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Published: September 30th 2017
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The Crooked River
Looking downriver at Smith Rock State Park Geo: 44.2728, -121.173
After our 13 miles of pretty exhausting hiking the day
before, we checked out of the lodge on Thursday
morning and drove on to our next destination,
Redmond, Oregon, and what we thought would be a
fairly short, easier hike in the nearby Smith Rock State
Park. Smith Rock is a rugged section of an ancient
volcanic caldera that is billed as one of Oregon's
seven natural wonders and a mecca for rock climbers.
The Crooked River runs along the base of the volcanic
ridge that rises 1,000 feet above the surface of the river.
It is quite scenic but the anticipated “short, easy” hike
turned out to be anything but. We stopped at the visitor
center and asked about the trail. The one we were
interested in was called the “Misery Ridge Loop” trail
and it was only about 4 miles long with about a 1,000
foot elevation gain. The volunteer recommended the hike
as very scenic but cautioned that it was “a little steep at
first but once you reach the ridge, it's all downhill from
there." This turned out to
be an understatement. In order
to reach the main trailhead, you first had to descend about
200 feet to the river, cross a bridge, and then hike the
1,000 feet to the top of the ridge. That 1,000 feet is gained
in the first ¾ of a mile, averaging an inclination of around
30%, with many sections at over 45%. Probably the steepest
section of trail that we have hiked in along time.
Still feeling the effects of our previous days hike, it
is fair to say that we both were exhausted by the time we reached
the top of the ridge. And we still had over 3 miles to go – albeit
“all downhill.” We made it, and it was a rewarding hike, but we
were pretty doggone tired by the time we made it back to the river
and that final 200 foot climb back to the car.
We drove the short distance to Redmond
and the Sleep Inn where we would spend the next two nights. After
cranking up the computer and checking e-mails, we drove to the Smith
Rock Brew Pub where we had dinner. Looking at the beer list, I
noticed one called “Misery Ridge IPA.”
From the Misery Ridge Trail
Showing the parking area and the road/trail down to the river bottom that runs by that building with the red roof.. Well, of course I had to
order the “Misery Ridge IPA” which turned out to be a very good
beer. I must say that it was a whole lot easier to drink Misery
Ridge than to hike it. Since they did not have a full bar, Anne
ordered a glass of hard cider which she discovered she liked. Food
was pretty good too.
The next morning we checked out the
complimentary breakfast offered by the motel. This was one of the
best free motel type breakfasts we've had in a while with waffles,
eggs, sausage, biscuits & gravy, yogurt, fruit, breads, juice,
coffee, etc. available. The only downside was the fact that there
was a golf tournament somewhere nearby and the dining area was full
of loud golfers talking about tee times, etc.
All of the pictures below are from the Misery Ridge Loop Trail.
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