The Ridgeline Trail from Blanton Ridge to the Willamette Street trailhead for Spencer Butte has become our home base lately for quick hikes after work. From Blanton Ridge Parking Area the trail gradually climbs to a summit of 1280 feet and then gently meanders downhill almost all the way to 52nd and Willamette with a slight incline toward the end. The trail is 1.6 miles and is lined with lush greenery in the form of ferns, pines and oak trees with a beautiful meadow on either end. Small springs feed marshy areas that are home to frogs, snails … [Read more...]
Winter Hiking – Sahalie and Koosah Falls
April 15, 2013 By
A couple of weeks ago we had a guest from Spokane and decided to give her the grand tour. We visited Cougar Hot Springs, then out to Florence and up the coast as well as to Clear Lake and of course we stopped by Sahalie Falls which was mostly accessible despite there being a couple of feet of snow. Walk ways were a bit slippery, but several folks were down there checking out the roaring McKenzie River. Koosah Falls, just down the road a little way was a different story. The snow was several feet deep to the road and as far as we could tell … [Read more...]
Sweet Creek Falls – Mapleton, Oregon
March 18, 2013 By
Sweet Creek Falls is a series of about a dozen waterfalls near Mapleton, Oregon that cascade down a lush green gorge providing one of the most easily accessible high concentration waterfall hikes in all of Western Oregon. Despite being here for over a year now we had never made the side trip out to the Homestead trail head to take in the sights. The weather was great for Oregon in February and the water was definitely flowing beneath our feet as we walked along the cat walks. The short 2.2 mile round trip hike took us well over an hour … [Read more...]
Mountain Biking King Castle Trail
November 9, 2012 By
In the last gasps of autumn we've been getting out more and more and treasuring that little bits of great weather we can get. Last weekend we mountain biked a trail that is new to us. King Castle is only a few miles from the west end of the ever popular McKenzie River Trail, but it offers a bit more elevation change as well as a trail with a moderate difficulty rating. We rode from the top down, though if you are in the right shape the 7(ish) mile trail can give you a great burn if you ride it up. We were more interested in feeling the wind in … [Read more...]
Finding & Identifying Chanterelle Mushrooms in Oregon
November 1, 2012 By
The rains have finally come to Eugene and with the wetness and cooler temperatures come the mushrooms. They can be found just about anywhere in all shapes and sizes. In the dirt, on logs, under the ferns - fungus is everywhere, but what is safe? If you are looking for beginner hints to identify mushrooms visit this page on AmericanMushrooms.com. If you are after the lovely golden chanterelles that are coming up in the hills all around Eugene this link will help you identify them specifically. Just remember if you are not sure what you are … [Read more...]
Finding Fall Colors in Eugene
October 19, 2012 By
It's that time of the year, there is a chill in the air, scarves are coming out and EVERYTHING is pumpkin flavored. It's also a bit grey and wet out, but it's still a great time to explore close to home here in Eugene for beautiful fall colors. Last week we participated in a fund raising walk that took us along Willamette River on the East Bank Path through Alton Baker Park which got me thinking about all of the great places around Eugene to enjoy the colors of autumn. I'm originally from Spokane where it is about 80% pine trees, so I have … [Read more...]
January Sunshine and Adventures in Eugene
January 18, 2011 By
It's been cloudy, cold, and rainy in Eugene for the past few months, but yesterday we were finally given some sunshine and warmer temperatures. It actually reached 60 degrees in January! I had the day off and took the opportunity to go on a 17 mile bike ride along the Willamette River and through Alton Baker Park. Even though it's the middle of winter, there's a lot of greenery and runners, walkers, and bikers were out in force enjoying the weather. I hope we get at least a few more days like this before spring, it will definitely be … [Read more...]
Eugene Spring Weather is Getting Better
April 29, 2010 By
Last week the weather in Eugene was absolutely amazing! Temperatures were warm, the rain was gone, and everyone was outside enjoying what Eugene, Oregon has to offer. I hiked Spencer Butte from both the Fox Hollow and Willamette trail heads last week and it was beautiful! Wildflowers are blooming and the underbrush is thick and green. Spring is definitely the best season to hike up Spencer's. Despite rain the weeks before, the trails are drying quickly and park crews have improved some rocky sections of the upper trail (thank you butte workers … [Read more...]
Eugene Rain Brings Mountain Snow
April 5, 2010 By
The one thing that's great about the cold and crazy spring weather in Eugene is that it brings amazing mountain snow. This past week some areas of the cascades were hit with over 40 inches of fluffy, chest deep powder. While I unfortunately didn't get to indulge, I heard that Saturday was one of the best days of the year for Willamette Pass and Hoodoo ski resorts. The snow was coming down in buckets and every turn was epic. If you plan on getting some spring skiing in this year these next few weeks are going to be amazing. More snow is on the … [Read more...]
Welcome to the New EugeneOutdoors.com
March 25, 2010 By
I'd like to welcome everyone to the new and improved EugeneOutdoors.com! It took a while, but we were finally able to find the time to build a completely new outdoor adventure site! With the new EugeneOutdoors.com you be able to easily find fun, exciting outdoor adventures in Eugene, Oregon for any time and any season! In the coming weeks we'll be posting tons of new outdoor adventures that are perfect for the spring and summer months. If you want to post or recommend some of your favorite adventures feel free to drop us a line on our … [Read more...]