Hiking the flanks of Oregon’s jaw-dropping volcanoes, along the eastern edge of the Pacific Ring of Fire, transports the spirit to a primordial place. Just two hours east of Eugene, through the clefts of the McKenzie and Santiam passes, is the town of Sisters, where shield and composite volcanoes spread like jewels across the Cascade Range.
Amid this landscape forged in the Earth’s furnace and tempered by the elements over eons, visitors are invited to discover central Oregon anew with a Central Oregon EcoTrek. The five-day, naturalist-guided adventures, which start this fall, will have guests hiking through cathedrals of red-barked ponderosa pines, canoeing alpine lakes, exploring caves, and relaxing each evening swaddled in the lap of luxury at five unique “Sisters Country” lodges.
While the scent of juniper and sage seduce the senses into full swoon during daily outings, evenings will be filled with wine, gourmet meals, and optional spa treatments at the lodges. Each morning, guests will be picked up by Wanderlust Tours of Bend to begin a new day’s adventure while their luggage is shuttled to the next lodge.
For valley dwellers who long for central Oregon’s glacier-sculpted landscape, this first-of-its-kind eco tour offers insights usually garnered only after years of exploration. The tour guides will share natural and cultural history, says Wanderlust guide and owner Dave Nissen, “and we will talk in broad terms about geology, flora and fauna, and hydrology. We’ll also talk birding and human history,” he says, “from Native Americans to European trappers and settlers.” Tours are geared toward outdoor enthusiasts who can hike five to eight miles in a day—with the help of luxury accommodations in between—and for those interested in learning about the natural environment.
Advertisement
The two tours offered this fall begin at Five Pine Lodge in Sisters, where a spa, gym, movie theater, and brewpub are all just a hop and a skip away from guest cottages. With gourmet meals included in the cost of the tour, though, it might be hard to find the motivation to wander from the plush abodes.
The first day’s hike, on the Metolius-Windego Trail south of Sisters, offers panoramic views, from north to south, of Mount Jefferson, Black Butte, Three Fingered Jack, Mount Washington, the Three Sisters (Faith, Hope, and Charity) Broken Top, and the Tam McArthur Rim. “On the first day, hikers get the grand, large-picture vistas—in essence, how the land lays,” Nissen says. “And then throughout the course of the five days they will receive different nuances, going from the grand scale to the minutia. And the minutia might be looking at a stonefly perched on a blade of grass next to the rushing waters of the Metolius.”
After Five Pine, the tour moves west into the mountains with stays at Black Butte Lodge, Suttle Lake Lodge, and the Metolius Valley’s Lake Creek Lodge, before finishing back in Sisters at the Ponderosa Lodge. The final hike of the tour is beside the enchanting aqua-blue waters of the Metolius River, famed for its fly-fishing and headwaters, which spring from a mossy hillside near the base of Black Butte. From its bubbling beginning in the shadow of ancient pines, larch, fir, and cedar, the Metolius River basin supports an abundance of plants and wildlife, Nissen says. “The variety of species is incredible,” he adds. “Right at the headwaters you’ll see stunning marsh marigolds, shooting star, forget-me-nots, and just an array of flowers.”
Advertisement
Hikers will also see old-growth Douglas fir with folds of bark thick enough to hide a fist, a rarity east of the Cascades. Nissen hopes the tours will teach people about the environment and foster a dialogue about human responsibility for the integrity and stewardship of the land.
“The creation is so incredibly detailed, and so much goes beyond the common observations,” he says.
TAKE A HIKE
The fall Central Oregon EcoTreks begin September 20 and October 4. Spring tours will begin in 2010. Each tour is limited to 24 people, with no more than 12 people per guide, and includes lodging, gourmet dinners, box lunches, and transportation. Reservations are required. Contact Desert Wings Travel Services at 541/549-8988, or toll free at 800/551-1043. For more information visit thesisterscountry.com.
For Information about individual lodges:
Black Butte Ranch
12930 Hawks Beard, Black Butte Ranch
541/595-6211; 866/901-2961
blackbutteranch.com
Five Pine Lodge
1021 Desperado Trail, Sisters
541/549-5900; 866/974-5900
fivepinelodge.com
Lake Creek Lodge
13375 SW Forest Service Rd. #1419, Camp Sherman
541/595-6331; 800/797-6331
lakecreeklodge.com
The Lodge At Suttle Lake
13300 Hwy 20, Sisters
541/595-2628
thelodgeatsuttlelake.com
Just two hours east of Eugene, through the clefts of the McKenzie and Santiam passes, is the town of Sisters, where shield and composite volcanoes spread like jewels across the Cascade Range.
