An autumn hike along the sparkling Deschutes River – with colorful leaves all around – was so pretty on Sunday, Oct. 14, that Central Oregon Nordic Club members ended up going farther than they originally intended.
“The hike on the Deschutes River Trail from Big Eddy to past Ryan Ranch was so shimmeringly great that five miles turned into eight on us,” says group leader Linda Frost. “Lots of sunshine, aspen trees, rushing river, photo ops, socializing; it was a perfect day.”
The hikers even spotted a bald eagle (see photo to immediate right).
“A classic evolving CONC hike, location determined at Safeway, start point changed five minutes before leaving, and a 4.5-mile hike turns into a 7.7-mile hike once out in the beautiful fall day,” says hiker Thom Iverson.
“I think everyone was having a hard time giving up on the amazing day to make a turnaround happen. Lots of good color patches along the way and the wide Deschutes trail made for a great social ambling hike.”
(Photos by Thom Iverson, Shari Hogshead and Al Matson)
