Smiling River

North on Hwy 97 from Chiloquin, into Bend, then northwest on hwy.126 toward Black Butte, then north on Camp Sherman/Metolius River Rd. We planned meet-up with friends at Smiling River Campground, on the Metolius River. They had made reservations, we hadn't, so the strategy we always use is to pull in mid-week and see what we can get before the weekenders get there.

This is a really popular area. Close to Sisters, and not too far from Bend, which has grown in population over the years. The Metolius River is a premier fly fishing area, also famous for kayaking, hiking, and photography. Back when Bend was only a few thousand people these campgrounds were never full. It’s a different story now!

It's up there on the top branch, darn!

We did locate a great spot, fairly private so we could play with Shiner and not disturb the other campers. We planned to resettle in a different spot later, when our friends arrive. Again, the rodents tempt poor Shiner, I’ll swear they do it on purpose, and she can’t chase them. Such frustration for a puppy!

I wish she’d been there to chase the visitor who checked out the shorts I washed and laid on the table to dry overnight. At least the critter didn’t stomp it’s muddy feet on my shorts, only on the towel.

Raccoon feet!

The soil in this part of Oregon is largely “pummy dust”, to use the local term. It’s finely ground pumice and volcanic ash, as the mountains around us are all lava flows. The dust is talcum powder fine, and gets into everything. It also drains quickly, which is nice if you get caught in a rain storm.

We checked reservation tags, chatted with the host, and hovered around a choice spot as the occupants were pulling out – BINGO! We were able to move to the spot right next to our friends. Sites 14 and 15 are perfect if you are camping with friends. (campground map) If you are camping solo and end up with one of these, prepare to make new friends as you are right in each other’s hip pockets.

Upside. . . the sites are right on the river, downside. . . the trail goes through the edge of your camp and you have fishermen wandering along morning and evening. It worked well for us though, as we had kids in the group who pretty much wanted to be in the water all the time.

 It’s pure relaxation to sit and watch the Metolius flow by. It’s such a beautiful river, and the quaint cabins and lodges scattered along the river’s edge and in the little villages, such as Camp Sherman, evoke the slow paced days when there were no phones and not TV to interrupt one’s outdoor experience. Speaking of phones, there still aren’t any here, well, no cell service anyway. A drive of a few miles will put you in range, and there’s a phone at the store in Camp Sherman.

Our friends arrived on schedule and we had a very efficient camp set up when the weather moved in. ‘Large thunder and lightning storm+small awning=evening’s entertainment. Well, the awning wasn’t that small, it just seemed that way with six adults and two teenagers all tucked underneath and all trying to get the best view of the lightening show. The storm did a good job of settling the dust, and the next day was beautiful, with only a few clouds and the usual mild temperatures the Cascades are known for.

Shiner joined the girls in the river and got pretty comfortable there. So much so that after every walk or ball chasing session she headed straight for her little swimming hole to cool off.

Between tubing and paddling sessions the kids broke out the bean bag game they had made, appropriately Duck themed!

We've got a ways to go before we can claim to be pros in this sport. Grayce outscored us all with her trademark underhand-slide pitch.

We took one afternoon off from playing in the river to go target shooting.

There are several little-used logging roads that wander around in the forest so it’s easy to find a safe location.

Everyone had a chance to plink away at targets and pine cones, and Shiner seems not to get upset by the sounds of shooting, a good trait for a dog that lives in the country in Texas!

All too soon it was time to break camp. Our friends all went back to Portland, we headed for Lava Lake. More on that in the next post.