July 2011 Archive

31
Jul
2011
jloomis

Fly Fishing Fall River, Oregon

Fall River, Oregon

On our way home from camping at Cultus Lake Sunday, we hit Fall River for an hour or two of fly fishing near the fish hatchery. Fall River has been a favorite of mine since my first trip there about a decade ago. It is a fly fishing-only stream that flows about eleven miles into the Deschutes River. Fall River is spring fed (bubbles right out of the ground near the guard station) and as a result is very clear. You can often spot trout hiding near fallen trees. It is stocked with legal-sized trout and has healthy populations of rainbow, brown, and brook trout.

31
Jul
2011
jloomis

Camping at Cultus Lake Campground, Oregon

Cultus Lake, Oregon

Katie and I headed to Central Oregon on Thursday for a long weekend of adventures. We packed up our gear and pulled our tent trailer to Cultus Lake about 46 miles outside of Bend off the Cascade Lakes Highway. We arrived shortly before dark to what appeared to be a full campground. Luckily we were stopped by a gentleman who had an extra site he wasn't going to use. It ended up being a nice site with plenty of room for both our truck and trailer. We sure lucked out.

30
Jul
2011
jloomis

Climbing Mount Bachelor, Oregon

Mount Bachelor, Oregon

After hiking to the top of Tumalo Mountain this morning, Katie and I headed across the road (Cascade Lakes Highway) to Mount Bachelor Ski Area. Mount Bachelor is a stratovolcano atop a shield volcano that is 9,065 feet in elevation. We wanted to climb to the summit and decided to shorten the route by riding the Pine Marten Express chairlift up to 7,775 feet elevation. From this point, we only had to climb about 0.9 miles and 1,300 vertical feet to the summit.

30
Jul
2011
kloomis

Hiking Tumalo Mountain, Oregon

Tumalo Mountain, Oregon

After our long, but spectacular hike of South Sister on Friday, Katie and I decided to take it easy on Saturday with a couple shorter hikes. For our morning hike, we climbed Tumalo Mountain. The trailhead starts at Dutchman Flat SnoPark across from the Mount Bachelor Ski Area off Cascade Lakes Highway. The approximately 1.9 mile (3.8 miles round-trip) Tumalo Mountain trail # 38 climbs over 1,400 feet to the summit. The views of Mount Bachelor and the Three Sisters from the top are amazing.

29
Jul
2011
jloomis

Climbing South Sister, Oregon

South Sister, Oregon

Katie and I both had the day off Friday, so we drove South with our tent trailer to Cultus Lake campground on Thursday night. We woke up early Friday morning to hike to the top of South Sister (also known by the name "Charity"), Oregon's third tallest peak at 10,358 feet in elevation. The approximately 5.5 mile long South Sister Climber trail # 36 (11 miles round-trip) starts at Devils Lake off the Cascade Lakes Highway and climbs nearly 4,900 feet to the summit.

28
Jul
2011
jloomis

Fujifilm FinePix XP10 Waterproof Digital Camera Review

Product Rating: 
3
Fujifilm FinePix XP10 Waterproof Digital Camera

Features:

The Fujifilm FinePix XP10 is a waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof, and dustproof digital camera designed for those with rugged pursuits such as a typical Loomis Adventure. It is jam packed with features like HD video, multiple shooting modes and a 5x optical zoom. The FinePix XP10 works anywhere whether its underwater, in the rain or snow, and of course at home. For more information on all of the features, visit the Fujifilm website. The XP10 is available in several different colors to fit your style.

24
Jul
2011
kloomis

Snowshoeing In July: Illumination Rock - Mount Hood, Oregon

Illumination Rock - Mount Hood, Oregon

After spending Saturday cleaning house and hearing about Jason’s summit attempt on North Sister, I was ready for another adventure. Never one to sit still for long, Jason was game for more activity after a good night's sleep. Temperatures were expected to climb into the upper-80’s on Sunday, so we decided it might be fun to beat the heat with an adventure to Illumination Rock on Mount Hood. At 9,543’ elevation, Illumination Rock sits on the Southwest side of the mountain, North-Northwest of Palmer chairlift.

23
Jul
2011
jloomis

Climbing North Sister, Oregon

North Sister, Oregon at Sunrise

Friday night, five of us (Al, Matt, Paul, Phillip, and I) drove from Portland through Sisters, Oregon in order to get an alpine start (i.e. way before sunrise) climbing North Sister Saturday morning. At 10,085 feet tall, North Sister (also known as "Faith") is the fourth tallest peak in Oregon and the oldest and hardest of the Three Sisters to climb. It is a shield volcano while neighboring Middle and South Sister are stratovolcanos. North Sister is highly eroded with rockfall, a common occurrence.

18
Jul
2011
jloomis

Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 Tent Review

Product Rating: 
5
Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 Tent

Features:

The Copper Spur UL2 from Big Agnes is an ultralight, free standing, three season backpacking tent with plenty of room, but won't weigh you down. The UL2 is designed to comfortable sleep two people with plenty of headroom. Features DAC featherlight NSL pole system with Twist Clips and HClip attachments to tent body. The Copper Spur UL2 has two doors and two vestibules for easy entry/exit and gear storage. Also features interior mesh pockets and gear loops. It comes with all seams taped and includes reflective guy lines.

17
Jul
2011
jloomis

Ambient Weather Keychain Weather Station Altimeter Review

Product Rating: 
2
Ambient Weather Keychain Weather Station (WS-108)

Features:

The Ambient Weather Keychain Weather Station includes an altimeter, barometer (relative and absolute with sea level correction), digital clock, digital compass, thermometer, and a weather forecaster. It is full of features and functions in a lightweight, low cost package. Features a convenient carabiner clip for simple carrying and quick access and includes a blue LED backlight for low light operation. Great for hiking, camping, skiing/snowboarding, mountaineering, climbing, and other outdoor activities. The Ambient Weather Keychain Weather Station is a perfect backup to your GPS.

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