Lone Pine Trail is a good early season hike

Fresh from hiking the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona, last month, it's only natural that I've developed a hankering to get the local hiking season underway. Still, with the high country trails deeply buried in snow, it is necessary to consider areas outside some of the usual haunts.

The Lone Pine Trail, part of the Otter Bench Trail System at the north end of Crooked River Ranch, is one such area that is accessible pretty much all year. In fact, my hiking buddy and I checked out this trail back in January in between ski outings.

Clocking in at just under a mile one way, this hike is an excellent trail for an early season hiking tune-up, and there are plenty of adjacent trails to try if a two-mile jaunt isn't enough and leaves you wanting more. Lone Pine is one of two trails in this system that provides direct access to the bottom of the Crooked River Gorge and the river itself. The other river access point is the much-steeper Pink Trail, accessible by foot about two miles to the north.

From the parking lot, the Lone Pine trail takes off upstream (south) at a very gentle grade. Expansive views of the canyon walls provide insight into centuries of the geologic history of Central Oregon, where the river has sliced across the successive layers of rock deposits. Columnar basalt is visible throughout this part of the canyon.

The upper part of the trail is quite easy and can lull the hiker into thinking that there's not too much to this hike. When the trail prepares to make the actual descent to the river, however, there are some good steep pitches that will get you huffing and puffing on the way back.

The trail is in good condition and appears to get a fair amount of use, although we saw only one fisherman on our trip. This area is all below 2,800 feet of elevation; and, soon, there will be quite a few wildflowers blooming all along this trail, most notably the ubiquitous arrowleaf balsamroot. There are also some nice spots for a lunch break under the trees at the edge of the river.

Access to this area is from the west rim of the Crooked River Gorge, just upstream of the river's mouth, where it empties into Lake Billy Chinook. This final stretch of the Crooked River has been Congressionally designated as Wild and Scenic.

Upon returning to the trailhead, the hiker can choose - as we did - to embark on additional challenges. The Bureau of Land Management recently expanded this trail system in an effort to stabilize and consolidate existing trails, enhance wildlife habitat, and improve recreational opportunities. The entire network contains approximately ten additional miles of trail to choose from, and a sign near the trailhead outlines the potential opportunities.

If you extend this hike by traveling north from the trailhead, take the left fork to the Otter Bench Trail. The right fork, the Horny Hollow Trail, is closed from February 1 to August 31 to minimize impact on nesting raptors. The Horny Hollow Trail follows the route of an old dirt road that has been permanently closed. Because we were ahead of the closure date, we were able to check out this trail; but the always-open alternate (Otter Bench) single-track trail is a nicer route, anyway. The chief difference is that the closed road stays closer to the canyon rim and the precipitous canyon walls where birds frequently nest.

The Otter Bench fork is one of the new trails in this system and is mostly flat with minor undulations. After 1.7 miles, the trail reaches a confusing four-way junction where it rejoins the Horny Hollow Trail and meets the Pink and Opal Springs Trails for other hiking opportunities.

Driving to the Lone Pine Trailhead is a very easy matter: simply drive onto the Crooked River Ranch and continue until the road ends. The road changes names from 43rd to Chinook and, finally, to Horny Hollow Road; just stay on the main road past the golf course and keep on going. Access to the ranch is off Highway 97 and N.W. Lower Bridge Rd. just north of Terrebonne or via Holmes Road east of Sisters.