We depart around 10:15 at the trailhead although some delay in completing the usual permit form and then putting $5 in the envelope (honour system). As we are leaving there is a light drizzle so not too bad. By the time we are about 1/2 way through the hike the rain becomes more strong and steady. Plus, the temperature drops with some gentle breezes.
There is a further loop trail, but we don't take it. We do decide to extend this hike so it becomes more than 8 kms. Fairly easy hike as any elevation gain is gradual and the trail itself is excellent. Very few hikers going in our direction, but many going the opposite way. Of course all these hikers are appropriately dressed with waterproof jackets, hoodies, water proof pants and excellent footwear. Randy is not dressed for this rain nor colder weather. Lana is better dressed. We both pay for the lack of preparation but at least Lana is wearing her new fleece pants purchased at REI. And she finds a pair of fleece gloves in the pocket of her rain jacket leftover from snowing last winter!!
Signage at entry to the hike. Doesn't seem to help much, but the trail is easy to follow as it parallels Tumalo Creek. 
Famous Tumalo Falls tumbles about 33 metres off the cliff into the gorge below.
Randy hiking the trail and as you can see pretty great trail being soft and minimal tree roots/rocks.
Lana on an uphill section with a smile on her face. Very early in the climb. ;-)
These must be the "secret falls" as these falls make four in total, yet they only talk about three falls?
The official Double Falls.
The official Upper Falls and is the end of the hike for most people as you turn and head back to the trailhead.
This is about 4 kms from the very start of the trail. This is another hike, but we turn around.
Randy the poser.
OK, for this hike most of the next pictures are of mushrooms! Randy loves the different colours, shapes and sizes. They proliferate along the trail. Probably due to the fact that a number of decades ago there was a huge fire that spread through the area. I decide to capture in film as many different mushrooms as I can document. All these mushrooms are growing right beside the trail.
This picture is toward the end of the hike. I am absolutely totally drenched in all areas. I have a thin top underneath the blue windbreaker. On the return trip, I decide to speed along and get the car warmed up to wait for Lana.
Tumalo Falls to Upper Falls (extended hike) stats:
- 8.43 kms
- 12,280 steps
- 1 hour and 56 minutes hiking time
- 221 metres elevation gain
Wow, once we are at the car it is turn up the heat and strip off our top clothes and replace with dry tops. That is very helpful. We are at the car around 12:30 so hungry as well. We decide to drive to our apartment and get our wet clothes off and have some lunch. On the way to the apartment we detour to a Starbucks drive-thru for two Venti Chai Latte with soy, no water, no foam and extra hot. We are not leaving the car until we get back to the apartment!
We are up to our apartment with our wet stuff, out of our clothes and Lana in the shower. Plus, she dries some of her clothes as she is way ahead of me. A nice lunch in the apartment of pork rillettes, bread, carrots and of course the Chai. I need to upload our photos and figure out directions to our second 'hiking' destination.
Our next hike is Lava River Cave located south of Bend using Highway 97. Fairly easy to find as there are signs off the freeway and then parking is available despite the sign indicating no parking available. We think other people are figuring to be inside a cave when it is steadily raining outside in the Bend area. This 'hike' is described as "an easily accessible portal to an underground fantasyland of amazing rock formations, sparkling ceilings, strange lavacicles, a sand garden, complete blackness and an eerie silence. The two-mile return trip through this lave tube is mostly level once you get past the stairs that descend down into the cave. The tube is surprising large, with ceilings in some sections reaching 50 feet high, although in some sections, the roof does come down to the point you need to stoop." The temperature is a steady 5.5 degrees Celsius so you need to be properly dressed for the cold. You can rent flashlights for $5 each and number of visitors is limited.
We really enjoy this 'hike'. So interesting being inside an actual lava tube. I have seen documentary films about lava tubes and we get to go inside ourselves! One of the top activities we did while in Bend. This hike took about 53 minutes and 3,500 steps. Yes, it was raining when we entered and raining when we departed although it was fairly light.
You are on a sloping walkway and then see the cave entrance. Immediately, there are steel stairs which take you down into this dark abyss. Pretty exciting! You really don't know what to expect, but it is such a unique experience. Very chilly, quiet and eerie when you consider that actual lava flowed through this tunnel created by an ancient volcano. At various points your path can be soft sand, flat minerals that I have never seen before, rocks and other debris you need to navigate. Everyone has either a flashlight or a headlamp. You really need to shine the line on the floor otherwise you will trip and fall on the edges of the cave but this means you can't really see the cave around you at the same time.
It is a gradual descent as we walk towards the end point which seems like forever. So many different rock formations both on the ceiling, the walls and the bottom surface. We are in awe of the ceilings and the glistening minerals/stones. The natural tunnel is sometimes straight, then veers and then veers again given Nature doesn't really follow a straight line. The roof in places is very short and in other places far above your head. It really is mind boggling being down here and imagining the lava flow. There are other hikers so it is not always quiet. You seem like an explorer when you are deep inside the lava tunnel!
Eventually, we reach the end of the tunnel where only 'government' personnel are allowed to go further. There is a STOP sign at the end where we then turn around. For most of this we have been following a young couple as we can take advantage of their light ahead of us. We go faster on the return trip as we have seen everything. Funny that our flashlights will go in all sorts of directions hoping to find new sights in the roof, walls and floor. Hey, this was free except for the flashlights!
Signage at the entrance before the actual building where you purchase your flashlights.
This sign was out front of the entrance building.
Example of the flashlight we rent and another sign that confirms the cave regulations.
This sign is outside of the lava tunnel.
A sign out front of the entrance to the cave.
Lana posing at the entrance to the lava tunnel cave. The entrance starts a long way down.
The roof of the entrance to the cave.
The first set of stairs at the entrance.
Randy in the dark (as usual)!
Example of the floor in some places.
Side wall.
Signage inside showing that at this point we are actually under Highway 97!
Example of the lava tunnel.
Light onto the ceiling.
Sand Gardens deep inside the lava tunnel.
Wow, really weird horizontally-lined rock deep inside the tunnel.
To prove we actually went to the very end of the lava tunnel.
This is the entrance to the lava tunnel taken from inside the tunnel.
We had some errands to complete before we returned to our apartment. First stop was to pick up our order of four (4) Ocean Rolls from Sparrow Bakery. We had phoned earlier in the afternoon to reserve the ocean rolls for pickup prior to closing at 17:00. This was another excellent decision as when we phoned they only had 10 left. It is listed as one of the signature Bend foods you need to experience. It is described as "using traditional croissant dough, add cardamom, sugar and vanilla. Roll it up, add a splash of egg wash, and bake to golden perfection." It looks like a cinnamon roll absent of the sugar. Very heavy and thick. Cost was $4.25 each and they are a load! Yummy! We ate one as dessert after our dinner tonight. By the way, Sparrow Bakery was just voted the top bakery in Bend, Oregon.
Sparrow Bakery sign.
The actual Ocean Roll we shared as our dessert! This was a real treat and if you are in Bend, you "gotta eat here!"
The other errand was to stop at the nearby Safeway store for groceries we can use while staying in Newberg. We bought stuff for lunches and other purposes and then as usual I (Randy) picked the wrong lineup at the checkout. At least we had a girl to do the bagging. Light rain still falling. The only disappointment was we were too late to purchase a Bend cronut! Maybe tomorrow morning...
We ate in tonight and had maybe our best dinner meal of our time in Bend. We had a ribeye steak medium rare from Trader Joe's, mashed potatoes and a salad that Lana created from miscellaneous items. Plus, paired with a bottle of 2014 Italian Chianti served in a regular glass -- no wine glasses in the Airbnb apartment. Lana fried up a steak and everything was so delicious. The wine was very good and the dessert of an ocean roll was the topper. Sorry, no picture as we ate it before we remembered to take a photo. :(
As well, we need to do a load of laundry. The apartment's washer and dryer are huge so that was helpful. We now have everything washed and dried so ready for the remainder of the trip. Lana watching David Chang's Netflix series Ugly Delicious while relaxing on the couch. Another great day in Bend, Oregon. Temperature at 11 degrees Celsius tonight. For the day my Fitbit shows almost 22,000 steps so despite the lack of a long hike we did put in a lot of steps and some elevation. We will finish the day with another episode of Black Mirror.
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