours after we started. Everyone was happy to get back to their cars after the morning's exertions. 

Contributed by Sue Sullivan

We’ve recently had confirmation from the Forest Service that the Edison Sno-Park will remain closed for the 2024-25 winter season. 

Not all the ski and snowshoe trails in the Edison trail system were impacted by the fire, and some trails that were within the fire perimeter had minimal damage (i.e. the area burned looked more like a controlled burn). However, many parts of the trail system had intense burning, and fallen  snags and dangerous trees that remain standing will need to be cleared to make the trails usable once again. We’ll be given the opportunity to get into the area with the Forest Service people next summer to assess what needs to be done to get the trails back in shape. 

The map below can give you a rough idea of the parts of the trail system within the fire perimeter. 

We also have confirmation that the Edison Shelter was burned in the fire. Since it was scheduled to be burned this fall anyway, it’s not a great loss. The Forest Service is still moving ahead with plans to replace the Edison Shelter with another structure, and we’ll be working with them to determine what sort of shelter and where it will be located in the trail system. 

Since the Edison trail system is unavailable, that means one less place for people to go for winter recreation with dogs. We’re working on updating the Skyliner trail system to make that a more appealing dog-friendly option. We’ve completed much-needed brushing and trail marking on the East Loop, and have plans to work on the West Loop as well.

Contributed by hike leader John Sweat

I had 9 individuals  who were ready for not only a hike but a geology lesson as well as a history lesson.  The first trek headed out to Badlands Rock to view some ancient Pictographs and an area thought to be a birthing spot for indigenous women.  The next leg of our hike took us up the Dry River Canyon, where we saw multiple layers of geological activity.  We were fortunate to have CONC member/ Amateur Geologist to educate us, when and why this occurred.  Our stats for the day were a total of 8.5 miles with an elevation gain of 550 ft.

Badlands Rock

Dry River Canyon

Photos courtesy of Ann Padgett

On Sunday, a dozen eager Central Oregon Nordic Club (CONC) members gathered at Swampy Sno-Park, ready to tackle the Swampy Loop. As we arrived at the trailhead, we found three more CONC skiers already there, eager to explore the park on their own.

We headed out on the west side of the Loop, making our way towards the cozy Swampy Shelter. Once there, we stoked the fire in the stove, using the firewood kindly provided by CONC. As we prepared to continue our loop, three more club members arrived, making it a full-on CONC takeover of the shelter!

On our return trip, we encountered a lone field mouse darting across the snowy meadow. It was a peaceful reminder of the park's natural beauty.

All in all, it was a fantastic day of skiing under the warm winter sun. The Swampy Loop is a great option for a fun, family-friendly outing.

Contributed by hike leader Ann Padgett

Six hikers were prepared for wind and rain on the Metolious River hike. We started at Wizard Falls hatchery with a few light sprinkles. But they quickly passed and we enjoyed the 6 mile loop under mostly sunny skies. The Metolious is always beautiful and this was no exception with the fall color.

Contributed by firewood organizer Gary Elnan

Firewood stocking is completed for our upcoming winter season.  We completed splitting rounds, stacking firewood, stocking kindling, and wrapping firewood today at Swampy.  There was a great crew of 6 there today (John, David, Ernie, Ed, Donna, and I).  It was a lot of fun and super efficient.  Jeanni and I gathered kindling at Nordeen and Swede yesterday and covered 3 brush burn piles with lumber wrap at Nordeen.  The giant brush burn pile at Swede got covered today by John and Donna.  Nordeen has 3 and Swampy has 1 punky wood piles covered for burning.

I don't believe we will ever run out of easy firewood rounds at Swampy.  We stocked it using only 2 work days and 9 person days of labor.  We hope to use similar methods next season at the other 3 shelters but they don't have the absurd abundance of easy logs like Swampy.

The team of folks who contributed really shined.

All we need now is snow!

Contributed by hike leader Gary Jones

Gorgeous fall weather and spectacular foliage was enjoyed by a group of eight hikers as they walked around Clear Lake. 

Text contributed by hike leader John Sweat
Photos contributed by Jeanni Capell

Our day started with an Indian Summer day,  beautiful blue sky with a little Fall nip in the air.  As our caravan headed down to the Trailhead and successfully not leaving any car parts while enroute, we came to a wonderful view of the of the Whychus Canyon.  We made it down the canyon trail to the Alder Springs-Whychus Creek crossing; it was an easy ford across to continue on with the hike.  My group of intrepid hikers enjoyed the multiple layers of color in the canyon and rock formations at the confluence of the Deschutes River and Whychus Creek while enjoying a snack.  On the return back we took a short side trip on the Old Bridge Trail to observe some pictographs.
A big thanks to all those who joined me... Fun times!

contributed by hike leader Roz O'Donoghue

The Berley lakes are hidden gems in the Central Oregon Cascades.  Two sparkling off trail lakes were the destination of 8 CONC hikers on a sunny autumn day.  All were enchanted by the vibrant lakeside fall foliage colors, playful dragonflies and diving ducks.   Three Fingered Jack  provided a backdrop hard to surpass.  A hike well worth a return.