Explore Oregon: Making the most of the outdoors

In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, Zach and guidebook author Franziska of Hike Oregon pick 10 of their favorite backpacking trips for June, July, August and September as the high outdoor recreation season gets underway. In this podcast, first recorded in 2023, the trips recommended include shorter and longer backpacking routes, from 15 to 55 miles in length, in the Wallowa, Elkhorn, Cascade and Klamath-Siskiyou mountains. Franziska, the owner and operator of the website Hike Oregon, also has a new book that recently came out — "52 MORE Hikes for 52 MORE Weeks: In the Willamette Valley, Central Oregon Cascades & Coast."

In this episode, host Zach Urness talks about upgrades coming to Silver Falls State Park along with places in Oregon that almost became national parks — but never quite made the cut. In the first half, Urness talks about the new outdoors shop, campground and visitor center planned for Oregon's largest state park as part of expanding development at the park. In the second half, Urness talks about why Silver Falls didn't become a national park — even through it was strongly considered back in the 1920s. Then, he talks about five other locations that almost became national parks but were held back for different reasons.

In this episode, host Zach Urness reports on a project in Eugene that will add a mountain biking park and expand the size of the city's Ridgeline Trail system for hiking. The city plans to add 12 miles of new trail at Suzanne Arlie Park and South Eugene Meadows, opening up the city's first trails built specifically for mountain biking while also creating new hikes and expanding hiking routes. It's been a long road for the city to embrace mountain biking. The project also moves the city closer to its ultimate goal of having trails that connect from Fern Ridge Reservoir to Mount Pisgah.

In this episode, host Zach Urness talks about the reopening of the Whitewater Creek road and trail into the Mount Jefferson Wilderness east of Detroit. The trail has long been one of the most popular in the Mount Jefferson area but it's been transformed by two major wildfires that have kept it closed since 2020. The road and trail is finally open now, and there are some amazing views and adventures to be had right now — in the early season — and later in the summer as well.

In this episode, host Zach Urness talks about the reopening of the Whitewater Creek road and trail into the Mount Jefferson Wilderness east of Detroit. The trail has long been one of the most popular and iconic in the Mount Jefferson area but it's been transformed by two major wildfires that have kept it closed six of the last nine years and all the way since 2020. The road and trail is finally open now, and there are some amazing views and adventures to be had right now — in the early season — and later in the summer as well. Zach breaks down easy, medium and challenging trips here for the spring and summer, and also provides the background story on the two wildfires that roasted this area.

In this edition, host Zach Urness takes a deep dive into perhaps the wildest place in Oregon — the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. This episode, originally published in 2022, focuses on the 180,000-acre wilderness in southwest Oregon. It's home to deep river canyons, wildflowers found nowhere else on earth and rivers so clear they seem made of liquid glass. Zach is joined by Gabe Howe, executive director of the Siskiyou Mountain Club, to pick their 10 favorite hikes and backpacking routes in the Kalmiopsis, including the Illinois River Trail, Vulcan Lake and the pristine Upper Chetco River. The Siskiyou Mountain Club and other trails groups in Oregon have been significantly impacted by the federal cuts and are all looking to raise money to support their mission of keeping trails clear.

In this episode host Zach Urness covers a range of outdoors news topics, including: -Why this is the last summer to swim, fish or take a boat tour at Crater Lake National Park until 2029. -Why this was a very good, but also tragic, ski season in Oregon -Why Oregon set a record for visits to its state parks system -Also: Detroit Lake drawdown, Oregon is drought free, state of the wilderness permit season and the status of endangered wolves and snowy plovers.

Repost! In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness talks about Oregon's wildflower hotspots and the best times to see them with expert Greg Lief. Lief, who runs the website OregonWildflowers.org talks about some of Oregon's most interesting blooms and the best times to visit places such as the Columbia Gorge, Old Cascades, Coast Range and Eastern Oregon to find the best of nature's fireworks display. This episode was originally posted on April 18, 2024, but all the information should be about the same as last year in terms of wildflower blooms times.

Host Zach Urness talks with Trailkeepers of Oregon executive director Steve Kruger about the group's mission and how federal cuts and a funding freeze could make it difficult to maintain hiking trails on public lands this summer and in future years. Kruger talks about the work TKO does in using volunteers to clear, fix and maintain trails, in addition to building bridges. He then talks about how a federal cuts and a funding freeze — in which agreed to grants and payments aren't being distributed — appears likely to hamper maintaining trails in the foreseeable future.

In this episode, host Zach Urness interviews Salem ice climber Forrest "Frosty" Gill about the fun and challenge of ascending frozen waterfalls and ice flows across Oregon and the West. Gill talks about the equipment and technique used for ice climbing, the beautiful places it can take you and his journey in learning the sport through the Salem-based Chemeketans outdoors club and climb school. This past February, Gill climbed frozen Paulina Creek Falls in Central Oregon but has also climbed in Alaska, Montana and Colorado.

What do the federal cuts mean for Oregon's public lands? Plus, Detroit Lake mini cabins by Zach Urness / Statesman Journal

In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness talks with Randy Dersham, director of the new documentary film "Oregon's Boat." Dersham describes the evolution of one of the world's most famous boats — the McKenzie River Drift Boat — that took place in Eugene and on the McKenzie River. The boat evolved under a series of colorful fishing guides, woodworkers and adventurers to become the ideal boat for navigating whitewater rivers across the West. The film recently recently won the award for Best Feature at the Oregon Documentary Film Festival.

In this episode, host Zach Urness talks with two Oregon researchers that just published a study about a massive underground aquifer below the Central Cascade Mountains east of Salem and Eugene. Leif Karlstrom, a University of Oregon earth scientist, and Gordon Grant, a hydrologist with the U.S. Forest Service, discuss an aquifer they estimate as containing 81 cubic kilometers of freshwater — or roughly as much water contained in three Lake Meads, the largest reservoir in the United States. Karlstrom and Grant talk about how the aquifer is formed, where it's located (roughly between Mount Jefferson and south of McKenzie Pass) and why it's important in a warming future. They also talk about how it fuels many of Oregon's most famous rivers and spurs dramatic volcanic eruptions at places such as Sand Mountain.

In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness talks about three different things: -Snowshoeing, skiing or micro-spike hiking at Maxwell Sno-Park, plus spending the night in its two cozy snow shelters. -The plan to drop Detroit Lake to its lowest level in history, in a controversial plan aimed at saving endangered spring chinook salmon but that could also impact fishing, access and water quality at the reservoir east of Salem. -The controversy surrounding offseason recreation on McKenzie Pass Highway 242. Are you allowed to ski, snowmobile and bike on the scenic highway between Sisters and McKenzie Bridge when the snow gates are closed during the winter and spring? The answer used to be yes, but now, it's a lot more complicated.

In this edition, host Zach Urness highlights the best adventures the Statesman Journal outdoors staff wrote about in 2024. In part II, Urness talks about a roadtrip to the Oregon Outback — plus its "dark sky sanctuary" — along with why Oakridge is considered among the United States' best places to mountain bike. He also talks about diving into an underwater forest of Clear Lake, float tube fishing Oregon's alpine lakes, backpacking Broken Top Loop and new sections of whitewater that have appeared on the Klamath River after dam removal.

In this episode, host Zach Urness highlights the best adventures the Statesman Journal outdoors staff wrote about in 2024. In this part I episode, Urness talks about the troubled but beloved Umpqua Hot Springs during its "quiet season" and exploring snow shelters in the winter backcountry near Gold Lake Sno Park. Other adventures highlighted include summer skiing on Mount Hood — even during an extreme heatwave — along with mountain biking a historic road and how to visit one of Oregon's most beautiful but semi-secret waterfalls. Part II of this countdown should be posted around the New Year.

In this episode, host Zach Urness talks about a collection of stories including the start of winter recreation season, the controversial drawdowns at Green Peter Reservoir and some fun winter adventures including skiing, hiking at Silver Falls and celebrating "yurtmas" by touring Christmas lights at the Coast. The podcast features interviews from KLCC in Eugene and considers why a plan to save endangered salmon has become so controversial, while other topics include new waterfall hiking loops at Silver Falls State Park, record setting coho salmon runs and one of the state's most epic Christmas lights displays.

In this episode, host Zach Urness and intern Alexander Banks talk about the iconic — and popular — hike to Pittock Mansion. Beginning in the heart of Portland, the route takes hikers through Forest Park landmarks and up to one of the most beautiful vistas in the Rose City. For additional prospective, Banks also talks with guidebook author Matt Reeder about what makes the hike special. Finally, Zach offers a few of Portland's other best hikes.

In this episode, host Zach Urness talks with three people who worked to rebuild a stunning mountaintop fire lookout in southern Oregon where visitors can spend the night. In 2020, Bolan Mountain Lookout was burned by the Slater Fire. Four years later, a district ranger and the leader of a nonprofit, along with his dad, spearheaded rebuilding a lookout with one of the state's most unique vistas. In the podcast, Scott Blower, Wild Rivers District Ranger of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, along Gabe and Lee Howe, of the Siskiyou Mountain Club, talk about the challenge and inspiration of rebuilding an iconic structure and how to make it even better than it was before.

In this episode, host Zach Urness talks with a Klamath River outfitter about how the largest dam removal project in United State history has transformed the river by returning salmon and opening new stretches of river hidden for over a century. Will Volpert, owner of southern Oregon's Indigo Creek Outfitters, has been rafting every stretch of what he's dubbed the "New Klamath" after dam removal to document, map and prepare for commercial trips and summer recreation on a stream that looks a lot different after four dams and reservoirs were removed near the Oregon and California state line. Volpert talks about being surprised by a salmon in a class IV rapid, exploring the river as it carves through an old dam sites and reservoirs, and running major rapids only recently discovered.

In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness talks with Oregon State Climatologist Larry O'Neill about the forecast for the winter of 2024-25. O'Neill details why a forecasted weak La Nina system could result in a cooler and wetter winter than normal and what that means for the state overall, including for skiing and winter recreation.

In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness and outdoors intern Elliott Deins talk about backpacking the Three Sisters Wilderness and "float tube fishing" in Oregon's backcountry lakes. Deins breaks down one of Oregon's most beautiful and challenging backpacking routes, the Broken Top Loop, including how many miles it takes, where you can camp and the major highlights — and there are many. Urness talks about hiking into the Mount Jefferson Wilderness carrying a "float tube" — basically an inflatable chair — that allows for far superior fishing at alpine lakes. Urness explains the upsides and downsides and some of the best places to fish in the Jefferson area.

In this episode, host Zach Urness goes deep on the record coho salmon runs in the Upper Willamette Basin. Urness talks with Chris Kern, the west region manager for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, about what makes coho unique, why their numbers have been skyrocketing and how anglers can catch them.

In this episode, host Zach Urness talks about three different major stories involving salmon in Oregon. And, he posts a really fun song about salmon sent to him by a reader. Stories: -A record-breaking run of coho salmon in the Upper Willamette Basin -Salmon reaching spawning grounds on the Klamath River for the first time in over a century -The tough situation at Green Peter Reservoir, where one type of salmon (kokanee) has been sacrificed for the hoped rebuilding of another (spring chinook). Finally, Urness ends by posting a catchy song about salmon.

In this episode, host Zach Urness and outdoors intern Skyla Patton get excited about the peak season for finding Oregon's delicious and beautiful state mushroom. In an interview first recorded in 2022, Patton breaks down everything about the Pacific Golden Chanterelle, including where and when to find it, how to eat it, how to get permits to harvest them and trickier questions including whether you can over-harvest the beloved mushroom. The two discuss everything from the science of why chanterelles grow across western Oregon, best recipes and what the evidence suggests about cutting them or pulling them from the ground.

In this edition, Zach talks about a collection of outdoor stories including: -A group of women who went backpacking in the Three Sisters Wilderness and had to evacuate when multiple wildfires ignited all around them. -A record wildfire season for acres burned in the PNW and Oregon. -Contrasting views on how to protect Oregon's Owyhee Canyonlands. -One of Oregon's most beautiful waterfall views and why there's not an official trail leading to it.

In this episode, Zach talks with outdoors journalism intern Elliott Deins about how to explore underwater at Clear Lake. Deins reports on the origins of Clear Lake, what makes it interesting, why it's a hotspot for divers and the best gear to plunge into the frigid waters. With consistent visibility over 100 feet and water temperatures around 40 degrees year-round, it's always a good time for a dive in Clear Lake. Deins talks with experts about the uniqueness of “the world's biggest swimming pool”— and exploring a sunken forest that feels like a different planet— while detailing dive locations, why you should stay off the bottom and recommendations for a good day at Clear Lake.

In this edition, Zach interviews Bonnie Henderson, an expert on backpacking and thru-hiking the Oregon Coast Trail.  Henderson, author of the book "Hiking the Oregon Coast Trail: 400 Miles from the Columbia River to California," talks about what makes the trail unique and the best ways to pull off a trip.  September can be a great month to explore the OCT, with smaller crowds but still nice weather. Henderson talks about the differences in each segment of the trail while detailing critical factors such as the best season to backpack, why reading tide tables is important and where you'll need to arrange for ferry rides to cross large bays.

In this episode, host Zach Urness updates some of the latest news about Oregon's state parks system, including major fee increases to camp and visit, before launching a deep dive into how the park system came together over 100 years. Urness talks with associate parks director Chris Havel and historian Christy Sweet about the park system's long, winding and goofball history. It makes for a fun listen for anyone on a Labor Day Weekend road trip in Oregon's outdoors. The story centers on the colorful and bombastic Sam Boardman, known as the "father of Oregon's state parks system," who built the system from the ground up beginning in the 1920s. It's a story of ambition and conservation, of colorful characters, near-calamity and rebirth.

In this episode, host Zach Urness talks with outdoor intern Emma Logan about the best mountain bike destinations across Oregon. The two break down the best spots to ride near Mount Hood, on the Oregon Coast and in central, southwest and eastern Oregon. The destinations range from smaller trail systems new to the scene to internationally recognized trails in Oakridge. Urness and Logan discuss their favorite trails, what make those areas unique and how mountain bike trails have changed over the years.

In this episode, host Zach Urness talks with outdoor intern Emma Logan about mountain biking in Oakridge. This small town has put itself on the map with a world class trail network. With over 300 miles of trails, Oakridge is one of the six gold-level ride centers in the world and has been dubbed "Mountain Biking Capital of the Northwest." This episode includes an interview with Marcello Ojerio, a bike mechanic and longtime local rider who works at the Oakridge Bike Shop. Ojerio talks about what makes Oakridge trails special, how to pick the right ride and how to handle wildfires and smoke that have impacted the area the past few years.

In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness returns to one of the state's great backyard gems — the Willamette Water Trail. Urness highlights his two favorite places to float and camp on the mainstem Willamette, that features surprisingly beautiful scenery, wildlife habitat and camps just a stone's throw from cities such as Eugene, Corvallis and Salem. Then, Urness plays an interview from 2021 with former Willamette Riverkeeper executive director Travis Williams — now with Willamette River Preservation Trust — about the best floats, history and things to know about being on the Willamette.

In this episode, host Zach Urness gives an update on the fast-developing wildfire season in Oregon and then posts and interview that dives into how beloved places such as the Opal Creek area reopen post wildfire. First, Urness breaks down some of the fires burning across the state after a major lightning storm ignited a number of new blazes near Oakridge, Diamond Lake, the McKenzie Corridor and all other corners of the state. Then, Urness posts an interview that he did with Portland City Cast on how the Opal Creek area is doing now, four years after the 2020 Labor Day Fires. He details what the area looks like and plans for how it will eventually reopen. He also talks about the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire and its lasting impact, and the legacy of the 2003 B&B Complex.

In this episode, host Zach Urness talks with outdoor intern Emma Logan about summer skiing at Timberline Lodge and Ski Area on Mount Hood. Timberline offers the only place to ski in the middle of the summer in North America. From the top of the Palmer snowfield, skiers stand at over 8,000 feet and are immediately transported back into a winter state of mind. This episode includes an interview with John Burton, the Director of Marketing and Public Affairs of Timberline. Logan and Burton discuss the history of summer skiing on Mount Hood, the elite level training and what anyone should know before heading out and giving it a try.

Host Zach Urness talks with long-distance hiker, photographer and gear-maker James Parsons about a variety of topics, including the little-known Chinook Trail in the Columbia River Gorge. Parsons, probably best known for his photography through his Extreme Oregon Instagram page, talks about the strange place outdoor photography finds itself in 2024, his favorite long-distance hikes and his new business, Magnet Designs, making and selling outdoor clothing. Then, he spotlights a little-known long-distance route through the Columbia Gorge known as the Chinook Trail, and which parts make for excellent backpacking and which parts offer a fairly brutal experience.

In this episode, host Zach Urness talks about the wildfire forecast for the summer of 2024 and the fires burning right now. Urness lays out what type of wildfire season is expected using interviews with fire weather meteorologists, who explain how drought, fuel moisture and El Nino to La Nina weather patterns could impact wildfires across the state this summer. Urness breaks down the hot spots for fire danger, and where active wildfires have already had an impact on summer 2024 in the state.

In this episode, Zach talks about the Elkhorn Mountains and Anthony Lakes area of Eastern Oregon. Urness breaks down the what makes the Elkhorns such a striking range, the best time to visit, where to stay and what to do when visiting. There's no shortage of hikes, alpine lakes, fishing, backpacking and wildlife to enjoy — along with an Old West ghost town with a haunted suction dredge (that you are allowed to visit).

In this episode, host Zach Urness talks about one of Oregon's most beautiful and historic trails that is often overlooked. The Santiam Wagon Road was once the primary route connecting the Willamette Valley to Central Oregon in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Today, the roadway has been transformed into a beautiful trail best explored on 18 miles and six segments in the Tombstone Pass area east of Sweet Home. Sweet Home district ranger Nikki Swanson joints the podcast to break down the route's history and the best way to experience it nowadays.

In this episode, host Zach Urness reports on two beloved places — one that is reopening after a major wildfire and another that just closed because of a huge landslide. Shellburg Falls Recreation Area reopened this past weekend, and Urness talks about how the experience of visiting the 100-foot waterfall and surrounding trails has changed — in some cases dramatically. Then, Urness reports on how a debris flow has closed access to Valley of the Giants, home to some of Oregons largest and oldest trees in the Coast Range located west of Salem.

In this episode, host Zach Urness talks about the Oregon Outback and Summer Lake area, a land of desert canyons, hot springs, hikes and quite possibly Oregon's best restaurant. The region was recently established as a dark sky sanctuary, but Urness looks at all the daytime adventures, along with the best time to visit and places to stay. He talks about Crack in the Ground, Cowboy Tree Diner and Summer Lake, among many other places to fish, bird-watch, hunt, hike and explore.

In this episode, host Zach Urness talks to ultra runner Emily Halnon of Eugene, who back in 2020 set the speed record for the Oregon segment of the Pacific Crest Trail. Halnon ran the Oregon PCT's 460 miles in 7 days, 19 hours and 23 minutes — an average of 57 miles per day. She set the record for both male and female runners.  In the podcast — and in a recently published book — Halnon talked about doing the run to honor her mother, who died of a rare form of bone cancer. Halnon's recently published a book about her experience called "To the Gorge: Running, Grief, and Resilience & 460 Miles on the Pacific Crest Trail." She's currently on a book tour in Oregon and elsewhere. See her page, emilyhalnon.com, for a full list of book tour stops.

In this edition of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness talks about a program that allows harvesting plants from national and state forests and replanting them your own backyard. With the program, you can transplant ferns, saplings and even wildflowers into your own yard for free. It's called the "forest products free use permit" and we'll tell you how you can use it to go on your own plant hunt.

In this episode, Zach talks about Oregon's wildflower hotspots and the best times to visit with expert Greg Lief. Lief, who runs the website OregonWildflowers.org and the Facebook group Oregon Wildflowers, talks about some of Oregon's most interesting blooms and the best times to visit places such as the Columbia Gorge, Old Cascades, Coast Range and Eastern Oregon.

In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness talks about the rebound of one of Oregon's most iconic fish from near extinction. Urness was interviewed by Think Out Loud host Dave Miller on Oregon Public Broadcasting about why this year's run of winter steelhead in the Upper Willamette Basin was so special. After their population nearly crashing in 2017, the sea-run trout returned their best numbers in two decades this year. The interview was based on a story Urness wrote on the subject titled: "Once in 'extinction vortex,' Willamette winter steelhead post best returns since 2004."

In this episode, host Zach Urness revisits the Oregon Desert Trail, a challenging but beautiful route designed to open the eyes of hikers to the wonders of the high desert. Urness talks about why spring is a time to consider hiking or planning a short or long-distance trek along the 750-mile route that travels from just outside of Bend all the way to Lake Owyhee State Park. Urness get expertise from Renee Patrick, trail coordinator for the Oregon Natural Desert Association about everything hikers need to know about undertaking the route, and just what makes it special.

In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness talks about the recently established Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary — the largest such sanctuary in the world. The 2.5 million acre sanctuary, located east of Lakeview near towns such as Plush and Adel in southeast Oregon, becomes the largest dark sky sanctuary in the world. Urness is joined by Bob Hackett, executive director of Travel Southern Oregon, to talk about what a dark sky sanctuary actually is, how it was established and how people can best experience it. They also talk about how dark skies are measured, and how they compare to what we see in the Willamette Valley.

In this episode, host Zach Urness takes listeners to the snowy wonderland of Willamette Pass, a great place to visit during the spring snow season. Even as the days get warmer and longer, there is still lots of snow on Oregon's mountain passes, which makes for a fun recreation season for skiing, snowshoeing and other activities. Urness highlights a rustic lodge to spend the night, wooden shelters hidden in backcountry snow and even hot springs to enjoy about an hour southeast of Eugene.

In this episode, Zach talks about the beloved and troubled slot canyon known as Oneonta Gorge. Named by a famous photographer of the 19th Century, this was once gem in the Columbia Gorge that featured an off-trail trip below high walls to a dramatic waterfall. But Oneonta became one of the first places “blown up” by early social media, particularly Instagram. The crowds brought lots of problems until the Eagle Creek Fire closed it in 2017 — and has kept it closed all the way to present day. This podcast looks at that backstory, including how the Gorge got its name, and reports the latest on when and whether it will ever reopen. It features interviews with Tom Kloster, a longtime writer and explorer, who writes the WyEast Blog, and former Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area recreation offer Stan Hinatsu.

In this episode, Zach reposts an episode about visiting Oregon waterfalls covered in snow and ice. With heavy snow forecasted in the lower elevations of the Cascade Mountains this coming week, Zach decided to post a podcast he originally recorded four years ago that details the best places to ski or snowshoe to Oregon's best waterfalls covered in snow. The waterfalls are at their best following a nice fresh low-elevation snow, which makes this coming week a fun moment to go winter waterfall hunting.

In this episode, Zach Urness talks about a ski or snowshoeing trip to ice-covered Paulina Creek Falls in Newberry National Volcanic Monument in Central Oregon. Urness details what makes the trip unique, including a snowy waterfall, alpine lake, high peak, hot springs and even a backcountry restaurant. He talks about when and how to do the trip, how difficult it is, and additional options like snowmobiling.

In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness talks with author Glenn Voelz about the rise of Oregon's search and rescue, from the pioneer age to the modern era. Voelz is author of the book "Oregon Search & Rescue: Answering the Call," which covers the state's best-known searchers, high-profile disasters and how both shaped modern SAR. The book and podcast cover famous disasters on Mount Hood, how groups like the Mazama's began Oregon's SAR tradition and even the state's biggest political crisis.