Recent FANtastic Activities
Author and hiking guru William L. Sullivan returned to Crooked River Ranch in May 2018 to present "New Hikes in Oregon." A crowd of 50 hiking enthusiasts listened carefully, with many taking notes about future hikes to plan.
In April 2018, Marilynne Keyser shared a slideshow of native plants in the Deschutes Canyon Area to 36 participants. The group then visited the Native Plant Interpretive Garden at Crooked River Ranch.
To celebrate Earth Day 2018, twenty four volunteers came together to pull invasive mullein and Scotch thistle at Horny Hollow Trailhead near the Lower Crooked River.
In April 2018, FANs hiking leaders, Jeff Scheetz and Eric Hansen, and photographer Tom Iraci, shared the beauty of the canyons near Crooked River Ranch and discussed safe hiking essentials with an audience of more than 50 outdoor enthusiasts.
An audience of 65 people, in March 2018, learned from Gail Snyder about the importance of collaboration and complex problem solving to restore the health of the Upper Deschutes River.
In February 2018, Jerry Freilich demonstrated to an audience of more than 50 people that bees are extremely difficult to identify even to the family level (let alone species). Most native bees in Central Oregon are ground nesters.
In November 2017, Paul Bannick shared with a captive audience his multimedia presentation on the lives of owls. Paul emphasized the importance of preserving and managing our diverse public lands to support healthy owl populations.
FANs volunteers, in August 2017, obliterated offensive graffiti painted on rocks on BLM land near Crooked River Ranch. The natural beauty of this area is again restored.
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Upcoming Events and ProjectsFANs of the Deschutes Canyon Area
Ring in Summer Member Potluck Party June 10, 2018, 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Members, check your e-mail for your invitation and please RSVP yes! 
Free Guided Hikes - Sign Up Now All guided hikes are free. To help reduce damage to the trail, minimize social impacts on other visitors, and protect wildlife habitat, group size is limited to 8 hikers, and dogs are not allowed. Registration opens one month before each hike. If the hike is full, sign up on the wait list, and you will be sent an invitation via e-mail if a space opens. If you have to cancel, send us an email at fansofdeschutes@gmail.com. This will open up the space for another hiker. Chimney Rock Wildflower Hike (choose one of two opportunities) Thursday, May 24 and Saturday, May 26 at 10:00 a.m. Hike Rating: Moderate, 2.8 miles Guide: Marilynne Keyser (mtkeyser@gmail.com; 541-923-0558) This hike will focus on native plants, including early summer wildflowers. The well-maintained trail takes us from the banks of the Crooked River to the geological marvel called Chimney Rock on the canyon rim. We will go slowly and stop often to examine the native wildflowers we encounter and enjoy the incredible vistas along the rim. CLICK HERE to learn more and sign up for hike on May 24. CLICK HERE to learn more and sign up for hike on May 26. Smith Rock State Park Nature Hike Friday, June 1 at 9:00 a.m. Hike Rating: Easy-Moderate; 2 miles Guide: David Vick, Park Interpretive Naturalist Enjoy the magnificent scenery and wildlife viewing at Central Oregon's premiere state park. This free hike offers an inside view of the park's rich natural and cultural history. We will drop down into the canyon and then head upstream on the Wolf Tree Trail. We will discuss the dramatic geological events that shaped the park, view nesting eagles through a spotting scope and identify native plants and their traditional uses. CLICK HERE to learn more and sign up for this hike. Coyote Canyon Lava Tubes Hike Thursday, June 7 at 9:00 a.m. Hike Rating: Easy; 1.5 miles Guide: Marilynne Keyser (mtkeyser@gmail.com; 541-923-0558) Coyote Canyon is a section of BLM land within the boundaries of Crooked River Ranch that has multiple lava upthrusts (similar to collapsed lava tubes) that are easily accessible from the corner of Quail Rd and Rainbow Dr. This is a loop hike of only 1.5 miles along dirt roads joined by a few short rocky trails. There is no elevation gain so the hike should be accessible to most walkers. CLICK HERE to learn more and sign up for this hike. Scout Camp Trail Wildflower Hike Saturday, June 9 at 9:00 a.m. Hike Rating: Moderate/Difficult; 2.2 miles Guide: Marilynne Keyser (mtkeyser@gmail.com; 541-923-0558) This loop hike of 2.2 miles involves a steep 700 ft descent to the Deschutes River. Our focus will be on native plants, so we will stop often to identify wildflowers. This loop trail is one of the most visually stunning hikes in Central Oregon. A short scramble over some large boulders near the river allows you to complete the loop trail and enjoy views of the confluence of Whychus Creek with the Deschutes River. CLICK HERE to learn more and sign up for this hike. Sahalie and Koosah Falls Hike Thursday, June 14 at 11:00 a.m. Hike Rating: Easy; 2.6 miles Guides: John Magee (831-521-4305) and Cindy Murray This waterfall trail hike will take us past two surging waterfalls (100 feet and 70 feet tall), crystalline turquoise waters, old-growth firs, cedars and hemlocks, and thick pillows of spongy moss covering exposed chunks of this young lava flow. CLICK HERE to learn more and sign up for this hike. Lookout Mountain Hike Thursday, June 21 at 9:00 a.m. Hike Rating: Moderate; 8 miles Guides: Cindy Murray (541-815-1404) This loop hike ascends 1000 feet through open meadows, stands of beautiful old growth ponderosa and mixed conifer forests. The first 4 miles will be gaining elevation and the second 4 miles will be downhill. The summit is a rocky plateau with sweeping views of the Ochocos. Here you will see many varieties of stonecrop and other plants specializing in rocky, soilless strata. Many favorite native wildflowers will be seen along the trail – desert paintbrush, shooting stars, lupine and lots more. CLICK HERE to learn more and sign up for this hike. Save the Date for these Guided Hikes: Aug. 2 - Lower Bridge Hike - Mona Steinberg Aug. 21 - Alder Springs / Whychus Confluence - Jeff Scheetz Sept. 8 - Otter Bench Loop - Eric Hanson Sept. 22 - Horny Hollow Geology Hike - Tom Iraci Sept. 29 - Smith Rock Canyon Trail - John McGee Tom Iraci, photographer and FANs board member, created a slideshow titled "Beauty in the Canyons," featuring images from the Deschutes Canyon Area. Click the blue button below to view this spectacular slideshow.
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Friends and Neighbors of the Deschutes Canyon Area
fansofdeschutes@gmail.com P.O. Box 2127, Terrebonne, OR 97760 541.771.FANS (3267) |
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