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Deschutes LbNA #27427

Owner:Funhog
Plant date:Nov 25, 2006
Location:
City:Terrebonne
County:Jefferson
State:Oregon
Boxes:2
Found by: Calli-K (2)
Last found:Jun 17, 2012
Status:FFF
Last edited:Mar 13, 2016
On this hike you will encounter many magnificent spires of tuff and basalt, the eroded plugs of ancient volcanic vents. This adventure will be at its finest on a clear day, taking advantage of the stunning views along the way. The path is graded for horses, making it relatively easy. The first box is less than a mile roundtrip and the second less than three.


To the trailhead:
Just north of Terrebonne on Hwy 97, turn west on Lower Bridge Rd. There is a highway sign for Crooked River Ranch at this intersection. Follow the signs to the Ranch. Once you have made a 90 degree left turn you will be on Chinook Ave. From Chinook follow the green and white signs to the Fire Hall, left on Mustang Road and right on Shad Road. Once at the Fire Hall, with the building on your left, proceed on Shad Rd. to Canary Rd. Turn left on Canary and go to Sandridge Rd. where you will turn right. The parking area is on the left just beyond the intersection of Swanee’s Place and Sandridge. The trail heads out over BLM grasslands.

To Deschutes Sunshine:
While walking the trail, take note of a distant green roof at 130º. Follow this dirt path to the first intersection with a big boulder. Turn right along the gravelly trail to a rocky promontory. With a slender spire before you at 210º and Black Butte at 260º look due east. A lichen encrusted snag snuggles up against rimrock, the letterbox entangled in its roots.

To Two-Part Serenade:
From the first box, you can almost see the hiding place of the second, the spires at 125º. Backtrack to that first intersection in the dirt path where you went right. Continue in the direction of the distant green roof, your general heading until you pass a juniper topped rocky knoll on the right. Skirt around this knoll, continuing downhill, taking a right at every fork. When you find yourself flanked by gigantic spires right and left, search at the base of the smaller of the two. With a view of Black Butte at 250º and a balancing rock at 350º the box rests beneath a rock.

At this point you can turn around and return to your car or continue downhill a short distance to the river. At the river go left to visit gorgeous Steelhead Falls.