What's in the October, 2023 Bend Premier Newsletter?

• Bend Home Sales Down While Rate of Price Increase Drops
• Butternut Squash Soup
• Beginning with Pre-Approval
• Hike Pamelia Lake to Grizzly Mountain
• Explaining Today's Low Housing Supply

Pamelia Lake is a Very Popular Hike in the Mt Jefferson Wilderness

Prior to the recent adoption of hiking passes in the last 3 years, Pamelia Lake was one of a handful of Central Oregon hikes requiring a pass to access. This special lake is an easy 2.5 mile hike which gains 550 feet of elevation as it passes through beautiful old growth forest, complete with many rhododendrons which bloom in late spring. Our hike in late September, 2023, included some views of fall color in sunny spaces where vine maple grew. We could also see areas where the 2006 flood from Mt Jefferson's Milk Creek Glacier wiped out portions of the trail and lovely moss covered forest floor. Plant life is returning and the area should eventually fully recover.

Past the lake, the trail steepens for those planning on summiting Grizzly Mountain. Although over 2200 feet is gained, the path is well graded and doesn't feel as steep as other hikes we have taken in the past. It is another 3.3 miles to reach the top, the entire way in forest with a great viewpoint break roughly .7 miles from the summit. On a clear day, fabulous views of Mt Jefferson should be visible. For us, however, it was cloudy and while peek-a-boo views of Mt Jefferson appeared as the clouds moved, we never saw the entire mountain at once. However, the top of Grizzly Mountain was a great place for a lunch break before we returned back the way we came, enjoying again the hike through the forest with portions of the trail next to lovely Pamelia Creek. Our entire hike was 11.66 miles with 2739 feet of elevation gain. We hope to return next spring to see the rhododendrons in bloom.

Marion Falls is a Hidden Treasure

Marion Lake, on the west side of Santiam Pass, is a lovely lake that we had never seen during all the years we have lived in Central Oregon. The drive to the trailhead is longer than what we normally travel for our day hikes (roughly 1.5 hours), but the 10 mile gravel road off Hwy 22 to the trailhead is well maintained and easy to access. We hiked to Marion Lake on a late September Saturday in which the air quality in Bend was poor. Reports showed that the quality of the air west of Santiam would be better than in Bend, so we felt a hike in this area would be warranted and were able to obtain two passes.

Once we arrived, the trail began with a fairly short hike through the woods to Ann Lake, a smaller body of water in which the lake's rocky outlet flowed under our trail, creating interesting sounds. Past this point, the wooded trail continued until we reached larger Marion Lake. The trail steepened here, passing through some burned forests until we eventually reached Marion Mountain. There should have been great views of Mt. Jefferson and Three Fingered Jack from the peak of this mountain, but they were shadowed through smoke. After a short break, we returned down the trail, sampling wild blueberries which were still hanging from their fall foliaged bushes. We knew there was a trail somewhere to Marion Falls in the area, but it wasn't until we consulted with a couple of hikers we met that we were directed to the non-maintained social trail which is not on current maps. We quickly discovered why the forest service does not want people to hike this direction; the path has places which are extremely steep, slippery, and can be dangerous. Careful hikers will find plenty of rocks, trees and roots to hold onto to travel up and down this path, however, to obtain great views of both Upper and Lower Marion Falls. 

The entire hike was 12.24 miles with 2381 feet of elevation gain. We will return to this section of the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness soon. There are many trails which we need to explore!

Hike Tam McArthur Rim to Broken Top For a Different Approach to No Name Lake

Each year we hike to Broken Top from different trailheads, often arriving at our final destination at No Name Lake, the beautiful glacial aqua blue lake located on the eastern edge of the mountain. One of our favorite hikes includes first a trek to Tam McArthur Rim overlooking Three Creeks Lake outside of Sisters which in itself can be the destination for many. For us, this extended hike passes Tam McArthur Rim on the well marked but "not maintained" trail to Broken Hand and then to the rim overlooking No Name Lake. The total trip for us includes a side trip north of Broken Hand into the safer, but longer path around Broken Hand and then up to the rim. This hike exceeds 10 miles and 2000 feet of elevation gain, but is well worth the trip for the beauty of close views of all Three Sisters and Broken Top. At one point on the hike, views from Mt. Bachelor to Mt Hood are visible - 9 total Cascade Peaks.

What's in the September 2023 Bend Premier Real Estate Newsletter?

• Bend Real Estate Sales Cooling
• Air Fryer Apple Fritters
• 9 Things You Should Do to Your Home Before Fall Starts
• Crater Rim Trail at Newberry National Volcanic Monument
• Homeowners Have a Lot of Equity Right Now