First-time backpackers often like to go on shorter, easier trips to break their packs in. It can helpful to go with friends who have a little experience, or pick spots that are closer to society just to be safe.

A solo five-day trip into bear country is a bold foray into backpacking.

On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, we continue our My Epic Adventure series with a tale from our own Jamie Hale, who recounts his very first backpacking trip on the Rogue River Trail in southern Oregon.

With blisters, bears, snakes and ticks, it’s a true Oregon backpacking adventure. But one luxurious twist made the trip a bit easier to handle, and gave Jamie some much-needed rest along the way.

Here are some highlights from this week’s show:

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With countless mountain peaks in view, rolling hills and one of the most breathtaking views of Cove Palisades State Park, it’s hard for cyclists to not love Madras Mountain Views Scenic Bikeway.

On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, Vickie chats with Jamie about her most recent bike trip to central Oregon, where she biked 29-mile loop to celebrate her birthday.

Here are some highlights from this week’s show:

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-- Vickie Connor and Jamie Hale

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Of all the beach towns on the beautiful stretch of Pacific coastline in Oregon, Yachats might well be the most charming.

Located on the rocky shores of the central Oregon coast, Yachats features a small but bustling corridor of restaurants and small businesses, with forested trails, tide pools, beaches and towering sea cliffs found nearby.

On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, Jamie recounts a recent trip to Yachats, where a spring rainstorm forced some last-minute adjustments and allowed for a fresh take on the coastal town.

Here are some highlights from this week’s show:

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-- Jamie Hale and Vickie Connor

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Welcome to the weird, wonderful world of tide pooling.

Both primal and alien, tide pools are chock full of interesting life, from tiny shore crabs to giant green anemones. Exploring these intertidal areas is a cherished pastime on the Oregon coast, but what do you need to know to get started?

On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, we talk to Jamie Kish, a marine biologist and tide pool ambassador based in Yachats, who not only offers some tide pooling tips, but dishes on her own love of these strange, beautiful ecosystems.

Here are some highlights from this week’s show:

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-- Jamie Hale and Vickie Connor

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Wildflowers are everywhere in the Columbia River Gorge, but one small stretch of the scenic area is more jam-packed with flowers than the rest.

This wildflower corridor of the Columbia Gorge, located between Mosier and Lyle, is home to several beautiful recreation areas, where being among the blooms can be as easy as stepping out of your car, or as difficult as hiking up the side of a mountain.

On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, we dig into six incredible spots to see the flowers bloom, located on both the Oregon and Washington side of the Columbia River.

If you want to see the wildflowers, you’ll want to act fast: they won’t stick around forever.

Here are some highlights from this week’s show:

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-- Jamie Hale and Vickie Connor

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Imagine rolling out of your vintage Airstream trailer, walking across the road and reaching the sand, ready for a beautiful day at the beach.

That fantasy can be a reality at Hart’s Camp Airstream Hotel at Pacific City on the north Oregon coast, the destination for this week’s episode of Peak Northwest.

Located steps away from Cape Kiwanda – not to mention all the shops and restaurants in Pacific City – Hart’s Camp rents out several Airstream trailers, cottages and cabins beside its sister property, Cape Kiwanda RV Park, which has sites for RVs and tents.

After a spring trip to the Airstream hotel, we have the scoop on everything you need to know to check it out for yourself.

Here are some highlights from this week’s show:

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-- Jamie Hale and Vickie Connor

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Love hanging out at Mount Hood, but hate driving up to the mountain? Do we have some good news for you.

On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, we talk to Lizzy Acker, trending news reporter for The Oregonian/OregonLive, who recently wrote about the experience of travelling by bus to Oregon’s tallest mountain.

The latest in Acker’s car-free travel series once again features her 3-year-old daughter, Nona, who joined along for snowy walks, skiing and snacking along the way. Taking the bus to Mt. Hood is one thing, but bringing along a toddler is a whole other adventure.

Here are some highlights from this week’s show:

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Forget everything that comes to mind when you think about “a day at the lake” – these spots aren’t it.

That doesn’t mean the little lakes of the Clatsop State Forest, found on the north end of Oregon’s Coast Range, aren’t worth checking out. Despite lacking amenities and featuring little in the way of actual water, they nonetheless make interesting attractions for year-round hiking between Portland and the coast.

On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, we talk about where and how to find spots like Soapstone Lake and Spruce Run Lake, places that may offer little to fishers, boaters and sunbathers, and instead exist as quiet little attractions tucked into the timberlands.

Here are some highlights from this week’s show:

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-- Jamie Hale and Vickie Connor

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Hiking the entirety of the Wildwood Trail is a classic Portland bucket list item, and something many people accomplish – just not in one day.

On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, we talk to two local hikers who took on the famous 30-mile trail in Forest Park, with tips and words of caution for anybody else who feels up to the challenge.

The hikers, Rachel Dumont and Noelle Crombie, who is the enterprise reporter for The Oregonian/OregonLive, said the adventure was difficult, but incredibly rewarding. And as nice as the scenery was, the real reward was sharing the challenge together, they said.

Here are some highlights from this week’s show:

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-- Jamie Hale and Vickie Connor

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Programming note: This is a rebroadcast of an excellent episode from July, 2021. Be sure to visit the Circles in the Sand Labyrinths this year.

Denny Dyke’s elaborate sand drawings are a sight to behold. But to experience the labyrinths for yourself is an entirely different experience.

Dyke has since 2011 been drawing the labyrinths into low-tide Oregon beaches, and his Circles in the Sand project really took off in 2015, when he started working on it full-time. This past year he’s seen more people than ever show up at his southern Oregon events, or “draws,” estimating upwards of 400 people each day.

For Dyke, a religious practitioner, his “dreamfields” are more than interesting attractions, however. They’re deeply spiritual creations that offer real healing to those who walk them.

This week on the Peak Northwest podcast, we catch up with Dyke about his project.

Some highlights:

View the full Circles in the Sand schedule at sandypathbandon.com.

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