The Pond at Alton Baker Park - January 2011 - Autzen Stadium in the background.

Even though it’s the middle of winter, there’s a lot of greenery and runners, walkers, and bikers were out in force enjoying the weather. I hope we get at least a few more days like this before spring, it will definitely be a nice vacation from the gray.

Unfortunately there’s a downside to all of this wonderful weather. The snow level was 8000 ft. over the weekend and most of the area ski resorts (Willamette Pass and Hoodoo) received crippling rain. I heard that Timberline lost 1-2 feet of it’s snowpack! Don’t fret too much, there’s still plenty of snow and more on the way!

Alton Baker Meadow with Spencer Butte and Hendricks Park in the background.

In the coming months I’ll be posting a lot of new outdoor adventures on website. Look for tons of new hikes, mountain biking trails, waterfalls and rock climbing information in the Eugene, Oregon area. Also, if you have an adventure you’d like to share or that you’d like me to review, feel free to drop me a line. I always love checking out new places!

Alton Baker Pond: A Great Place to Fish!

Fishing has been great over the past few weeks. Alton Baker Pond has been stocked multiple times and people are catching limits almost daily. The McKenzie and Willamette rivers from Armitage Park downstream have been fishing extremely well. In a few short hours, three of us were caught and released over 50 native fish! Tan Quill bodied March Browns seemed to be the fly of choice, but an Adams Irresistible was also getting it’s fair share of hits. Most of the fish were pretty small, 6-10 inches, but we did land a few fat 12-14 inchers. So far this has been one of the best fishing seasons in years!

Unfortunately, all good things have to come to an end, especially during the Spring in Oregon. This week has brought unwelcome wet and rainy weather; even some snow in the high foothills. Fear not, we all know that April showers bring May flowers. Over the next few weeks the Oregon Rivers should be rocking and primed for some Spring rafting! I know I’ll be hitting up the McKenzie: Finn Rock to Prince Helfrich stretch in the next few weeks, perhaps even the North Umpqua or the Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival on May 15th and 16th.

I’ll be hitting up the Wild and Scenic Section of the Rogue River this weekend. Flows should be around 7000 cfs at put-in, a bit high, but that just adds to the fun this time of year! Hope you have a great one and enjoy the Eugene Outdoors!

-AdventureMaster

This snow also means that some of my, and likely your, favorite outdoor adventures are going to be that much better this year. At least for this week, Cougar Hot Springs will have some snow on the trail making it even more beautiful than usual. If you fancy an early spring camping trip, Clear Lake will be covered in a layer of the white stuff for a few more weeks. Sahalie and Koosah Falls will also be great places to visit this week, especially since some of the wild flowers are starting to bloom.

If you get the chance to hike up Spencer Butte on a clear day this week the cascades should be at least partially covered in snow as far as the eye can see. Remember, EugeneOutdoors.com is your place to find the best outdoor adventures in Eugene, Springfield, Lane County, and all of Oregon!

It took a while, but we were finally able to find the time to build a completely new outdoor adventure site! With the new EugeneOutdoors.com you be able to easily find fun, exciting outdoor adventures in Eugene, Oregon for any time and any season!

In the coming weeks we’ll be posting tons of new outdoor adventures that are perfect for the spring and summer months. If you want to post or recommend some of your favorite adventures feel free to drop us a line on our Contact Page. You’ll receive credit on any Eugene or Oregon outdoor adventure you decide to submit and we might even be running some contests in the future!

We hope you enjoy the new design of EugeneOutdoors.com!