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Contributed by hike leader Ann Padgett

It was a beautiful day for a hike from Dillon Falls to Benham Falls. The cool morning kept the mosquitoes at bay and we were able to enjoy the profusion of wildflowers. We walked past the falls to the footbridge making this an 8 mile round trip.

Contributed by hike leader Sharon Evoy

Sunday proved to be a lovely day for a mellow hike in Shevlin Park. We started on the lower part of the Railroad trail continued onto the Shevlin Loop where we able to spot the active eagles’ nest on the opposing ridge. Then, crossing the third bridge, we continued along the ridge above the creek. We managed to stay mainly in the shady parts. Wild rose, penstemon, buckwheat and others were in bloom. 

Sometimes you just take an easier route to go to a unique place.  Roz O'Donaghue led CONC members on the lesser used North Trail in the Mill Creek Wilderness on June eleventh and found green meadows, a desolate canyon and a spectacular volcanic rock formation.  The North Twin Pillars trail is shorter than the Wildcat canyon version and hikers can descend to the Pillars, rather than ascend from the other side.  There was a Falcon aloft at the Pillars, wildflowers and a herd of sheep encountered in our drive down to Prineville. A day well spent!

Eight CONC members experienced Round Mountain at it's finest.  Sunny skies, moderate temperatures, abundant wildflowers, expansive views, morel mushrooms and even a wild turkey made for a memorable hike.  Round Mountain challenges hikers with nearly 2000 feet elevation gain and ten miles from trailhead to summit and back.  The Ochocos have a charm all their own due to a parkland forest setting and less crowded trails.  All these factors made for a memorable day.

Contributed by hike leader John Sweat

Our hike started with picture perfect weather,  blue skies and very comfortable temps.  My group of seasoned hikers treated this outing as though nothing more than a walk in the park.  After posing for some personal selfies at the first falls the second leg of bushwacking was just a game of bob and weave with some over  and under of blow downs through the unmaintained trail.  Our lunch spot and turn around point was not enough for some who wanted a little more in elevation and a better photo of the upper falls.

I'm thinking my next hike will have to be a little more challenging in order to satisfy some of these veteran members... Game on!

Views along the way to Chush Falls

Posing @ First Falls

Lunch @  Upper Falls

Contributed by hike leader Ann Padgett

On May 23 eight hikers traveled to Mitchell, OR to hike Sutton Mountain to see blooming cactus. We were a little late for the main bloom but did find a couple that had not faded yet. Views of the Painted Hills from the top of the mountain made this a great hike even though we missed the main flower bloom.

Contributed by hike leader Roz O'Donoghue

Springtime in Central Oregon is a time to venture into the High Desert.  The desert greens up and there are wildflowers to enjoy.  Ten CONC members joined in on a Mother's Day hike in the Crooked River canyon on the Otter Bench trails.  The upland slopes were covered in Arrow leaf Balsam Root and many other wildflower blooms were seen.  The overcast skies made for pleasant hiking temperatures and the canyon views were spectacular.  All this made for a very enjoyable Mother's Day hike.

Contributed by hike leader Kelly Clemen

Due to high demand, I offered an additional Sunday hike to Logjam Falls to complement Ann Padgett's trip to Whychus Canyon Preserve. Nine hikers met up on a glorious Sunday to do the relatively short 5-mile hike along Whychus Creek to Logjam Falls and to the mountain viewpoint beyond. The creek was flowing swiftly along due to spring snowmelt, but thankfully was not flooding the trail anywhere. It was still a bit early for the spring display of flowers, but there were a few sand lilies scattered here and there. Logjam Falls was full of the usual water and logs, making for a nice photo at the viewpoint. After getting our fill of the falls, we hiked a quarter of a mile farther to the Whychus Canyon overlook at the upstream trailhead. This is a paved area with a built-in deck and benches to sit and soak up the sun and enjoy the views of the Cascades. We enjoyed a snack and then took a group photo with the mountainous backdrop. Afterwards, we head back to our cars at the beginning trailhead with plenty of day left to enjoy other activities in the sun. 

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.

Contributed to hike leader Gary Jones

A group of six hikers enjoyed a gorgeous day and incredible views on a 5 mile hike from Gray Butte trailhead to the Burma Road pass and back. Wildflowers and meadowlark’s—what’s not to like?