I love to make plans, I love to have plans, but I'm not afraid to change plans. That can be frustrating for people who have plans with me. I just like to have the best fit at the right moment. Moods change, weather changes, the participating party can change. Sometimes my changes lead to what has been termed a "rebaventure".
Memorial day we had a little rebaventure with the help of Jim Witty's new book. Many people may not know Jim Witty, but he was an outdoor writer for the Bend Bulletin and I really enjoyed his column. For Christmas I bought my husband the book, Meet me in the Badlands. It's a compilation of his articles put together by his friends and family as a tribute to him and as a hiking/ outing guide for the people who buy the book, and actually read it.
I found a hike not far from home that was a doable distance for the kids to avoid any complaining. The hike was through lava fields and Jim's description outlined everything from the type of lava we'd see to where to park. The sign to the Hoffman trailhead as can be seen above, was weathered and worn. A sign we had chosen a hike worthy of becoming a rebaventure. We crossed the road from where we parked and started to embark on the trail which was not easy to spot. It appeared that no one had hiked it since Jim in early spring of 2008 which was the date of the article. The trail started in the forest and led us to the "same lava flow that created the lava cast forest", which is just a mile up the road. This hike proved to be perfect for us. No one around, (this could have been due to the fact it was raining), and just the right amount of distance and interest. Lava tubes, cawing ravens, forest, snarly trees and views of Newberry crater kept us engaged. This outing inspired Scott and I to get the kids out all summer and ultimately get them to to the top of South Sister before school starts. Let's see how this rebeventure really plays out.
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