Friday, February 10, 2012

Vista Butte (1/7/12)

Vista Butte was our outdoor destination last month during Brad's birthday trip to Sunriver.

This winter has been so strange. There was no snow at Sunriver and not much at higher elevations. Anticipating the dismal snowpack, we packed snowshoes instead of cross-country skis.

We'd trekked to the top of Vista Butte, just east Mount Bachelor, during last year's trip but were disappointed to find clouds hiding all the nearby mountains. I'd wanted to return, so we decided to try again.

We took out the Jeep, which we sold to Kari and Vicki a few years back. It was so fun to drive it again!
LinkThere was very little snow, so we opted to leave the snowshoes in the car and just hike up in snow boots. The 5-mile round trip was a little slippery, but that just gave us an extra-good workout.
The top affords a 360-degree view, and last year it was very windy and clear all around us... except for the mountains that were just right there to the northwest:
Same tree this year... there they are:
It was fairly warm, and we hung out at the top for a bit, taking in the views and snapping some pics.
Unfortunately, the lighting was odd, and we didn't get any good scenery photos. Bummer. But the view was awesome to the naked eye!
I really want to return in the summer :)

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