Solitude in Central Oregon

Time alone is time well spent

This December I was fortunate to have a bit of time off. The first week I spent diligently working on home projects. The second week I packed up the Volvo C303 and headed out to Central Oregon for some time alone in the cold outdoors.

Some of my friends think it’s crazy to head off into the wilderness alone. Personally I feel more creative, more peaceful and a reinvigorated when I return from a solo trip in the wilderness. Studies have shown “The more you get away from the stresses of daily life and the more time you spend outdoors, the greater your level of creativity.” Other research shows that being alone with inward-directed thought invokes a resting state known as “default mode processing”. During this state the brain works on “self-awareness and reflection, recalling personal memories, imagining the future, feeling emotions about the psychological impact of social situations on other people, and constructing moral judgments.”

Regardless of the benefits if you find yourself hungering from some peace and quite with wide sweeping views and plenty of hiking/biking opportunities then head out towards Smith Rock. Then keep heading East and you’ll find your way to Grey Butte.

Miles and miles of FS roads with sweeping views.

You can simply pick out a destination and walk right up the side of the mountain. Loved the green lichens on this rocky overhang.

Home is where you park it.

An old watering trough in the middle of no where.

Modern watering trough by a “horse camp” spot.

Clearance is everything.

I’d highly encourage anyone adventuring outside of cell phone range to get HAM certified and get a radio. Old school technology that could be a life saver.

Unfortunately some people don’t “pack it out”.

For more on Central Oregon check out my Unicycling Smith Rock trip report