Smith Rock State Park — What We Saw, What We Read

Warm sleeping bags! Giant sleeping pads! So much space!

We rolled into Skull Hollow Campground near Smith Rock State Park around 6 pm after leaving Mount Hood National Forest. The weather was warm but unfortunately, the first-come-first-serve campground was completely full. We made another loop through the grounds, hoping to find a nice camper that would be willing to share a site. We stopped in front of a huge camper van and a wonderful family from Hood River offered to share the site with us.

Unfortunately, they had not paid for their site yet because the camp host was nowhere to be found. We sat with our new friends at the picnic tables and chatted while waiting for the camp host to arrive. Just as we decided to unpack a few things to make dinner, we heard an unintelligible shout from across the fence surrounding the grounds. A shirtless man carrying a rifle was yelling about all the people camped and parked; turned out to be our elusive camp host, Gary! What a guy. He eventually calmed down, put on a shirt (he said he couldn't deal with all of it without his shirt on) and decided everyone could stay. We hesitated for a moment, shrugged, and then began to unpack our tent and make dinner just as the sun was setting over the hills around us.

The next day we decided to visit Smith Rock State Park which was a short 15-minute drive from our campsite. Supplied with a crashpad which we borrowed from a friendly climber camping near us, our climbing shoes and chalk bags we set out to see what bouldering was available at Smith Rock. Known mostly for its world-class sport and lead climbing, we weren't sure how bouldering would be but we were not disappointed. After a 45-minute hike through the park, we reached the Delirium Boulders area and quickly found a few routes which allowed us to warm up and get into the climbing mindset. We sampled the easier routes and eventually made our way over to a few of the harder problems. We were mildly successful and we continued climbing as the sun warmed us. As we rested between routes we were amazed by our surroundings, the volcanic pillars soaring high above us and the Crooked River meandering through the valley below. Our hands well worn, we called it a day and hiked back to the car and filled up our water jug before driving back to the campsite. In the late afternoon sun, we set up our chairs by the fire and read. Our decision to come to Smith Rock had been spontaneous and as we watched the moon rise above the mountains we knew we had made the right choice.

The next morning, just as we had started to pack up our belongings, we asked ourselves "why not stay a few more days?" The campground was inexpensive, and our host had been almost pleasant since the first night we arrived. Satisfied with our decision, we dropped our bags and hiked for an hour near the campgrounds before making our way to the city of Bend for the day. One of the challenges of car camping is shower access. After a little research, we learned that community pools were a great option, and luckily we found one in Bend that offered access to all its facilities (gym, pool, hot tub, showers) for $7. Upon arriving, we were overwhelmed (and overjoyed) by the access to all the facilities' resources. We worked out, used the yoga room to stretch, and even spent some time in the hot tub. After our refreshing hot showers, we went outside into the community park and set up our camp stove to make some egg, couscous, and sweet potato burritos. Simple things like access to a change of scenery and a shower truly made our day!

Once we finished our lunch, we drove into Bend's city center, parked our car, and explored the surrounding parks. Weaving through the residential neighborhoods, we visited Whitewater Park and watched surfers navigate the permanent wave created in the river for public use. Passing again through town, we came just in time to see roads blocked for a fall festival and treated ourselves to some apple cider donuts. Finally, we planted ourselves in a coffee shop for a few hours to do a little research before heading back to camp for the night. We arrived back to camp after dark but the moon had not yet come out. Above us, the clear sky was packed with stars and we could clearly see the Milky Way.

Our next day we ventured back to Smith Rock State Park, but this time by foot! The Skull Hollow Trailhead next to our site took us over hillsides and ridges, past Gray Butte, and into the park from the north high above the volcanic peaks. It was a warm day and as we curved along the trail, the mountains of central Oregon appeared before us in the distance. We hiked down into park and ate lunch while looking up at the Picnic Lunch Wall and the climbers attempting some routes. Then we ascended up Misery Ridge, a steep trail that brings you to the top of the peaks (without having to climb them). After a last look over the vast landscape, we descended from the ridge and began our hike back to camp, this time navigating the country roads for a change of pace. Overall, our hike that day was more than 16 miles and we were grateful for the presence of the warm sun and the hawks overhead to color our journey. We made it back to camp exhausted but happy and proceeded to chop onions and garlic for chana masala and sweet potatoes. Another successful adventure in the books.