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Position: 44.62N, -121.47W
There’s a rule of adventure travel that I call the Rule of 9s. It goes something like this: when visiting a site of natural beauty, if there are 900 people at the visitors center, 900 yards away there will be 90, 900 yards further on there will be 9. Those 9, like you, will be adventurous. From there you’ll hike a trail for 9 miles, be home by 9pm tucked in for 9 hours sleep. Neat, huh? The road less trammeled begins where the ice cream runs out.
Our recent foray into Oregon’s backwoods is a good example. Our first night’s camping in the Deschutes state park came with electricity, running water and a shop selling firewood. With rumours of Americans busting out of Covid lockdown and heading for the hills rife in the press, we aimed a little further afield for our next campsite.
The next morning, we paused at the top of the ridge and grabbed what meagre cell coverage we could to watch our youngest daughter Ava graduate university. Watching via live feed led to one of our more frustrating pandemic moments. Her commencement took place in a large stadium, outdoors, but with attendance fully limited we couldn’t attend in person. Still, she looked radiant in her cap and gown when she finally took the stage for a few brief moments.
Perry South campsite sits a mile down a gravel road on a dammed lake fed by the Metolius river. Rustic by urban hipster standards, we thumbed our noses as we passed it, scattering pebbles and clouds of dust in its general direction. Nothing less than authentic backwoods would do now. By Mongolian standards the road ahead was roller rink smooth. No yaks blocked our path and our friends Lauren and Wade met us at the entrance to Camp Monty four miles further in. Nearly empty, they had chosen a sweet site next to the roiling river and began unpacking.
Talking with the camp hosts a couple of hours later secured my point. Monty was rarely full. Perhaps on July 4, but often not even then. Most folks stop at Perry South and don’t attempt the next four miles of rough road. If they bothered, they would discover quietude, skies full of raptors, and generously sized campgrounds. Their loss, our gain.
