Marys Peak

Somewhat protected by the tall trees.

WHEN: September 22, 2013


WHERE: Marys Peak, just southwest of Philomath, OR.


WHY: Today's hike was in lieu of camping due to poor weather conditions. Normally this hike has beautiful views of the Willamette Valley, Cascade Range and Pacific Ocean.


WHO: Chris, Diana, Venice and Xander.

The beautiful view from the summit.

WEATHER: Extremely windy with lots of rain. We guessed approximately 25 MPH winds with 40 MPH gusts? The wind made it cold.

"When I first went out, I though the weather was crazy. Some of the winds shook our car." - Xander

"I'm happy we made it to the top, it was a very short hike. If you don't want a long hike, don't go there, but if you want a nice place for lunch or a good place for pictures, do. I'm proud we made it because of the storm." - Venice


WHAT:
Approximately 1.5 miles.
Summit over 4,000 ft.
Round trip less than on hour.

Rainbow on the way home.

"I loved the energy and excitement of the kids on such a blustery day." - Chris

"It's a good place to play DnD because it's a forest with lots of natural habitats in it. I liked muddy log skipping!" - Venice

"I liked leaning back into the wind." - Xander

"Despite the crazy wind and rain, the kids had fun on the hike. They jumped puddles, climbed trees and discovered a really large worm. We were thankful for the warmth and dryness our car provided as well as the beautiful rainbow in store for us." - Diana

McDowell Creek Falls

The steps to the 

top of Majestic Falls

WHEN: September 2, 2013

WHERE: McDowell Creek Falls. 4 miles east of Lebanon, OR.


WHY: Today's hike was a trial run for next week's big hike up Mount Bailey. Several of us got new packs and shoes we wanted to break in.


WHO: Chris, Diana, Venice and Xander.


WEATHER: Sunny and warm.


WHAT:
Approximately 3 mile easy loop

Exploring the fallen logs above Royal Terrace Falls (on left).
Jumping streams below the Royal Terrace Falls (on right).

Lower and Upper views of Majestic Falls

"I liked going across all the bridges over the rivers and then climbing under them to get back where we started. The rocks were great to climb on because they were solid (they don't wiggle) and not too big or too small. Too small would mean I couldn't balance on them and too big wouldn't be fun.

It was definitely a scenic hike. This is the kind of place where magic would come from." - Venice



"The waterfalls were pretty. There were three waterfalls that were tall. The farthest waterfall, Majestic Falls, from where we parked was split in the middle." - Xander