Backpacker – August 2019

JULY/AUGUST 2019

68 BACKPACKER.COM

No. 9

JUMP INTO THREE POOLS.

Willamette National Forest, OR

YEAH, YOU CAN REACH this trio of pools on the North Fork of the Santiam

River from a parking lot. But splashing into their Caribbean-blue waters from

the surrounding ba sa lt wa lls feels a ll the more refreshing a f ter you ea rn it.

Forgo the overcrowded parking lot and get there on a 2-mile out-and-back

from the Little Nor th Sa ntia m Tra il that traces the opposite ba nks. At the

pools, take the plunge from clifftops that range from mellow to foolhardy.

Swim season June to September Trailhead Santiam River East

(44.8458, -122.2981) Regs $5 parking fee or Northwest Forest Pass

Contact http://www.fs.usda.gov/willamette

No. 8

HIKE TO ELY CREEK FALLS.

Dinosaur National Monument, CO/UT

BIGGER ISN’T NECESSARILY better when it comes to water fa lls, which this 15-footer tucked into a

remote corner of Dinosaur Nationa l Monument proves. Sta nding under the ca scade in summer feels

more like a back ma ssage tha n a knockdown pummeling, a nd the a nk le-high pool at the ba se is sa fe

enough for little ones to join the fun. Better yet? Because there a re only t wo backcountr y sites at the

mouth of Ely Creek, it ’ll feel like your own private water pa rk.

Hit the cascade at the midpoint of the easy, 4.3-mile Jones Hole Trail, which follows Jones Hole

Creek through a gaping, ora nge ca nyon to the Green R iver. Sca n for Fremont pictog raphs a nd petro-

gly phs on the wa lls nea r mile 1.5, then hike a nother ha lf-mile to the ca mpsites at the junction with the

Isla nd Pa rk Tra il. From there, it ’s a .3-mile wa lk west to the fa lls a nd 1.3 miles south to the beaches on

the mighty Green, where bighorn sheep often gather.

Swim season May to September Trailhead Jones Hole Fish Hatchery (40.5886, -109.0586) Regs

Permit required for backpacking (free; obtain at either visitor center). Contact nps.gov/dino

NO. 7

GET

MOTHER

NATURE’S

BEST FACIAL.

“SHOT THROUGH THE HEART,

and you’re to blame!”

Summer brings with it

many lovely noises—twittering

birds, rippling creeks, breezes quaking

through the canopy, humming bugs, and,

if you’re in griz country, the sweet sound

of my singing voice. Ten years in a touring

choir, and now I belt out rock anthems to

save my life.

The aba ndoned river paths of

Canada’s national parks are prime

habitat for grizzly bea rs, a nd that ’s

where I a m, on the Great Divide Trail.

Before my hike, a reluctant ranger

eyed me and my hiking partner and

wa rned, “No huma n should go there.”

We cleared our throats and hiked on,

dodging stea ming, berr y-f illed scat the

whole way. W hen the trail disappea red,

we pushed through drenched willows

where grizzlies most cer tainly live.

But in 700 miles traversing the

Ca nadia n Rockies in midsummer, we

saw just one bea r. We saw plenty of

evidence that this was their home, not

ours, but, equipped with a memor y ’s

worth of sing-alongs, we seemed to

create our own bea r-free zone.

When I walked across Montana years

before, a wildlife ra nger advised, “Bea rs

hate being sta r tled. Sing. Let them know

you’re there.” So I did then, and I do now.

Turns out singing may be the best bea r

deterrent a round—a nd it ’s a lso rea lly

fun. And sounds like summertime.

Summer +Song

By Liz Thomas

Getting a

refresh

Best
Summer
Ever

PHOTOS BY ADAM MOWERY