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Friday, November 30, 2012

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 
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35 comments:

  1. Trobairitz:

    That looks like a great place to take a hike, but I would prefer to mountain bike. I like photos of all the downed leaves, as long as I don't have to rake them. Those cart wheels were HUGE. I also liked the moss

    I know you included that first photo to stump me. I stared at it for the longest time trying to figure it out, and I still can't. It's too complicated for me to understand. The guy who thought of it must be a genius.

    Thanks for bringing us along, I know that I want to start walking more too

    bob
    Riding the Wet Coast
    My Flickr // My YouTube

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    1. Or an idiot. According to the sign, pedestrians don't need to yield to vehicles, vehicles don't yield to pedestrians or bicycles and bicycles don't yield to vehicles. A few arrow heads are missing (or removed?).

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    2. Richard:

      Why would a horse yield to a pickup truck ? see my problem

      If I was hiking and saw that sign, I would still be there staring, like I am now. I think Trobairitz did this on purpose to stump me

      bob
      Riding the Wet Coast
      My Flickr // My YouTube


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    3. "Why would a horse yield to a pickup truck ?"

      If you are riding a horse and see a vehicle coming down the road, you pull over to the side of the road/trail. But if you see a bicycle or hiker, you would expect them to move to the side.

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    4. Who knew that sign would cause all the confusion..... I barely glanced at it when I took the photo as we see them quite often on the trails. I think I'll have to take a picture of another one to see exactly which arrowheads are missing.

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  2. Beautiful pictures! Looks like it was a great meander. How long where you hiking for?

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    1. Thanks Dar - we were out there for about 2 hours. We thought it would have been longer but it was only just after 2 pm when we got back to the car.

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  3. Love Peavy! You should try the saddle and hike west from the parking lot/gate. Glad you had fun - see you next week at coffee maybe?... M

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    1. There are too many trails to choose.....

      Hope to see you at coffee. We were in Eugene yesterday, Rod says they are still waiting for the gas tank from Triumph and I think Erika mentioned waiting on the saddle bags too. Hope Bella is back together soon.

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  4. What a beautiful area for a walk, even with the steep trails (helps warm you up faster, right?). It does look pretty chilly maybe due to the grey sky. So is logging a competitive, intramural sport or a collegiate sport? We only have one competition in the Fall with ad-hoc teams.

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    1. I was a little chilly until that stretch, so yes it does help you warm up faster. On the downhill side I got a little chilly again.

      I think the logging competitions are collegiate and they compete with other forestry schools. We didn't even know that little arena was back there. We've lived here 12 years and had never been there before.

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  5. What a cool hike. I love areas like that. You did a great job with the photos.

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    1. Thank you. It was a good walk. If our rains stop maybe we'll get out tomorrow too.

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  6. Another beautiful area. Walking is good. I can feel that cold damp. Hot tea and a snack afterwards?

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    1. I love to walk, it invigorates.

      I think it was hot coffee and a snack when we got back. But definitely something to warm us up.

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  7. Great photos there. I am with Bob. Grab some MTBs as it is way quicker and you get your two wheel fix at the same time!
    Funny to see that it is 3 degrees C there. Today it is 35 degress C and very humid here. Too hot to go outside!

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    1. Brad still has his Raleigh MTB, but two years ago I gave mine to a friend who was in college and couldn't afford the gas to drive his huge truck to and from work. I saw a need and gave him my Raleigh. I haven't replaced it yet, but it is on the list of things to purchase some day. Of course I probably would have been pushing it up some of those hills.

      Your weather does sound a wee bit warm. I prefer it when it is 25˚C out there. Nice for all kinds of riding.

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  8. That first yellow sign gets my award for the ‘Most Confusing Sign of the Decade’ award. Horses yield to cars, really? People are left to battle it out with cars? Whoever designed that sign must have been high on something. Oh, and you must tell Troubadour to stop showering so much, as all that water is making him shrink – any more and he might get run over by those wheels.

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    1. I really didn't realize the sign was that confusing. As I said in an earlier comment I'll look and see if one of the other signs have all their paint on them - aka all of the arrow heads, so we know definitively who is supposed to yield.

      I'll let Brad know about the water, but I think I prefer he keeps showering, lol.

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  9. Amazing photos Brandy!!

    Love the wheels, and my next job will be to look up Paul Bunyan .. right after I have looked up Sturt's Desert Pea (a project my husband gave me earlier today) .. it looks facinating.

    I have just rediscovered walking and I'm looking forward to exploring some interesting places, you have inspired me! In fact you have reminded me that there is an arboretum not too far from me. Thanks :)

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    1. Thanks you Brenda. Oooooh we both learned something as I had to look up Sturt Desert Pea after reading your comment. What an interesting flower. So bright.

      I really enjoy walking. Sure you don't get somewhere as fast as you would in a car or on a motorcycle but it is easier to stop and take pictures. If you get out for a walk be sure to take pictures and share.

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  10. Hah, I glossed right over the sign. What does that say about me??

    Lovely area and a perfect day to be outside!

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    1. That is okay, I didn't notice some of the arrowheads were missing either and I took the picture. I think most people just glance at the sign as a general guideline but don't study it. I know I didn't.

      It was a good day to be outside. It was a little chilly when the wind would kick up but not bad.

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  11. What a stunning trail! Gotta love the "Yield" sign! When I do get out there to color in the states of WA and OR, I definitely want to spend the week inbetween seeing country like this!

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    1. That would be awesome and we could play tour guide too. Anything between the Willamette Valley and the ocean will have lush forest. To the east will be high desert and drier.

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  12. All signs aside - it looks like a great place to hike.

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    1. It was fun and we have plans to go back. It will take a while to cover those 100 miles of trails.

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  13. Wow, I really liked that fern growing out of the tree.....:-). I like moss and ferns both anyway....:-). Nice pics! Thanks for sharing them!

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    1. Thanks Patricia. I always like to see the moss and ferns too. I would have liked to take a few more pics, but they never turn out as well as what I am seeing first hand. The scope of the mossy trees and ferns that is.

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  14. Simple gorgeous! What a wonderful hike. All I did this weekend was clean and catch-up on stuff because hubby worked.

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    1. Don't worry, we didn't do much except go for coffee this weekend. We were going to go for another hike but the rains wouldn't stop and that makes for miserable muddy trails.

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  15. This is my kind of walk/hike. Beautiful and typical west coast style.

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    1. It is very typical for the west coast isn't it? It is what I always remember when coming down here to visit family as a kid. The lush forests.

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  16. I'd love to come hiking with you someday. Looks lovely. Cold, but lovely. You take great pics.

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    1. Thanks Kathy.

      You are welcome anytime Kathy. The more the merrier. And it was a little chilly, but we had fun.

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