Smith Rock

This is part 1 of a two part summation of my recent trip to the Bend, Oregon area. One of the best weekends I've had in a long time. This part will cover just the first thing we did, Smith Rock.

Smith Rock is just north of Bend, about 3 hours from Portland via 26 East and 97 South passing by Mt. Hood. It's an amazing drive. You go from Urban core, to suburbs, to cute mountain towns, to the mountains and ski resorts, down back through the east side of the Cascades into the high desert where the landscape suddenly turns flat and dry. You descend into Warm Springs in dramatic fashion, then climb back out of the canyon. Then you drive across more desert with the Cascade peaks rising dramatically to your right side. To the east lies vast expanses of desert hills. It's great stuff.

Smith Rock is a strange rock formation along the Crooked river. The river cuts a short but cool canyon through the landscape, and is also the source of the Cove/Palisades park that we visited last year on our way to John Day.

The Cove Palisades from last august

Smith Rock was apparently the edge of an old caldera wall, which makes some sense because the rock itself is really sort of random. You have long flat plains, then next to a mountain you get this jagged pointy rock formation that appears to have gotten lost in the desert. It's a sort of spine that heads back into the mountain itself, and the place is a Rock Climber's mecca. I've never seen so many. We did the basic loop, the Misery Ridge trail.

We got there about noon and the place was packed, parking was very hard to find. You want to get there early, from the looks of it. The place is very exposed, glad I had shorts and sunblock. First thing you have to do is climb down one of the access trails to the river surrounding the rock. You get great views of SR before you even reach it. At the bottom near the bridge over the river we met a park ranger who showed us some snakes. This is rattlesnake country, so you have to be mindful.

Crossing the river at noon

Smith rock at noon

SNAKE

Our trail heading up

We crossed the bridge and began our ascent. It was half a mile of tough switchbacks up the side of the rock. But the views from the top make it all worth it. The first viewpoint rock comes right after the trail levels out, and the overlook faces East.

The half mile ascent was in view below us

Panorama facing northeast

taking a break

some dork wearing a PDX airport carpet shirt

The second viewpoint, which requires a short walk out onto some cliffs, overlooks Smith Rock itself.

Smith Rock

Mt Jefferson and the west

on a cliff

woo

This was when I took the instagram seen on facebook, Keeley had the camera

Smith Rock in all it's spiked glory

The last viewpoint overlooks the amazing rock formation known as Monkey Face. Look closely and you can see why they call it that.

Monkey Face with climbers on it

The actual formation of monkey face

Closer on the Monkey

MONKEY FACE

Facing southwest

After you look at the top of monkey face you walk down the side of the cliff with it in view. It was at this point we found a neat hollow rock.

We also got extremely lucky on our timing and got to witness two climbers rappelling down the gap in between the monkey face formation and the main cliff. Some of the coolest pictures I've ever taken.

Monkey Face climber

The monkey is rather... unfortunately penis shaped

The monkey from the bottom looking up

Climber

artsy climber

getting there, buddy

LENS FLARE

climber

From the bottom of monkey face you just take a pleasurable jaunt along the river for a few miles until you loop back around to the bridge. You get great looks at Smith Rock the entire way around, and it's fun to stop and watch the climbers once in a while.

part of the rock

the Rock

The Rock

The Rock, 2pm

After the final climb back across the river to our car, we drank a lot of water and headed down to Bend for part 2. Smith Rock was great, and if I'm ever in the area again, I want to go back. There were other trails in the area, including a much more extensive loop that overlooks the overlook. I will conquer all of you one day, Smith.