Picnic Lunch Wall from the vistors parking lot.
I had read many articles about Smith Rock and how it had become a Mecca for rock climbing, but I’d never been there.
We decided to take a day off from biking and go hiking, so we drove up to Smith Rock to see what all the fuss is about.
Climbers on Picnic Lunch Wall.
Smith Rock is a formation of welded tuff, about 550’ high, wrapped around by the Crooked River.
There’s a series of trails that loop around the rocks. As you hike, you encounter climbers on nearly every face.
Chugging up Misery Ridge.
We decided to hike the 4-mile loop that winds up to the summit and back down along the river.
A view of the Crooked River and Staender Ridge from the Misery Ridge Trail.
The Misery Ridge trail quickly takes you up to the summit. The trail really isn’t miserable, it’s just a little loose and steep.
However, hiking it in summer would be another story. It was chilly in Bend, but quite a bit warmer here.
A view of the Smith Rock Group from the summit (3,360’).
The appropriately named Crooked River nearly runs into itself as it winds around Smith Rock.
Unfortunately, it was an overcast day, which limited our view of the Cascades.
Climbers on Monkey Face, with McMansions in the background.
There’s a pillar on the north side of the area called Monkey Face. It has at least ten routes visible from the trail with anchors bolted into the rock.
Descending the Mesa Verde Trail, with Monkey Face in the background (and cimbers in the monkey’s mouth).
The trail descends back down to the river and follows it back to the visitor’s center. The views are striking, with basalt cliffs on one side of the river and the Smith Rock cliffs on the other.
During our hike we saw at least 200 climbers. There’s nearly 2000 climbing routes in the park.
Coming back on the River Trail, watching climbers on Morning Glory Wall.
After our hike, we sat on the bluff on the south side of the river and watched the climbers for awhile.
It was well worth the visit. With the views, the trails and watching the climbers, it’s a cool place to hang out.
A panorama of the south-facing walls from the parking lot.
No comments:
Post a Comment