Hiking in Peavy

On Sunday the forecast was for sunshine, but cool weather so we planned to go for another motorcycle ride.  The day dawned overcast, a little foggy in the hills and just darn chilly at 39˚F (3.88˚C).  We thought of the wind chill factor when riding at 60 mph and opted for a hike instead.

Troubadour and I took the trusty Subaru Forester (with heated seats) to Peavy Arboretum just north of Corvallis, a gateway that joins the McDonald/ Dunn Research Forests. Peavy houses the Oregon State University College of Forests.  Click here ----> LINK for a map of the area.  

The area is comprised of over 11,500 acres of research forests and houses 100 miles of trails. Peavy isn't the only access, there are several trail heads and gates in North and Northwest Corvallis to access the area and it is a popular place among mountain bikers such as Kari from Bluekat fame.

We walked 4 miles and went on the Bonzai trail which had one long steep section.  A little longer and steeper than anticipated but we made it and the rest was easy from there.  I'll let the pictures do that talking.

(This was behind a locked gate - no vehicles allowed except forestry ones)

(The start of the walk - just beyond the gate leading to the cabin below)

(Paul Bunyan's Go-Cart - pulled by horse, oxen and crawler tractors)

(Forestry Club Cabin and the Big Wheels)

(Troubadour and the Big Wheels)

(The trail skirted Cronemiller Lake)

(Orange metal posts used in research I assume) 

(Cronemiller Lake - Madrone trees in the center of the foreground with distinctive red bark)

(Further around the lake - orange stripes on the agility pole)

(OSU Logging Sports Team Arena - across the trial/road from the lake)

(Practice set-up in the arena)

(More fun)

(Ferns growing out of a mossy tree limb 10 feet off the ground)

(Where we're headed - hard to tell how steep this section was from the picture)

(A look behind us)

(We popped out on a wider road)

(Bonzai trail we'd just walked)

(really cool moss growing on a decomposing tree stump)

(Cap House to store blasting caps)

(Cap House built in 1937)

(Troubadour peeking in the chained door)

(Tree stump reaching for the sky)

(On our way back down - walking through the twisties)

(Back down off the trails and heading towards the car)

(On our way out I had to stop and take a picture of this old garage)

We spent a great, but chilly, few hours hiking through the woods.  We enjoyed ourselves and will definitely do it again.  There are so many trails to choose, we'll have to throw a dart at the map to pick one next time.  We did have a trail map with us while on the hike.  A lot of the trails are not well marked and I think paper map is a must when out in that many unknown acres with not a lot of other people about and no smart phone with GPS and map apps.

- Au Revoir

"As you sit on the hillside, or lie prone under the trees of the forest, or sprawl wet-legged by a mountain stream, the great door, that does not look like a door, opens." - Stephen Graham, the Gentle Art of Tramping 
.