A few years ago, I made an attempt at completing this entire 2,600 mile trail in a quick 4 months. It all started four days after I graduated college. I donned my backpack and set out from Campo, CA (PCT Southern Terminus) on June 5, 2008.

My first challenge was to conquer the sweltering Southern California deserts. Needless to say, I didn’t fair so well. After hiking 80 miles in the 120-degree heat I began to realize why most people start this section of the trail in April. Why the hell was I subjecting my body to backpacking through some of the most inhospitable environments in the US? Good question. I found myself talking to the wind (losing it), telling it to give a small breeze.

I was about 20 miles south of Warner Springs, CA when I came around a corner and almost stepped on a coiled rattlesnake. He hissed, and struck at me immediately and my only option was jumping off the trail the other direction to avoid the viper. The “flight” mechanism engaged and I fell over the side of the trail rolling violently down the embankment…I ended upside down, luckily unbitten, with a large abrasion to my right shin. I got up, brushed myself off and checked out my leg. I had gotten abrasions like this before at home and it was no big deal (mistaken assumption), so I chose to clean it with a single alcohol swab, let it be, and set up camp for the evening. (Lesson: when you sustain even a small abrasion or cut from a rock that has been in the same place for the last 100 years, you’ll want to do more than just swab it with alcohol.)

The desert sun bathed my tent in gorgeous dawn colors, but what really woke me up was a throbbing pain in my lower leg. I looked down and noticed that the area around the abrasion was swollen, but I assumed it was probably just bruised. I was dead wrong. Throughout the day the swelling got worse and by 4pm my leg at mid-calf had swollen to the size of a cantaloupe and was very warm to the touch. I realized that I needed medical attention due to a possible infection and proceeded to ranch house down a spur trail. The ranch hands took me in for the night and gave me a ride into town the next day to see a doctor.

It took a month, two rounds of antibiotics, and a shot in the butt cheek to get over that infection. I’ve never experienced muscular pain like that before. I realized that my chances of reaching the Canadian Border before heavy winter hit in the North Cascades was slim to none. I relegated to finishing the John Muir Trail in the Sierra and then I would call it a season. But after finishing the JMT, and meeting a good friend on the trail we decided to skip up to Oregon and hike through my two home states (OR and WA) to the Canadian Border. Fortunately, we reached Canada on Oct 5, 2008 right as it started to dump snow.

I hadn’t really taken residence in Oregon yet before I began the PCT. I’d worked in a few camps and climbed quite a bit around the state, but hadn’t really spent much time in the mountains and forests other than a quick summit push here or there.

After 3 weeks of hiking through our beautiful state, I realized that I wanted to come back to live. So many amazing things await you on the PCT here in Oregon.  It is a prehistoric masterpiece of Volcanoes, old growth forests, lava fields, rivers, creeks, abundant wildlife, fun backcountry huts and locales, great people, and plenty of berries.

The distance of the PCT through Oregon is 457.6 miles, which a reasonably fit person could easily do in 25 days, averaging approximately 18 miles per day.  Through Oregon, is where the PCT gains and loses the least amount of elevation, therefore the trail is “easier” on the legs. You could split it up into more easily manageable sections that you could do in 4 day high, mileage clumps, over the hiking season. You’ll just have to worry about shuttling cars or hitchhiking.

Here is a great book for figuring planning mileage, location, and resupply…

And here is the main guidebook that I used for Oregon and Washington…

I feel the best place to start is outside of Ashland, OR at Callahan’s restaurant and Country Store. You cut off about 30 miles of trail north of the California border, but the trail picks up off of I-5, just south of there and is easy to find. You could also start from the Mt. Ashland Campground. Here is a list of resupply spots with stores or Post Offices along the way in Oregon and at what mile they are along the entire PCT. You can send self-addressed packages to these locations, but beware of time constraints on holding them and location closures.

Starting Distance at Ashland, OR= 1726.6 Miles

Mile-1830.4

General Delivery
Crater Lake National Park, OR 97604
541-594-3115

Mile-1834.9

Crater Lake Lodge
400 Rim Village Dr Crater Lake, OR 97604
541-594-2511
UPS only

Mile-1912.2

Shelter Cove Resort
West Odell Lake Rd, Hwy 58 Crescent Lake, OR 97425
541-433-2548
UPS only, held for a total of 2 weeks

Mile-1958.3

Elk Lake Resort
Century Dr. (P.O Box 789)
Bend, OR 97709
541-480-7228

Mile-2053.1

Olallie Lake Resort
c/o USFS Estacada Station
595 NW Industrial Way
Estacada, OR 97023
541-504-1010

Mile-2102.3

General Delivery
Government Camp, OR 97028
503-272-3238

Mile-2107.3

Timberline Ski Area
WY’East Store
Timberline Lodge, OR 97028
503-272-3311

Ending distance at Cascade Locks, OR= 2155.0 Miles

Give the Pacific Crest Trail a walk…Who knows, it could light a fire and you could end up finishing the entire trail one day.

1. Nymph it up

Nymphing should comprise most of the fly fishing you do during the colder months. Even in the warmer months, the diet of fish usually consists of 50-60% midges. Midges are an easier floating meal for fish than having to dart up to grab something on the surface. Tie on a small indicator, or some pinch foam, or maybe even a dry fly with some tippet and nymph off of it’s hook. Just remember to keep hooks and indicators small. If you’re using a round bob indicator, snap on some split shot to get that nymph all the way to the bottom quickly. The ideal flies to use during the winter will be black stoneflies, smaller dark midges, black or dark green wooly buggers, and smaller leeches.

2. Walk Softly and Carry A Big Stick

During the winter, the water temperature in rivers and streams obviously drops. Which in turn makes fish lethargic, but no less spooky. The reason for this is that the water is usually lower and clearer in winter than in summer. Try not to cast long shadows over the water and slow your movements down a quarter. This speed decrease includes stripping line, which should be short and slow, and fewer casts as well. Also, think of casting downstream, letting your line float through a run instead of making a large movement casting back upstream.

3. Tippet in your favor

Lighten your tippet down a size, say if you’re using 4X drop it down to 3X. And don’t be afraid to tie on up to three flies in a row to provide for more opportunity, as you will have to smack fish in the face with the fly to get it to bite. Also, use a little more length on your tippet than you normally would.

These tips have only scratched the surface of winter fly-fishing. When fishing the major rivers in Oregon during the winter, the steelhead are what many anglers are after…check out this well written article on tactics for steelhead from Deschutes Trout Unlimited

The Alvord Desert, named after Civil War Commander Benjamin Alvord, sits at 4,000 feet in elevation and is a 12-by-7 mile dry lake bed that averages 7 inches of rain a year. Situated on it’s “banks” is several geothermal hot springs, as well as a few cold springs.

The lakebed is flat enough to drive across during the dry season. We’ve heard many stories where people have put their truck in drive, strapped the steering wheel, and got in the back to enjoy ride (not recommended).  In 1976, Kitty O’Neil set the unofficial women’s world land speed record on the Alvord Desert at 512 mph.

The Steens Mountain is a huge fault-block mountain that stretches 50 miles.  It rises from the Alvord Desert some 4,200 feet to a peak elevation of 9,733 feet.  It is named for US Army Major Enoch Steen, who fought and drove the Paiute Tribe off the mountain in the 1800’s. (Sadly speaking, I dislike how cool places are named after people who caused heartache and death, gotta love Merica.)

Supply Towns-

Burns- This is the best place to get all your provisions and gas before you head out on the desolate roads that await you. On the next trip down here, I will bring an extra 5 gallon jerry can of fuel, just in case. If you’re planning on camping away from a designated campground, make sure that you bring plenty of water, food, wine, and good beer, as it is not easy to .

French Glen- This historical town has a single hotel with a small restaurant, a very small general store, and one horse (joke). Make sure that you make a reservation for anything at the hotel, including meals. We tried to walk-in for dinner and were turned away with the claim that they wouldn’t have enough food. The 8- room hotel is open mid-March to November (Reservations-541-493-2825). The small general store is not significantly stocked and definitely makes you feel as if you’re in the dusty old west. They only take cash. There is no gas station.

Fields- Situated at the Southern end of both the Steens Mountain and the Alvord Desert, this town has a small hotel called the Alvord Inn, a gas station, and a small restaurant. The restaurant serves some of the best and biggest Milkshakes I’ve ever had, so be sure to snag one on your way through. I recommend sharing, as they are huge.

Camping-

My personal favorites are…

Page Springs Campground- located at the base of Steens Mountain, just 3 miles from the town of Frenchglen. A trailhead for the Blitzen River Trail is located within the campground. It has 36 sites, but has a tendency to fill in during the busy summer months. It costs $8 per vehicle/night. Call 541-573-4400 to make reservations or get there early.

Fish Lake Campground- located on Steens Mountain, around 20 miles from the town of Frenchglen up the Steens Mountain Loop Road. There are 23 campsites. And, for you fisherman, the lake is stocked with good trout in the Spring by ODFW. It costs $8 per vehicle/night.

Jackman Park Campground- located on Steens Mountain as well. It has 6 small campsites located in aspen trees 3 miles from Fish Lake. This area has some of the best fall color viewing on the mountain. This campground is also close to the Kiger Gorge Overlook. It costs $6 per vehicle/night.

South Steens Campground- located on Steens Mountain, approximately 18 miles from Highway 205 via the Steens Mountain Loop Road. With 36 campsites is great place for Equestrians (horse trailer sites exist) and Hikers alike. The Campground is close to the Historic Riddle Brothers Ranch, several hiking trails, and Little Blitzen and Big Indian Gorges. It cost $6 per vehicle/night.

For all the above campgrounds… Call 541-573-4400 for reservations

The Alvord Playa- is a great place for astronomy, land sailing, driving, and camping. Along the edge of the desert sits several hot springs. The Alvord Hot Springs is a privately owned, no-fee hot spring that bubbles up from the fault line at 174 degrees, but cools considerably by the time it reaches man-made sitting pools. It is a pretty sweet spot, with a corrugated tin shed for changing. Even though the tub is pretty large, It can get a little crowded at times, so get there early. It is a great place to watch the sunrise. Other springs in the area, including Mickey Hot Springs, are too dangerously hot for use by anyone. Keep your animals and children a safe distance away. Camping is free on the playa.

Click HERE for a link to the BLM website for the area.

Trails-

Big Indian Gorge Trail- This trail begins at South Steens Campground. This 8 mile hike to the headwall of the gorge and passes through numerous meadows and cottonwood and aspen groves. You will make 3 stream crossings, which can be difficult or impassable at times in the spring and early summer. The trail is easy to follow for the first 7 miles and then it fades away and becomes a cross-country hike. This is great spot for an overnight backpack trip as there are plenty of primitive campsites.

Steens Summit Trail- is a short hike that allows easy access to the summit of Steens Mountain. Park at the end of the Wildhorse Lake Overlook Road, hike past the gate and follow the closed run up to awesome views. On a clear day you can see 3 states and Mount Shasta.

Wildhorse Lake Trail- This is one of the more short and challenging trails around the Steens Mountain. To hike it, park at the end of the Wildhorse Lake Overlook Road and follow the trail 1/4 mile to the Wildhorse Lake Overlook. From there, it is a mile long trail segment to get to the lake. The trail does not see much traffic; therefore, it is not maintained very well and is pretty steep. There are a couple sites at the lake and fires are not allowed, so bring a stove. If the sites are full at the lake, continue down canyon. You will be moving cross-country so be ready for simple navigation. Also be aware that you will have a significant climb out the way you came in, as there is no trail leading out of the canyon the other direction.

Also…If you you’re into bird watching, you might as well check out the post on the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, as you’re going to be in the same area.

How to get there-

From Burns follow State Route 205 south for about 60 miles to Frenchglen. The Steens scenic loop road is found at the south end of town. This loop is Sixty-six miles long and the first half of the loop is gravel and pretty rough. Low clearance vehicles like Subarus and Hondas will do fine until September, or even into November if snow comes late in the year. Most of the good views that can be enjoyed from the first part of the loop are Fish Lake, The Kiger Gorge, and the Steens Mountain Summit.

The second half of the loop road needs to be traveled using a vehicle with high clearance and four wheel drive. This last half travels down the sidewall of Big Indian Gorge along a feature called the Roosters Comb offering some nice views back towards the summit and gorgeous views of Big Indian Gorge, but much of the mountain can be seen and enjoyed without ever traveling this second half of the loop.

Here is a topo map of the immediate area of interest…

I’m always on the hunt for something new to silence the belly monster. A couple weeks ago I got an email from Mazama Bar based out of Olympia, WA. Their company name caught my eye, as it’s the historically significant mountain name (Mt. Mazama) of what is now Crater Lake, OR. One of the most interesting natural wonders of the world. These guys are a brand new company and are producing, I believe, some of the best bars on the market right now when it comes to taste, quality, and health. They sent me a few bars to try out.

Mazama Bars are nutrient dense and hover around 400 calories each. They are handmade with local Pacific Northwest ingredients, and weigh in at 3.25 ounces each. That’s a pretty good horsepower-to-weight ratio, if I do say so myself.

They use whole rolled oats and dates as their main ingredient. Every bar is preservative free and cold-pressed to keep those nutrients from getting scared off by the cooking process. Best of all… No overly processed soy protein isolates. Don’t know what those are? Nor did I… Check this article out.

They stated in their FAQ’s that each bar has a carb to protein ratio of 5:1. Which, like they say, is actually a pretty decent given the unprocessed nature of the bar. Your body burns carbs first as its primary source of fuel and then it heads onto the proteins. This is why athletes have a protein shake as a recovery drink post workout, so as to not lose muscle mass.

While hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and other long trails, I rely heavily on meal replacement bars as my main source of daily calories. At 400 calories a pop, I can get up in the morning, throw back a meal bar, trail mix for a mid morning snack, meal bar for lunch (while still hiking), afternoon granola, and then a hot dinner over a stove before bed. I can pull off 25-40 mile days because I don’t have to stop to cook a meal. No matter what I do, I’m always still at a caloric deficit, this is why I’m excited about Mazama Bars. They have a higher fat content than any other bar I’ve tried. This gives my body something to burn when I’m out of gas.

They have three flavors; Wild Berry, Chocolate Banana, and Hazelnut Mocha. My personal favorite is the Hazelnut Mocha. I’ll be putting quite a few of these away this summer and next ski season. Give them a try!

Stay healthy with good food this summer and your body will take you far! To Order yourself some Mazama Bars, head to their website.

This brings us to the all important body parts… Your Feet. Not enough people go into a hike prepared for what heat, humidity, dirt, and rocks do to their little piggies. I don’t know how many people I’ve seen out on the trails during the summer hobbling back to their car with complaints of incredibly painful blisters. And we all know how they feel… They plain suck!

Proper preventative foot care is very important when you’re out for multiple days. Here are 10 tips to keep your feet in tip-top shape.

1. Wear trail runners instead of hiking boots… They breathe better, dry faster, and are much lighter on the trail.
2. Wear a lighter wool sock…They breathe better.
3. Wash your socks every evening, if possible. Leaving debris in your socks turns them into sandpaper.
4. Lighten your pack weight… That’s a given!
5. If you think you’re getting a blister, STOP WALKING! Lubricate hotspots with Bodyglide or Hydropel. Don’t let your hiking partners determine whether you should stop or not. They’re your feet, not theirs. Take care of them and catch up.
6. Take your shoes and socks off mid-day for a dry out session in the sun. Most reasons you get blisters is due to sweaty feet.
7. Clean your feet every night with a wet-wipe… Not only will it help you, your tent mate will welcome your fresh feet with open nostrils.
8. If your hiking in wet conditions all day, put a heavy coating of Hydropel on your dry feet, under your sleeping socks at night, before you sack out. That’ll help condition your feet so you don’t get the dreaded “Trenchfoot”.
9. Wear a low riding gaiter to keep rocks and other debris out of your shoe. EX: Simblissity LevaGaiter, Dirt Girl Gaiter.
10. Always bring plenty of first-aid supplies with you, with an emphasis on blister care. It is not ‘IF’ you get blisters… It’s when.

Keep your feet in good shape and they’ll take you far…

If in fact you weren’t able to keep the blisties off your feetsies, watch this video to learn how to dress it properly and get you back on the trail…

Here is what is in my blister kit…

• safety pin
• lighter
• Alcohol Prep Pads
• Spenco Blister Kit
• Leukotape
• Athletic Tape
• Leatherman Micra Multi-tool
• Anti-biotic Ointment
• Hydropel

The sun was out and the downhill drops were decent on this course. Some of our tried and true favorites were on the trails for the race… Adam Craig, Carl Decker, Kelli Emmett, Sue Butler, Becky Bjork were just a few who were there to bomb down the trails from Wanoga Sno-Park. The riders dropped around 3,000 vertical feet, all the way to 10 Barrel Brew Pub in the heart of Bend, OR where they had to pound a beer to finish the course.

Check out the video below, to wet your whistle for your weekend on the trails…

After a moment, water started to pour into my bottle, and I began to grow bored, once again, of the repetitive motion of my water filter. I’ve never liked carrying this big hunk of plastic and hoses around with me on trails and cleaning it was a pain in the ass. I looked out across the lake and admired the cirque we had stopped for our afternoon break.

All of the sudden, I heard a slurping sound coming from the filter. It had stopped sucking water and now was just blowing air bubbles into my water bottle. “Crap, just what I need.” I said to myself, as I began to pull the filter apart and check for clogging and damage. Sure enough there was a widening hairline crack down the intake section of the filter. It was toast.

Luckily, I had brought a back up water purification option, Aquamira. I had learned of this chemical water treatment from Andrew Skurka, an expert long-distance backpacker. I was always leery of putting chemicals in my water to purify it. This was not because of the ingestion of them, but because I was worried they wouldn’t get the job done, and in turn, I would get sick.

I followed the instructions on the side of the bottles, mixing phosphoric acid and chlorine dioxide together in the provided cap. I waited for 5 minutes to let the chemicals combine and then dumped the mixture into my water bottle and shook it up. I loosened the cap while turning the bottle upside down to get the threads wet with the mixture, like I’d done with iodine back in the day, and then slid the bottle into my backpack straps.

This was the first time I’d ever used Aquamira. About a half hour later, I shakily brought the bottle to my lips for a sip of water. I think that I was just being a pansy. I said, “Hope this works.” And downed several large gulps. The water tasted fresh and amazingly untainted. Two weeks later I was still using the water treatment and had thrown my filter in the recycle bin at the last trail town. This is the only water treatment I use now, and I think that it is probably the best in world.

Chlorine Dioxide is the active ingredient in the Aquamira, and is iodine and chlorine free. The chemical process works by releasing nascent oxygen into the water, which is a strong oxidant and powerful germicidal agent. Chlorine dioxide has been used since WWII by most city municipalities, and the like, to kill waterborne pathogens and has proven extremely effective.

Here are my favorite things about Aquamira…

• There no harmful by-products in Chlorine Dioxide like there are in household bleach and iodine.

• Chlorine dioxide is also a more powerful oxidant that iodine, with several times the killing power.

• It will not discolor or give the water an unpleasant taste.

• 1 kit will treat up to 30 Gallons of water or 120 liters. Which is quite a bit and will last a consistent month of daily use on the trail depending on usage.

• It is very light and very compact, as the kit weighs 2 oz. (Two Bottles)

• You can mix it before you get to a water spot, while you’re hiking the trail.

• You can use as little, or as much as you want, depending on the quality of the water source.

• I’m not worried about cryptosporidium, giardia, and other buggies, getting through a filter.

I love Aquamira and use it on every backpack trip and backcountry outing where I will not have access to clean drinking water. At around $11, you can’t get a more powerful water purification option. Grab yourself a kit off Amazon today!

Racing started on Saturday, June 2, off of Cascade Lakes Highway from Wanoga Sno-Park. The enduro series linked 4 of Bend, OR premier variable downhill single track: Funner, Storm King, Tiddlywinks, Kiawa Butte Trail. This was a stage race, including non-timed transitions between trails and ending on Conklin Road, just above Seventh Mountain Resort.

On Sunday, it was all-out, balls to the wall downhill racing on ‘Funner’ and ‘Lower Storm King’ to Conklin road. The competitors endured a 6 mile long stage with over 1,500 of descending and only 150 feet of ascending. This run would take most riders between 20 and 25 minutes, unless you were a pro. Adam Craig placed first in the pro men with a time of 17:50.00. Mary Moncorge placed first in the Pro women with a time of 21:41.00. As for Cat 1-3, Oregonians won every single one! I guess that goes to show how we ‘roll’ here in Oregon.

Check out the full results and times from OBRA here.

It was a great weekend of racing with lots of crashes, blown tires, chains, and gears. Supposedly, Adam Craig even ended up going over the bars. Don’t worry Adam… It happens even to the best of us.

There are more races to come all over Oregon. Check out OregonEnduro.com to get more information when the race is going to hit your town. The next weekend race is in Ashland, Oregon June 23-24, 2012. Then it’s Hood River, Sisters, and Mt. Hood for the finals.

Here’s some of the images… They are full resolution. If you see yourself, feel free to save it from the site and repost it, just give OregonOutside.net a little cred. Thanks.

Enter the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 Tent…

Here in Oregon, we get a wide variety of weather. From the heat, winds, and snow of Central Oregon and the Cascades, to the rains of Coast, I need to have a tent that can endure it all with lightweight style. Last year I trekked through the High Sierra, Three Sisters Wilderness, the Gorge, the Redwoods, and the Oregon Coast with this 3 season bad boy. It endured temps in the teens, high winds, snow, and an occasional heavy shower. One morning, I woke up with the entire fly thickly coated with condensation ice, yet it still managed to keep me warm and dry when the mercury dropped into the teens that night.

I’m a big fan of gear lofts, cause my socks get stinky. When I’ve gone with an ultralight tent or bivy sack, I usually don’t get the luxury of hanging my foul undergarments out to dry. Now… the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 Tent sports a gammut of gear loops that make for a great spot to dry the socks from, after hangin some paracord. There are also three small pockets in the mesh of the roof and tent walls, with enough room for headlamps and a few necessities.

Breaking camp in the mornings is a cinch, as the tent stuffs into the bottom of my Golite pack like a small blanket. At approximately two pounds this two person tent is barely noticeable in my pack. I looked high and low for a lighter option for two, but this tent trumps them all. It won Backpacker Magazines 2010 Editors Choice award for it’s “merely compact, not coffin tight” ability that makes you leave that bivy sack at home. I can sit up while inside with my tent mate lying supine next to me.

The single-hub pole design, even though a little awkward for packing, makes pitching in high winds very easy. DAC Twist clips attach the tent body to the pole frame for quick and easy set up. The poles are made of TH72M Aluminum, and are durable as all get out. I accidentally sat on them while they were in the front pocket of my backpack and they did not show even a dent.

If you’re looking for an even lighter setup… Buy the footprint when you buy the tent. Leave the actual tent at home and just bring the fly and the footprint. If bugs are not an issue for you, you can get this tent to sub 2 pounds in a flash.

The rainfly and seamless floor are made of high-tenacity ripstop nylon and are polyurethane- and silicone-coated for waterproof durability. You will need to be a little more careful with this tent, as the fabrics are thin and the zippers are small. I would highly suggest purchasing the footprint or using a homemade one (tyvek house sheeting works great), as the tent floor is rather thin. The seams are taped with waterproof, solvent-free polyurethane tape. This saves you the time of seam sealing it yourself.

The tent walls are made of woven nylon mesh. This makes for excellent ventilation, but can also cause the tent to be a little drafty with the fly on in even breezy conditions.. When the weather is nice though, you’ll have a fantastic view of the stars and sunrise with the fly off.

Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 Tent or the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 Tent are the best shelters that I’ve come upon in a long while that gives me everything I want. It’s lightweight, it has several pitching options like other tents, is pretty durable considering, has a vestibule, and… Oh yeah, did I mention it weighs next to nothing? Split between two people, it is almost as if you aren’t even carrying a tent at all.

The Red links are commissioned based, and take you to REI if you’d like to purchase this little beauty.

For you Engineers…Here’s the detailed specifications data…

Hiking

There are over 125 miles of trails in the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness. You can easily backpack for a week or longer in this area, coming across new and intriguing sights every day as you traverse the ecological diversity of the wilderness. Elevations here range from 4,000 feet to 9,038 feet at the peak of Strawberry Mountain.

If you want to reach the summit of Strawberry Mountain, you can choose from three distinct paths. The shortest hike to this point begins at Road 1640 and travels 3.6 miles up to the peak. Onion Creek Trail spans 4.9 miles on the way up the mountain. For the most comprehensive view of the area, however, you can take the 6.5-mile trek that starts at Strawberry Campground. This will take you past Strawberry Lake and Strawberry Creek Falls on the way up the mountain.

If you’re interested in solitude on your hike, the Big Creek Trail takes you along the south side of Strawberry Mountain where fewer visitors travel. You can camp all along the trail, but water is scarce so be sure you’re well-prepared for this journey. Mud Lake Trail is another hike that offers quiet and solitude in the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness Area.

For stunning vistas, be sure to explore Roads End Trail #201A. This trail offers views of the John Day Valley and Bear Valley. Where the trail meets the Onion Creek Trail and Pine Creek Trail, you’ll have views of the Indian Creek Basin.

Camping

The Strawberry Campground offers a wonderful starting point for hikers in the Strawberry Mountains. This campsite is open from late May through October. There are just 10 campsites here. Reservations are not accepted so it’s first come, first serve. This campground provides both clean drinking water and restrooms.

Strawberry Campground is located just a short hike from Strawberry Lake which is a prime fishing spot for brook trout and rainbow trout. Creek fishing is available nearby as well. Hunting for Rocky Mountain elk and mule deer is permitted in season.

Considerations

If you’re backpacking through the Strawberry Mountain you’ll find many scattered sites available for camping. You should note that all water in this area must be properly purified before drinking. The easiest method for doing this is to bring your drinking water to a roiling boil for at least 5 minutes.

There are many different types of wildlife that you may encounter in the Strawberry Mountains. Animals you should be prepared to come across include:

• Black bears
• Cougars
• Mule deer
• Elk
• Antelope
• California bighorn sheep
• Mink
• Beavers

The best time to visit Strawberry Mountain is between July and November. True to its name, this area is filled with ripe wild strawberries in July. Over the summer months, you may experience occasional thunderstorms. September is typically mild and clear. At the highest elevations, you can encounter snow and freezing any time of the year, so come prepared for all elements.

Here’s a topo map of the range that stretches East from John Day, Oregon