|
Bend Oregon Pictures
SMITH ROCK
By Scott Staats
When
snow conditions aren’t the best up in the mountains and you still want
to get outdoors for some exercise, Smith Rock State Park offers year
round hiking.
The big bird soared like
a hang-glider along the rock faces, at times its wings seemed to touch
the cliff itself. With a wingspan of up to seven feet across, the golden
eagle is one of the largest birds of prey in North America.
Visitors to Smith Rock
State Park are privileged to view the eagles daily, which are in the
process of choosing one of their eight nest sites in the park to lay
eggs and raise their young.
Golden Eagles have
nested on the canyon walls of the Crooked River for thousands of years.
The pair lives in the park year round. They nest from mid-February to
mid-June, feeding primarily on jackrabbits, cottontails, marmots and
ground squirrels. Nests can be four feet across, up to 12 feet tall and
weigh as much as 2,000 pounds. Look on the rock faces at the north end
of the park road across the river to see two or three of the nests.
Certain hiking trails
and climbing routes are closed during this time to protect the birds.
Check at trailheads for closures.
The trail
descends from the parking lot on the rimrock down into the Crooked River
Canyon. Just before descending, there is an overlook with an
interpretive sign explaining some of the geology of the park. Rock
climbers can be spotted on the other side clinging to the precipitous
walls. The river snakes its way through the canyon, carving ever
downward and leaving behind its calming sounds.
Once across the bridge,
hikers have three options. Take a right and hike upriver about a mile to
where a large canal enters a tunnel through a ridge of rock. From here,
the Burma Road leads uphill, providing great overall views of the park.
The cliffs in this section usually host the nesting eagles.
The trail on the west
side of the bridge leads straight ahead up and over Misery Ridge and
down past Monkey Face. Turning left and heading downriver brings the
hiker to a huge darkish rock jutting up to the right of the trail. This
is an ancient volcanic neck or plug where lava and ash poured from
eruptions many years ago.
A short distance farther
is the most popular section of the park for rock climbing. White chalk
and glistening hardware can be seen on the pinkish rock as climbers
attempt some of the most challenging routes in the country. One climb is
rated as one of the top three most challenging climbs in the world.
Techniques developed on the cliffs in the 1980’s helped drive the
development of sport climbing for the entire country.
Visitors from all over
the country and beyond come to the park to enjoy its natural beauty and
recreational opportunities. A glance at license plates in the parking
lot revealed vehicles from Oregon, Washington, Maine, Ohio, Wisconsin,
California and British Columbia.
As the trail makes a big
winding horseshoe back to the north, it leaves the climbing walls and
becomes more of a hiking trail, meandering through juniper and ponderosa
pine. Rock doves coo from the towering, jagged spires above. Geese and
Barrow’s goldeneyes swim and feed in the river. Great Blue Herons can
also be seen in this stretch of river.
Not long after turning
north, the prominent rock formation known as Monkey Face comes into
view. The face is looking to the right and oftentimes you can spot
climbers in its mouth. Parts of Kevin Costner’s movie, The Postman, was
filmed a short distance downstream from there.
To make a loop, head up
past Monkey Face and back down Misery Ridge to the footbridge. Roundtrip
back to the parking lot is about four miles.
“As the days get longer
and the amount of light changes, we get all the shadows and color
contrasts on the rocks,” said Fred Dawson, the park’s manager.
He said that many people
visit the 600-acre park for its birding opportunities. Besides the
eagles, there are a few pair of Prairie Falcons that nest on the cliffs
as well as Red-tailed Hawks, Canyon Wrens and Rock Doves. A variety of
songbirds and waterfowl can also be seen along the river.
It is estimated that an
average of 415,000 people visit Smith Rock each year. Dawson said that
several years ago 80 percent of visitors were climbers but today there’s
more of a mixture of climbers and those interested in hiking,
picnicking, geology, birding, mountain biking and horseback riding.
Anglers also try their luck for trout in the river. He suggests that
visitors respect the wildlife and stay on the trails.
There are about 12 miles
of trails in the park. Permits are $3 per day or $25 for an annual pass.
Day passes can be purchased in the park.
Smith Rock Geology
There are three main
types of volcanic rock in the park. Ryolite is the hard rock, which can
be seen in the large volcanic neck that juts up along the river and is
the bulk of the rock in the park.
Next is the tufted ash,
which is softer pink rock that the climbers use. It originated locally
from ash blown into the air from volcanic vents then settled back to the
ground, leaving a layer hundreds of feet thick. Time and pressure turned
the ash to rock.
The third
type in the intrusive lava, which is seen as the columnar basalt rimming
the river canyon. This lava flowed overland from the Horse Ridge area
east of Bend.
Outdoor Search Resource
Welcome to the Rangerrob Outdoor Search Information Resource site. Find all types of outdoor activities and places. Animals Online Search Resource
Welcome to animal online find. Featuring a complete search tool for all your your Wildlife searches and data. Shopping.com Online Mall
Shopping.com is a full service online shopping mall. Featuring great deals and discounts everyday. Investments Online Extreme Search Center
Welcome to the Investments Online Search Center. A fun and exiting secured Informational website on investing. Food Search Resource
Welcome to the food search online, Featuring all types of food, recipes, dishes and resources. A fast and reliable searvice. Golden Palace Online Casino
Welcome to the Golden Palace Online Gambling Casino. A safe and secure website. Play for fun or for real Money. Sports Online Find
Welcome to Sports Online Search. Featuring searches for football, baseball,soccer, Boxing, hockey and field sports. Poker Online Search Engine
A full resource for search for online Poket, Casinos, Bingo and Sports betting. Bookmark us today. Social Security Resource
Social Security Search Resource. Find SSN information and answer your department questions. Games, Gaming and Gamers Online
Welcome to the Online Gaming Extreme Search Resource. Featuring Games, PC, PS2 and X Box Information and Downloads. Fashion Online
Find Fashion, Bridal, Baby supplies and Lingerie sites. A complete shopping tool. Business Online Search
Welcome to Business Online search and Information Center. A complete search engine tool. Weather Online Search
Welcome to Weather Online Seach and Information Resource Center. Featuring a full search of weather related issues. Tax and Taxes Online Search Resource
Welcome to the Tax and Taxes Online Search Resource Center. A full search tool for business and personal.
Add Your Site!
| 
