Alder Springs

5/12/07 Alder Springs Hike. Hike #31 in Sullivan's. 8 miles round trip. 1600 feet elevation gain.
We almost destroyed the camry by taking her off road to reach this one.

Below: Us trekking up hill at the start of the hike. In the 1990's a hermit bought the tumble weed strewn ranch that included part of this trail. Immediately after purchasing the area the hermit put up signs threatening people to keep their distance. Finally one hiker came across the hermit and found out really why he wanted people to stay away from his property. The hermit had turned the ranch into a meth lab. After the police raided the ranch and destroyed it, the area became known as the Crooked River National Grassland.

The day trip started in Bend with a looming rain storm blowing from the southwest. We packed our rain coats and cliff bars and headed to the north hoping the storm would pass. The sky was a rainy gray and it was sprinkling a bit. Keo, Josh, Greg and I....Kelly is taking the picture.


The sun finally broke through the clouds. Pic of a beautiful rock formation created by an ancient river.

Keo and I about halfway on the trail in front of a gorgeous rock outcrop.

The spot where Whycus Creek meets the rapids of the great Deschutes River.

A shot of local vegetation. They look soft but they were as sharp as a cactus.

Whycus Creek.

A spot on the trail that we passed some fellow trekkers. They were pointing up at these pillars of rock formed by wind and time.

Whycus Creek again.

An ancient cavern. Great bathroom cave.

Oooohhh! Skylight.

Pic of the gorge we hiked down into.


The group at the half way turn around point. mile marker 3.6. Keo, Me, Josh, Kelly and Greg

Picture of the second time we had to wade through this knee deep frigid slippery rock Whycus Creek. I almost didn't make it through the first time, and then I had to cross it a second time to get back. It was so cold that I was shaking when I reached the other bank. It didn't help that the rocks had a slimy green algae growing on their rounded water worn tops. The good thing was that no one fell in, otherwise the hike would have ended right there. Kelly, Keo and I holding our hiking shoes vicariously above the water.

Josh with some SERIOUS snot dripping from his nose! Just kidding it was pine sap that he found on a tree. The tree was leaking this sap down one of its sides. A whole colony of ants had taken over and were traveling up and down the path of the sap.