Contributed by hike leader Kelly Cleman

Sunday was bright and sunny as ten hikers set off on the first Sunday hike of the spring season from the Badlands Rock trailhead. Our plan was to do a 8-9 mile loop that included Badlands Rock, Castle Rock and Flatiron Rock.  The route was mostly flat and easy to follow, but occasionally dusty. We made it to the junction with the Castle Rock trail in excellent time and gazed upon Badlands Rock. Then we headed towards Castle Rock and went up into the stone maze to take some photos of the stunning mountains in the distance. It was so clear that we could see as far as Mt Hood. Once we'd had our fill, we set back out on the trail to the Flatiron Rock formation. There we went up and sat down to enjoy some lunch and some views. While it had been pretty warm out on the trail, our lunch area was a bit windy, so we didn't linger too long. We set out again, this time on the Flatiron Rock trail down to the Homestead trail, and headed back to our trailhead. Towards the end, it was pretty warm and dusty and we were all glad to see the cars in the parking lot. But everyone agreed that it had been a lovely day and a good way to start the hiking season.