2014 Road Trip - Newberry to Silver Falls State Park

Last night, I was complaining about the heat. I did not have the best night’s sleep, but it wasn’t the heat. In the middle of the night, thunderstorms passed by. We did not get hit directly by the storms, but their presence was a concern. We threw our camera gear in the car then decided a car was slightly better protection for ourselves.


We got us a little late, but not as late as some might expect for the circumstances. Our early ideas for what we could do today were thrown out. There was a lava tube and the High Desert Museum. I believe they both opened around 9. We weren’t going to waste our day waiting for them to open.

With how far we were, it seemed logical to take our time. In my planning, I included a detour if we were ahead to visit some mountain viewpoints. Our first stop along this path was Windy Point. It was just a viewpoint. We took some shots and continued.

The more intriguing viewpoint for us was Dee Wright. They have a building where you can look out windows created for individual peaks. They were also supposed to have something on the roof to help identify the peaks. Before that, we walked along another lava flow. Midway along the trail, we started to hear some thunder. We finished the trail even though we could see the leading edge of a fairly well formed storm. We discussed the safety of the building. We decided that the interior should be safe. We also decided that it would be a mistake to climb to the roof.

We decided to push further from the storm. We targeted a couple areas for waterfalls. I hadn’t paid much attention to the roads we should expect. Although the weather was now camera-friendly, we decided not to force her car to shutter, shake, or shimmy.

Reaching Silver Falls State Park today turned out easier than anticipated. We accomplished very little. We have added South Falls for today’s scenery, but the bulk of the 10-falls hike will have to wait until tomorrow. I didn’t keep any lists for eBird. All I have noted are Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels, Bluebirds, Ravens, and Robins.

UPDATE 1: I have added pictures from Deschutes National Forest.

UPDATE 2: I have added pictures from Willamette National Forest.

UPDATE 3: I have added pictures from Silver Falls State Park.