THE GRASS IS GREENER UP NORTH (SOUTH/CENTRAL OREGON)

zmartian
Aug 30, 2016
2 min read

Welcome to Southern/Central Oregon, a place with filled deep greens and crystal blues among mountains. Over 20 hours north of SoCals brown, bland (at least to a local) deserts, this year's 3 week road trip was like driving into Narnia. Our first destination was the magnificent, colossal, and COLD Crater Lake. The lake, which fills a crater caused by the collapse of a volcano, holds the bluest water I have ever laid eyes on. Walking down the Cleetwood Cove Trail, the view through the trees took my breath away.

At the bottom of the steep trail, there were access points to the water and places you can cliff jump (about 25 feet). The moment I reached the bottom I was at the edge of the cliff, stripping down to my bathing suit and shoving my camera at my cousin. Looking down, the blue water continued down for what seemed like miles and when I hit the 40 degree water, I felt my whole body go numb. Good thing the sun was hot enough to dry me within minutes.

The next adventure was Belknap Hot Springs and Campground, which sits right on the McKenzie river. Our campsite was right on the bank, where we could listen to the river roar all night. The first day we took an trip rafting down the McKenzie river. It was just a taste of what rafting was like, lasting around 4 hours. Between the exhilarating rapids, low hanging trees, the guides river stories, and the local Santa who sprayed up from his river front home, the trip was a success. The second day at Belknap, we headed up highway 126 to an easy, but worth it hike to Blue Pool.

This secluded swimming hole, caused by a spring of water emerging from the ground, was another prime location for cliff jumping. First was a steep climb down to the waters edge, where we tested the waters. Within 10 feet from the water, you could feel its icy temperatures. After a quick dip, I headed back up the cliff to a 70 foot drop into the icy pool. Legend says if you swim far enough down after the jump, you can grab a book at the pool's floor and sign your name. No luck finding it this time. The water was shockingly cold and left a bruise under my thigh for days. The last day was spend exploring highway 242, including Proxy Falls (where we soaked under the spray of the lower falls), the Dee Wright Observatory, and a hike to view all three sisters.

The last stop in the Oregon wonderland was Elkton, which I could easily have been named for its abundance of, well, Elk. Right on the warm Umpqua river, we spent these days basking on the green grass and tubing in the slow river. The perfect way to end truly incredible adventure.