Geo: 44.2728, -121.173After 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”
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