Mark, Maya, and I spent the last week of August in the Bend, Oregon, area. We visited our friend Patti and her two dogs, Koozie and Pekoe, did a few more projects on our camper, and explored this popular outdoor town and its surroundings.
On a neighborhood walk with the dogs, we could see our destination… that mountain in the distance
We lucked out with permits for the 5-mile No Name Lake & Broken Top trail. The distance was not that long, but the elevation of over 9,000ft made us huff and puff. It was a beautiful day and the views were stupendous. As a matter of fact, this hike competes with the slot canyon one we did in Baja California Sur, Mexico earlier this year for #1 of 2022…
(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)
Hiking up
Snow!
No Name Lake
My favorite view – an icy lake in summer!
Maya, the polar bear
Our adventure dog, Maya, was on the ice floes before we knew it…
Careful, Maya!
Right. The floe broke – a couple of times – and we had a wet and cold dog…
The viewpoint
Liesbet, Patti, and Koozie with a stupendous background
Hiking down
The price
There was a price to pay – for me anyway. I’m not talking about the monetary value of the permit ($3) or the gas for the hourlong drive from Bend on a bouncy dirt road. I suffered hugely from a debilitating migraine towards the end of the hike. It made me so nauseous and uncomfortable that Patti had to stop the car every ten minutes on the ride back for me to stumble out and vomit.
Rough road to get to and from the trailhead
Was it the altitude? The hot sun? The exertion? That time of the month? The rough road? Probably a combination of all, but it was extremely painful, embarrassing, delaying, and awful. The worst thing is that I am now even more worried about our upcoming high-altitude travels in South America. Was it worth it? Did you see those photos? YES. 🙂
The hiking gang: Liesbet, Mark, Patti, Maya, Koozie, and Pekoe
Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics, check out the travel memoir I wrote:
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September 22, 2022 at 17:54
Wow, that is spectacular! I’m sorry you didn’t feel well at the end but fortunate that you got to enjoy most of the adventure without complications. That picture of Maya on the float, then in the water, was a hoot. Poor puppy 🙂
September 22, 2022 at 18:16
Janis, our Maya is a pro of getting in trouble! This particular episode was baffling, a tad scary, and super funny at the same time. Once we realized it was “just” water, we relaxed a bit and encouraged her to swim back to shore. The migraines have become worrisome. I hope I can believe people who tell me it’s hormonal, meaning it will ease in a few years… 🙂
September 22, 2022 at 18:28
Beautiful shots! I love Maya’s sense of adventure. So sorry to gear about your migrane!
September 22, 2022 at 19:28
Maya fits our adventurous lifestyle – and our naughtiness. 🙂
September 22, 2022 at 20:02
Crazy there was an ice flow there!
September 23, 2022 at 14:19
We were surprised as well about the icy scene as well, Alex.
September 22, 2022 at 20:11
Bend is almost 7 hours northeast of us. It’s a beautiful spot, even to non-skiers like myself. That kind of elevation, especially when you’re not accustomed to it, would have anyone huffing and puffing.
September 23, 2022 at 14:24
Hi Pete,
We are non-skiers as well and hate the cold, so being able to enjoy ice and snow in the heat of summer was special. I think I underestimated the elevation. We didn’t think much about it while I’m Bend, but when we started hiking, we soon realized the trail was at a decent altitude.
When I suffered from altitude sickness in Colorado a few years ago, I read that it’s best to do your activities higher than where you sleep, luckily that’s what we did in this case.
We went on a long weekend trip to the mountains in Colorado recently, where the opposite was true – we slept higher than where we came from and spent most of the day. I took it really slow, consumed a lot of water, and kept drinking alcohol to a minimum. I got off with just a vague headache.
September 22, 2022 at 20:26
What gorgeous country. I can’t believe you-all weren’t cold! The migraines–yuck.
September 23, 2022 at 14:26
Hi Jacqui!
The altitude helped with cooler temperatures, as it was in the nineties down in Bend. Initially, I was doubting this hike, because of the hot weather prediction, but when our friend mentioned the higher elevation, we figured this would make the temperature bearable. It did. But it made other things harder.
September 22, 2022 at 22:20
So sorry to hear about your debilitating migraine after your stupendous hike. I hope you get the medical help you need before your trip to South America.
September 23, 2022 at 14:27
Thanks, Annie. I am stocking up on some strong migraine medicines before we leave the country. 🙂
September 23, 2022 at 02:47
Wow, WOW, and wow again, Liesbet. I’m not surprised that was one of your favourite hikes.
I am so sorry to hear you were unwell. The good thing about altitude is that if you acclimatise, the acclimatisation lasts for a long time, so I hope that your reaction lessens as you continue your trip. There’s a little bit about it here on a guest blog I wrote for a ski site. https://ratoong.wordpress.com/2020/06/01/how-summer-in-a-ski-resort-will-improve-your-skiing/
September 23, 2022 at 14:31
Hi Jackie,
When we reach the mountains of South America, especially in Peru and Bolivia, we will take it slow and only climb a few thousand feet a day. I’ll prepare for headaches and drinking loads of water. There’s nothing else I can do. Good to know that once acclimatized, it lasts a while. The trick is to head down again when I feel too shabby. Luckily, we have time. 🙂
I tried to go to your article, but on my computer it said I didn’t have access to the site and on my iPad, it says this WordPress blog doesn’t exist anymore. No worries. I’ll undoubtedly will do a bit more research into altitude sickness before jumping off.
September 25, 2022 at 03:30
How strange. I accessed it myself the other day! I’ll check and I might put the content back on to my own blog if that’s the case.
It sounds like you’ve got the right idea. It’s just an unfortunate thing that some people are more prone to altitude sickness than others, but since you can take your time, hopefully, you can minimise the effects and still enjoy the top of the world.
September 25, 2022 at 03:36
I’ve just gone over to Ratoong and they have deleted the site!
I will definitely put the content on my own blog, then. That’s the trouble with guest blogs. You spend all that time crafting the perfect piece then they go and delete it.
Thanks for letting me know, Liesbet!
September 25, 2022 at 04:12
If you’re interested, here it is in all its glory on my site now! 🙂 https://worldwidewalkies.blog/2020/06/07/how-summer-in-a-ski-resort-will-improve-your-skiing/
September 30, 2022 at 21:32
Thanks for going through the effort of creating the post again (for me), dear Jackie. I look forward to reading it one of these days. You are a woman of action! I don’t know how you find time for it all while fulltime traveling – with four dogs, and a husband! Look at me in comparison… It almost took me a week to reply to your comments. I almost forgot I had a blog! Tsk. It’s been busy in this part of the world and weeks fly by as if they are days.
September 30, 2022 at 21:28
I’m sorry they deleted the post, Jackie. It seems like their entire website is having issues. And, I agree with you about guest blogs… If it brings me a bit of promotion temporarily, then fine. But I’ve written posts as well (not related to my book), as a favor or because I was asked, and some of those posts are now gone as well. One blogger moved her blog over to a different server and decided to not copy my contribution over. Not relevant or interesting anymore. Oh well. The biggest issue is that I – like you – have links to those posts on my own blog and those are now dead. Not professional…
September 30, 2022 at 21:25
I’m hoping so. Time is money – but in an opposite way for us. The slower we go, the more money we save and the more comfort we reach. 🙂
September 23, 2022 at 08:53
Liesbet, you have brought me to yet another beautiful place that I will never venture to, and I am grateful for your bold, adventurous spirit. What pristine beauty you have captured and shared.
Maya on the ice would have freaked me out. I am sorry you suffered consequences from the elevation, but as you said, ‘it was worth it.’ Is there any way to ‘gradually’ acclimate to your new destination?
September 23, 2022 at 14:36
Hi Suzanne,
I’m glad you liked the photos. It was difficult to make a selection.
It doesn’t happen often anymore that we are impressed by scenery. We might be too spoiled. But the maintains in this area were magical. Just like in Colorado. Discovering ice and snow was a bonus, especially since all the snowy peaks I noticed and became accustomed to early in summer had disappeared when I flew back from Belgium early August.
Yes, we will have to gradually climb to our high-elevation destinations in South America. For a day hike, this isn’t possible, but for long exposure to high altitude, we will have to “plan” and progress accordingly. The rest of the year will be spent at sea level, though. 🙂
September 23, 2022 at 15:21
I appreciate the photos. All day long I’ve been reading words, words, words–my own and others. By the way, I don’t think your migraine predicts what will happen in SA. Thanks for the bit of “armchair anthropology” via visuals today, Liesbet. 😀
September 30, 2022 at 21:18
Hi Marian,
I’m glad you enjoyed the nature photo galleries. I hope you’ve made a bunch of editing progress this last week. I’m trying to cut computers and devices out of my life a bit more. Part of me craves and wants to write and blog more, but a bigger part of me wants to experience the real world – on the road – which is challenging and time consuming enough.
September 24, 2022 at 06:16
Those pictures certainly are stupendous! Wonderful hike, but I’m so sorry you got ill at the end.
September 30, 2022 at 21:21
Hi Anabel,
Mark often says “I don’t know why you keep doing this to yourself.” Thing is that I’m a person who hates missing out on beauty and spectacular experiences. I have to constantly weigh the pains and the rewards and decide if these hikes are worth the discomfort.
September 24, 2022 at 19:34
Wow, what stunning views! Your headache/vomiting sounds awful, though – if that had happened to me, I’m not sure I’d be able to say “It was worth it.” Hope you’re all better now!
September 30, 2022 at 21:24
Hi Diane,
I have come to realize – especially after sticking to this lifestyle for so long – that I can handle a lot of discomfort and challenges compared to the usual person. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be doing this nomadic thing anymore. Mark’s favorite quote these days is: “That’s why people live in houses.”
Often, when I hear somebody complain about one certain thing that went wrong during their week/month, I realize stuff like that happens to us often, sometimes on a daily basis. No pain, no gain, I guess. 🙂
September 25, 2022 at 10:41
I love hiking over snow on warm, sunny, blue sky days… it’s so much fun for the dog, but also enjoyable for us. The views were certainly stunning!
Sorry about your migraines. As someone who has gotten them occasionally since I was a child (once or twice a year), I feel for people who suffer from them chronically. They can be so completely debilitating and it usually takes me a day or two to feel completely back to normal. Hopefully you’ll be able to acclimate nice and slowly when you’re in SA and can avoid some of the worst effects.
September 30, 2022 at 21:39
Hi Laura,
I’m sorry to read that you occasionally suffer from migraines as well. I only wish them for my worst enemies. Yet, the only people who can relate or even understand what they feel like are people who have suffered from them as well.
When I was in my thirties – pre-migraine time – I remember spending time with a friend who suffered from them regularly. Just witnessing how debilitating it was for her – a single mom with two teenagers trying to make ends meet as a writer and author – I thoroughly hoped I’d never have to experience them. But now I do. I’ve thought about that friend a lot, recently.
People tell me it’s hormonal. Let’s hope so, as that would mean there is something positive about menopause!
September 25, 2022 at 22:42
Wish we’d had time for that hike last week! We knew about it but only had a few days in Bend and did others that didn’t require permits. Did you get to Smith Rock by any chance? Gorgeous hiking there.
September 30, 2022 at 21:47
Hi Lexie,
No, we didn’t get to Smith Rock in Bend. We only did this hike, other than a visit to Sisters, some waterfalls, and a quick exploration of Bend itself. You have to get lucky with the permits… It’s pretty much impossible to pick the day you want to go hiking. Usually, people snatch an available permit first and then, obviously, decide to go hiking that day.
September 26, 2022 at 15:27
Gorgeous pics. Arg, sorry to hear about your ailment. I hope it isn’t Covid! Are you feeling better? <3
September 30, 2022 at 21:49
Hi Debby,
I think Mark and I are in the minority regarding Covid. We don’t think we’ve had it yet. I’m getting pretty good at predicting and recognizing migraines these days. Luckily, they only last a few hours (with the right meds), so I usually feel better the next day and totally fine the following one.
September 26, 2022 at 21:55
What a beautiful place! Love the photos!
September 30, 2022 at 21:50
Thanks, Debra. I don’t have much time to write these days, so photo blogs are the answer. Or skipping another week, because time – really – flies by way too fast. I hope the book release is going splendidly.
September 29, 2022 at 09:18
Beautiful scenery, Liesbet. I’m sorry to hear about your migraine. I’ve seen travellers who get very sick at high altitude and the worst part is they still have to travel to get back down to where they stay.
September 30, 2022 at 21:52
Hi Natalie!
Yeah, it’s not fun to feel this way. But sleeping at a lower elevation than where you hiked is a good thing. It always takes a few hours for altitude sickness to lessen and sometimes the only solution is getting to much lower elevations.
September 30, 2022 at 16:57
Once again my comment didn’t post. I don’t remember what the error message was this time. Oh well, I will try again.
What a beautiful hike. I love the ice floes. We were going to kayak on a lake like this in Alaska – full of icebergs. But it was way too cold – and of course, raining. I think it would have been fun to float between the ice. Walking on it – not so much. Poor Maya falling in.
I hate that you got sick! You shouldn’t feel embarrassed. But I realize it must be frustrating. Walking/hiking is so basic. I hope you can get some medicine that will help.
September 30, 2022 at 21:56
Hi Duwan,
I’m so sorry to read about your failed commenting again. I don’t know what’s going on. This is so frustrating. Other people are able to leave comments. Of course, some might just give up, so thanks for persisting. I thought it had to do with you being in Canada before. I don’t think Georgia is on the “trouble list” with WordPress…
I wish you could have kayaked on that glacier and iceberg lake in Alaska, although I would worry about falling in. One of the beauties of this particular hike in a way, was it being hot out. That’s the only way I’m able to deal with snow and ice! 🙂
October 3, 2022 at 06:38
So sorry to hear about the sickness you suffered after that incredible hike into what I can only say is stunning scenery, Liesbet.
How hot was the weather that day? I see you had a sunhat on, but seeing snow in some of the photos made me think it must have been cooler, otherwise that snow would have melted?
I love how fresh and clean your photos look. It looks like a part of the world I’d enjoy visiting.
October 3, 2022 at 12:25
Hi Hugh,
The scenery in the mountains was stunning. It had been a long time since we have had views like this.
In the valley, where we left from, temperatures rose to the lower nineties that day, but on the trail it was probably upper seventies or lower eighties. The effort and the altitude made us sweat more than the heat of the suns. It was actually a pleasant hiking day weather wise, at this altitude. I guess some of the snowy patches are so thick they never melt.
October 4, 2022 at 06:40
That ice must be very thick…and cold to stick around in temperatures like that, Liesbet. I wonder what mid-winters are like there?
I hope the hike got you prepared for your trip to South America.
October 4, 2022 at 12:22
Hugh, I don’t even want to imagine how cold it gets in the mountains here, mid-winter. The ranger we met on this day (checking permits and such) had been there since 6am and mentioned it was freezing. And that was mid-summer, before the sun came up.
I would need tons of hikes like these to prepare me for South America, which won’t happen and we will be off sooner than later. I’ll take it as it comes, one hike at a time, one 1000ft altitude increase at a time. 🙂