Anniversary camping + wildflowers

Last July, I visited a new-to-me trail in the Gorge. The hillside was covered with dried balsamroot, promising a beautiful spring flower display, and I hoped to return this year and check out the blooms.

For our May 16 anniversary, Brad snagged a camping reservation at Deschutes River State Recreation Area - where the Deschutes meets the Columbia River. We don't often get to "brown Oregon", but the draw of the aforementioned wildflowers and the cooler spring temps was enough to make the trek.

We pitched our tent right next to the Deschutes and settled in for the evening just as a rain storm arrived.

The rain lasted into the morning hours, so we decided to sleep in and explore the right-next-door Lower Deschutes River Trail when the rain stopped.

Spring rain means the brown hills are still green!

We did about 9 miles via the Ferry Springs trail and enjoyed exploring somewhere new!

Sunday, we woke early and drove to Rowena Plateau for a hike up McCall Point.

It did not disappoint!!!!!

Wy'East was peaking out from behind the clouds:

24 years adventuring with this guy:

So many more to come ❤