Jim Witty

The Bulletin

It’s the day before Halloween and that’s definitely frost there on your pumpkin. Now, for most of us who spend January and February dreaming of rising trout or juicy single track, the key word is focus.

Those lazy days of spring, when a Central Oregon summer of hiking, biking, climbing, fishing, swimming, picnicking and creative lounging stretched out ahead like a river flowing from its headwaters, are a long time gone.

The days are getting shorter, the nights colder; change is in the air.

This is as good a time as any to get out your dog-eared to-do list, take a deep breath and prioritize. Winnow it down. Hone it. Be brutal.

Then lace ’em up and head ’em out. It’s going to be a long cold winter.

The good news is that right now – today – our summer trail options are practically endless. But that could change faster than the weather guy can say approaching cold front.

Tumalo Falls is a good place to go when you hear that solstitial time clock ticking, because it’s a convenient gateway into the mountains and a system of trails that will soon be lost under a blanket of snow.

The Tumalo Creek Trail wends east from the trailhead (to the left just over the bridge that spans the creek) and parallels Tumalo Creek four miles to Skyliner Sno-park. The trail runs along the hillside above the south bank and affords tasty views of the creek, aspens and alders as well as the Bridge Creek burn and some serious volcanic geology across the canyon.

Whether you ride or hike, this strikes me as a wonderful place to introduce athletic out-of-towners to the beauty of your back yard. It’s about eight miles out-and-back – a short, fun ride or thoughtful hike among the manzanita, pines and firs.

Less than a mile from the trailhead, you’ll come to another trail that cuts off to the right (there’s no sign here but it’s the only right turn in the vicinity). The South Fork Trail climbs up the South Fork of Tumalo Creek and can tie you into a series of paths that you might be skiing on in a few weeks. If you’re riding, a fun choice is the Three Shelters Loop, which takes you by a trio of warming huts that form the heart of the cross country ski trail system in the Deschutes National Forest.

At about a quarter mile from Tumalo Creek Trail, you’ll come to the South Fork Shelter. From there, the single-track trail ascends to a fork a little more than a mile farther along. Turn left across the bridge then left at an unsigned fork. The Swampy Lakes Shelter is up ahead on the right.

Bear left from Swampy and eventually you’ll come to Tumalo Ridge Trail. Turn left to the Swede Ridge Shelter and descend back to the Tumalo Creek Trail on the Skyliner Sno-park end.

At more than 10 miles, the Three Shelters Loop makes for a challenging ride.

Another good hiking/biking route from the Tumalo Falls parking area follows the North Fork Trail past a series of waterfalls and up to the edge of the Three Sisters Wilderness. It’s uphill only for bikers who can tie into the Metolius-Windigo Trail (a right turn) and then loop around to the new Mrazek and Farewell trails to Shevlin Park or Tumalo Falls.

They’re all first class trails and great fun, but if you lose focus before you get to all of them, take heart. They’ll still be there next year.

Meanwhile, think snow.

Jim Witty can be reached at 541-617-7828 or jwitty@bendbulletin.com.