Big Lake & Willamette National Forest
We camped at Big Lake Campground in the Willamette National Forest. We drove the McKenzie Highway (Oregon 242) which just opened for the summer. We hiked in some lava fields and checked out the beautiful Proxy Falls. The dirt and lava-rock trail is an easy loop totaling 1.5 miles which are located east of the McKenzie River. We enjoyed wandering around the lower falls and then upper falls. The upper falls feed into a water pool that seems to disappear. We found out from a fellow hiker that the water flows through a lava tube into the lower falls.
It was a clear day so we were able to see Mt. Washington, Mt. Jefferson, the South, North, and Middle Sister and even see Mt. Hood from the Dee Wright Observatory. The observatory is located in the barren lava fields and looks like a castle. There are stunning panoramic views of Cascade Mountain peaks.
We spent the afternoon enjoying Big Lake. Wiley went swimming, a thing he only does once a year. It is great to see him with a lot of energy after he had surgery to remove the peach pit he swallowed a month before. Also, we drank a few beers with Steph demoed her can crushing skills.
Big Lake was the perfect temperature to take a soak. If you are lucky you may see a inflatable couch being pulled by a boat.
On our way back to Portland we made a stop by Gooch Falls. We had been here a few years ago. The falls are quite impressive but the only way to see them was to climb down a rope. This trip someone had put a danger sign and the rope is gone. We always know we’re close to home with Mt Hood is in the distance.
