So for our Plan B weekend (see previous post, "Rethinking the Weekend"), we headed to the Diamond Peaks Wilderness area, for a day ride up the Yoran/Trapper Trail.

The trail's what Jack and our friend Bob call "Beginner," which is to say it's wide and well-marked. It's also well-traveled with hikers, who, unfortunately, aren't always happy to encounter horseback riders.

Most of the time, folks are friendly and greet us (which alerts the horses to their presence -- always a good thing), and follow trail etiquette by stopping and moving off the trail on the down-slope side. Right off the bat on this trip, however, a particularly surly, silent fellow refused to step off the trail (heck, he barely slowed down), which not only is bad form but can be dangerous for everyone involved.

Perhaps if he had noticed that my horse, Remy, was on the muscle (he's still fairly green, so most of the time, it takes him a mile or so to mellow out into trail mode), he might have responded differently. I would hope so. Personally, I wouldn't want to sashay within inches of a thousand-pound animal with large hooves who's already doing a bit of a dance. I did say, "Excuse me," as he swept past; I don't think he noticed.

Anyway, the Trapper trail is easy to navigate, but it does offer a few water crossings, a bridge crossing and several steep, rocky switchbacks. Nothing dicey, though.

We had planned to stop for lunch at a favored campsite on Yoran Lake, but it was already taken, so we looped around to another site, which offered a beautiful view of the lake. Thankfully, the bugs weren't too bad (they can be pretty horrific up here), but we decided to hold off on lunch until we got back to the trailhead. I'm not sure what had gotten into Remy, but he never did mellow out, which made the ride back (down the same trail, so he knew he was headed home) interesting. This is our first year together, so every ride's a new experience. Thank goodness he has a level head.

Since we were sort of in tourist mode (I had never been to this part of Klamath County), we stopped across the street at Shelter Cove Resort for a short respite then drove to the other side of the six-mile-long lake to the Odell Lake Lodge for a late lunch/early dinner. What a nice setting! The lake views from the restaurant make for a really relaxing meal. All in all, a good day.

Below are some photos from the trip:

Bob & Gayle at Yoran Lake.

Another view of Yoran Lake, above the campsite.

Remy at rest, briefly.

Odell Lake, at Shelter Cove Resort.

The Shelter Cove Resort marina, with the resort's wild ski runs in the background.

Odell Lake as you approach Odell Lake Lodge.

About the Author:
Lisa Broadwater is a Central Oregon-based real estate professional who specializes in listing
and selling rural acreage, especially horse properties. If you'd like to learn more
about Central Oregon, please visit www.CentralOregonHome4You.com.

April 23, 2008

Driving out near Tingley Lake to show homes, I came upon this sight:

This is one of the reasons I live in Klamath Falls. There were also white egrets hanging around, and redwing blackbirds and many others I did not recognize. Further out I saw jillions of snow geese (is "jillions" a word?). Unfortunately, I did not have my zoom lens with me and they were too far out to get a good picture. It looked like snow on the ground -- what a sight it would have been had they all taken flight. Alas, I had homes to show and couldn't wait for that moment.

April has shown signs of warmth, but we just had two days of light snow. By this weekend? Temperatures in the 70's they are saying. Could it be that Spring really is here? Buyer's are looking at more homes and visiting open houses, so it looks like they might actually be getting ready to make decisions.

As for our local market, it's looking like it's possible 'the bottom has hit'. For those who are waiting, now may be the time to buy. The positive side of living in Klamath Falls is that since nothing seems to happen in extremes, our prices didn't raise as high, which means they don't have to fall as low. I've heard over and over in classes and seminars that those who get wealthy in real estate buy in a down market.

So....what are you waiting for?

Oregon Lakefront retreat!

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