Posts with tag 'Central Oregon Hikes'

Experience the Bend lifestyle through the eyes of those who call it home. From sunrise coffee and mountain views to riverside adventures and craft cocktails downtown, a weekend in Bend is about living fully — outdoors, connected, and inspired.

Morning: Coffee, Sunshine, and River Trails

Bend mornings start early — not out of obligation, but out of excitement. The light over the Cascades is too beautiful to sleep through, and the smell of fresh-roasted coffee from local cafés is irresistible. Grab a morning latte at Sparrow Bakery, where locals linger ov...

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What's in the October 2025 Bend Premier Newsletter?

• Lower Mortgage Rates are Making a Difference
• Pumpkin Pancakes
• Get Spooky While Saving: Budget-Friendly Halloween Decor Ideas
• Carl Lake is a Little Known Hike
• 3 Advantages of Buying a Newly Built Home Today

The Hike to Carl Lake is Little Known

Many in Central Oregon know of the hike to Three Fingered Jack via Canyon Meadow. This trailhead to this hike is accessed from Jack Lake which is at the end of Forest Service Road 1234 in the Mt Jefferson Wilderness. Forest Service Road 1234 splits off Forest Service Road 1230 roughly two miles off paved Jack Lake Road. If instead of turning on 1234 to the Jack Lake Trailhead, people wanting a different experience can continue on 1230 for seven miles to reach the Cabot Lake (Carl Lake) trailhead (the last two miles of this road is rough). 

The first mile and a half of this hike is through the recovering burned forest of the B & B complex fire of 2003, but after that, the hike is in old growth forest. Two miles in the trail passes an overgrown and uncleared spur that can take hikers to Cabot Lake, a lovely forest lake. The trail has numerous blueberry bushes and in the fall, interesting mushrooms. After a series of switchbacks climbing a ridge, the trail levels out and passes three small unnamed lakes until at five miles the trail reaches Carl Lake.

Carl Lake is a lovely, deep blue, glaciated, trout filled alpine lake. There are also many camping spots dotted around the lake for those who wish to spend some time enjoying the area. For those wishing more hiking challenges, past the south side of the lake is a trail that goes to Shirley Lake and beyond it, climbs to reach the Pacific Crest Trail. Two tenths of a mile south on the PCT is a spur trail trail west that hikers can use to summit South Cinder Cone. For those who do, the views toward Mt. Jefferson to the north and Three Fingered Jack to the south are truly outstanding. 

Day hikers can enjoy the entire trip from the trailhead up South Cinder Cone and back in 14.28 miles and see very few if any people.

Take the Climbers' Trail to Reach Hayden Glacier

For Central Oregon hikers looking for something different that does not require a paid permit, the climbers' trail on Middle Sister is well worth it. Most hikers would start in the burned forest at the Pole Creek Trailhead located off forest service road 15 outside of Sisters (the parking at the trailhead requires $5 payment or a forest pass). After hiking the trail to the junction with Green Lakes Trail 17, trekkers continue on Trail 17 toward Park Meadow. Shortly after crossing Soap Creek is the junction with Camp Lake which hikers should take to reach the unmarked junction with the Climbers' Trail. If hikers miss this trail, it loops with another section of the Camp Lake trail near one of the branches of Wychus Creek which hikers to Camp Lake have to cross. Climbers don't cross the creek, but instead hike upstream toward Middle Sister. 

Regardless of the looped trail route chosen, they join on the moraine just under Hayden Glacier. Both are steep, difficult hikes with loose pumice and boulders to traverse. For those who plan on summiting Middle or North Sister, Hayden Glacier is just another geological feature to pass by before the summiting. For those not wishing to go further, the Cascade views from the glacier are amazing.

For those starting at the Pole Creek Trailhead and hiking to the glacier but no further, plan on a full day, climbing over 3100 feet and roughly 13 miles.

Waiting for the perfect buyer to fall in love with your house? In today's market, that's usually not what's holding things up. And here's why.

Let's be real. Homes are taking a week longer to sell than they did a year ago. According to Realtor.com:

"Homes are also taking longer to sell. The typical home spent 60 days on the market in August, seven days longer than last year and now above pre-pandemic norms for the second consecutive month. This was the 17th straight month of year-over-year increases in time on market."

Part of that is because there are more homes on the market. So, with more options for buyers to choose from, they aren't getting snatched up quite as fast. But there's another big reason: price.

The Average List Price Isn't Going Up – and That Matters

Today, a lot of homeowners are overshooting their

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