A Float down the Deschutes River with the Dutch Club

 Sunday we enjoyed a day on the river with the Dutchies!

 We would meet at a particular spot and and then leave some cars at the bottom of the float and then pile into the other cars with the kayak's and go up river!




We went along the Deschutes River to the Wickiup Dam and float down 2.5 hours to the Wyeth Campground!

 There was single & double kayak's, and the kids also brought their own kayak's...

 .....Rick & Marjon have a blow-up kayak~

......and Krista brought her paddle board!

 Rutger was getting the kids ready to go...some would be tied behind their parents.

 Life jackets on?  Check?  All the kids settled in? Check!  Lunches on board? Check! 

One by one we launched and we were on our way ....ready for a cool float down the river!


                     Fun!

Ryan was enjoying a easy float ~the kids were so fast on the water!

 Jim is keeping a good eye on everything....kiddies and adults! 

Thanks Jim!

 Happy Smiles on Krista!

 Marieke & Nick with little Tijs had their new canoe "with umbrella"

 Hi Nick! 

Little Tijs is so good! 


He's a natural!

We would all hold onto one another's boats and just chat and float every which way....so fun! 

Gezellig!

 Klaas was enjoying all the birds up & around!

Osprey, Eagles, Vultures....











Row...Row...Row that boat.....gently down the stream!!!!!!

 Maria enjoyed the river...this was Maria & Jim's  favorite part of the river....because it was just so pretty along the way!


They enjoy kayaking too - as much as we do! 

All you have to do is just put your feet in the cool water and.....ahhhhhh......so' refreshing and it cools you down right away!

 We made it...end of the line...everyone helps to get one another out of the boat! 

 











 Hungry?  Yes...very much so!  At the end of the trip we pulled out our lunches and had lots of good snacks:  watermelon, grapes, blueberries, speculaas koekjes, chips, and a subway sandwich!  Yum....we had all built up an appetite!

 Rutger takes a dip in the snow water....yes cold but refreshing after a hot day! 

Thank You Jim & Maria for organizing this day ....it was great fun!  

                    And for the Dutchies & families for joining in too!  The Club continues to grow! 

Enjoying the Outdoors of Central Oregon - Bend!

 Nick & I took a ride up to Three Creek Lake and enjoyed a cooler evening up in elevation!
So pretty this natural lake!

 Lots of wild flowers in the upper elevations and the blue natural lake is so pretty!

 Our friends Mark & Holly are the people we know who have done the complete hike from the border of Mexico all the way up to the Canadian border!  Yes that is 2650 miles!  Nick & I are impressed with that!  That is a long hike that takes 5 months to do....starting in April from Mexico/California border...all the way through the dessert and up through the Sierra Mountain ranges and then continue through the Cascade Mountain ranges in Oregon!

Anyway....the completed it last year and now they have decided to be a volunteer for the Department of Forest and help to clear the hiking trails in the Deschutes County/Cascades so that other hikers can enjoy the trails too!  Summer time brings many people to this area to enjoy all the available hiking trials there are!

So when Mark & Holly told us about it we too wanted to experience that!  So Nick & I walked the trail meeting them!  We hiked the Pacific Crest Trail....(this has been a Bucket List desire for me for a long time!)  Finally did!  We hiked until we met them coming our way...and gave the a lift back to their car!

Pacific Crest Trail - Mexico to Canada


It was a wonderful hike and we saw wild flowers and pretty mountain ranges!

 Mark & Holly and two other people
Dave and Joyce came towards us!  They had hiked 12 hours today and cut 34 trees on the trail!


There they came...dusty & dirty...with Big smile!

 Joyce in the middle is a Scottish gal...and quite a hiker!

 So I asked Holly & Mark if I could come along the next time they would be doing it again???

Yes they said...I could come along - they would check with the Forestry Department and let me know!  So on Thursday - I did!  We met at the Forestry Department in Bend and we all (total of 8 people) all got into the van and we drove up Hwy 242 and turned off a gravel road and then went up the Scott's Trail - there would be 34 trees to clear off the trail!

Doug is who I teamed up with and he taught me some very interesting things about saws, and wedges and "under buckers"  - and so I cut my very first tree!  Wow!

 Yes you have to wear a "hard hat" long pants and a long sleeve shirt and good hiking shoes!

 Each "team" would go ahead up the trail to the next tree...and begin to saw it and clear it, and the other team hiked further up the trail to cut the next one ....and so forth...until all the trees (34) were cut! 

 We took a lunch break...along a river....and it felt good!  It was at least 95 degrees that day!  We were HOT!

Yep that's me...a happy girl in the outdoors!  That's where I belong....I love it! 

 We hiked 9.2 miles and it was good excecise, and a good work-out for my arms & shoulders too!  Felt so good!

 I hope to join the group again....and I think Nick too will join us next time!  Go Nick!