Outings! – Calloway Intensive Loop Trail
Welcome It’s another beautiful spring week here in Oregon, which means we made outdoors again! Calloway Intensive Loop Trail This trail is one of many in the McDonald-Dunn Forest, an Oregon State University Research Forest at the outskirts of Corvallis. I think we could have walked all day and not set foot on every available trail. What makes this trail extra interesting is that, as part of the OSU Forestry program’s research, there are several different “forests” that the trail winds through. In about four miles we experienced coastal ferns and trilliums, valley oaks and cottonwoods, and then the sprawl of high desert ponderosa pines. If you’re visiting Oregon, or have a visitor with limited time, this trail is a great way to show off several different ecosystems at once. The Calloway Intensive Loop Trail is, well, a loop trail (my favorite). Finding which trailhead to start from was a…
Outings! – Howard Creek Loop Trail
Welcome! We’re back and for the first time in a long time, we actually made it out of town and into the woods! The hiking season has officially begun! Howard Creek Loop Trail This trail is one of many in Silver Falls State Park. Most folks who visit the park go for The Trail of Ten Falls, an ~8 mile loop that legitimately visits ten different waterfalls. I’ve never done the loop all in one go, but I’ve done it in bits and pieces. It’s understandably the show stopper of the park, and where everyone wants to go, no matter the weather. But on the other side of the road from the falls are even more trails! Some wind through muddy, marshy areas, others climb up into the wooded hills, and still others meander through campgrounds and recreational “villages”. I’ve done a handful of these less popular trails (including that…
Outings! – Woodmansee Park
Welcome! I know it’s been a minute since I’ve posted an installment of Outings!. Between the house drama and the incredibly AWFUL weather we’ve been having, it just wasn’t possible to get outdoors. But today, all that changed. Was the weather nice? No, not especially. But it was above 50º and only misting, so we made a point to get out of the house. Woodmansee Park A sprawling 30 acres, Woodmansee Park has a little bit of everything. Reservable picnic structure, full soccer field, a 9-Hole disc golf course, children’s playground equipment, two tennis courts, a basketball court, ample woodland trails, and full restrooms! It’s tucked back off a busier side road, but with so many trees and wide open spaces, you would never guess you’re in the crux of a major thoroughfare. A mix of white oak and douglas fir trees flank a spur of Pringle Creek, bringing a…