​Summer is approaching. And while GoMomGo has tried to make you aware of all the events, farms, and activities to enjoy with your family, it’s also nice to send the kids away for a bit of those long summer days.
 
May I recommend Nearby Nature?

​The Nearby Nature program is currently based at Alton Baker Park, where they are also the park hosts. The program has existed for 24 years. They provide all sorts of classes, events and camps for the city.
 
My son and I went to visit and get a feel for their summer day camps. This is the part of the Learnscape, which encompasses fruit trees, herbs, native plants, and vegetables. 

​Throughout the area are five special gathering places, such as Hazelnut Hollow and The Nest, which serve as home base for the different age groups at camp. 

​Natural shade and tree stumps provide a space for an outdoor theater, a swelling garden provides snacks and learning discoveries, trees beg to be climbed and burrows of mud provide sensory play --mother nature style. 

​There is plenty of unstructured free play, sandbox time, storytelling, art with recyclables, toys of rocks and sticks, and creativity with nature. Children are invited to engage all of their senses as they explore all that Nearby Nature has to offer.

​There are day camps for children age 3-11. The preschoolers stay close to home base and go on a few short nature walks. The 4-5 year olds mosey out to the park, and kids age 6 & up venture out often for field trips, to climb trees, and to scale rock walls.
 
Each class has one paid adult instructor, one adult volunteer, and one teen volunteer. There are a max of 12 kids per camp. There is currently plenty of room in the preschool camps while the elementary age camps are filling up fast.

Nearby Nature also holds events and programs throughout the year. NatureQuest is coming up soon on June 25 from 10am-12pm. The whole family can attend for an outdoor play day in the Learnscape. Build fairy houses, stick forts, sandcastles, and more! Members FREE, non-members $5/family. Pre-register here or by calling 541-687-9699.

​Visit their calendar to read about all of Nearby Nature's offerings!

Well here we are, smack dab in the middle of farm season. Pumpkins and hayrides and corn mazes oh my! I'll give you $20 if you can look at your Facebook feed on a Saturday without scrolling through at least 3 consecutive pumpkin patch photos. Seriously.

So, I'm betting that if you've lived in Lane County for any amount of time, you've been to the top few most popular and hence most crowded farms - Thistledown, Lone Pine, and Detering's. All 3 farms are seriously so lovely. My family visits them multiple times all summer and fall. But if you look a bit further, you can find some lesser known gems, and you will be glad you did. I've heard great things about Johnson's Farm as well as Northern Lights, but I personally haven't made it out to either of those yet. Here's where I HAVE been - Hentze Farms.

Now that I've gone and said it, I sort of want to take it back. Forget you heard that! Don't go there! Because it's such a wonderful, quiet, sweet little spot, and I don't want to have to arm wrestle any of you for parking spaces. Well okay, anyway, you should go there. Here's why: 

• Hentze is a certified century farm. That means that the same family has owned and operated the farm for over 100 years. This means that it's a small, working operation, so they've got actual farm tasks to accomplish. Once while I was buying my honey, the lady had to stop checking me out so she could go chase a goat out of the chicken pen. 
• Speaking of honey. We use a ton of honey at our house - we put it in ALL the things. Hentze sells honey that is made by bees on their farm and then processed locally. It is sooooo yummy, and very reasonably priced. Pick up a jar when you're there. 
  
• The owners are super laid back. This farm is their home - and they are just so friendly and welcoming. The first time we went to pick apples, about 2 years ago, they handed us some buckets, waved in the general direction of the trees, and cut us loose. Very casual, which I feel like is awesome when you're wrangling kiddos. 
  
• There are all sorts of fun animals to watch. They've got chickens, cows (loud cows!), goats, and more. They even have a pair of peacocks. So cool right? 
• Check out the farm equipment they have inside the farm stand building. It's real, working machinery that processes cherries, nuts, and more. If you're lucky, you'll see them running it. Go ahead, try and find something more impressive to a 5 year old. 
  
• If you hurry up and go this week, you can catch a hayride out to the pumpkin patch.
• If you make applesauce, which you will after the tutorial that I'm posting in a week or so, you have to go out to Hentze and pick apples. I didn't look at the prices for U-Pick this year yet, but last year it was $0.33/pound. That is insanely cheap. And making applesauce is the easiest way to feel like a homesteader. 
• In case your littles are interested in feeding the animals, there are little cups of feed for sale inside the farm stand.
• There are lots of old tractors scattered around - my boys LOVE to sit on them and pretend to plow ye olde crops and such. :) 
• Particularly as we get deeper into rainy season, be sure to dress your littles in boots and layers, because they will get pretty messy. Bring an extra change of clothes. 

So there you go! Hentze is only open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and on December 24 they close until June. I think Fridays, especially in the morning, are a great time to go. If you are looking for a laid back and super fun way to spend a few hours, please go check them out. Just don't buy up all my honey or take my parking spot. :) 

The Essentials
Parking: Plenty of free parking
Food: There are picnic tables, so bring some cheese and meat and crackers from home and plan on buying some fruit and having yourself a perfect little picnic. 
Resting/Nursing Spots: There are hay bales and picnic tables scattered around.
Push/Wear: If you're planning on heading out to the orchards to pick apples, I would wear your little. If you have a pretty tough stroller, something like a BOB, that could work too. But it's muddy in spots - so beware. 
Restrooms: Yep
Time Frame: At least an hour or two

Get There
30065 Hentze Lane
Junction City
97448

Happy Adventuring!

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Megan Defferding is the mom to two super fun boys who love to find great stuff to do all around Lane County! Check out her blog series, Happy Adventuring, weekly on GoMomGo.

Folks, it's August. The end of summer is near. This is both good and bad. Good because school starts again (hello structure, we've missed you so), and scarves and boots and everything pumpkin. Bad because the water in the parks gets turned off and you're stuck inside more often (hello rain, we've missed you too), and some of us become football widows and after a while all the pumpkin everything starts to be a little bit gross. 

However! It's not too late to take advantage of some summer fun. Today I want to share a super fun little afternoon activity that is an excellent "oh gosh what should we do today?" option. 

So the Eugene Saturday Market has a much smaller market on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The location is the same - downtown in the park blocks near 8th and Oak, and it opens at 10:00 am. Here's what we've been doing: we park halfway between the market and the Eugene Public Library downtown branch, which is on 10th between Olive and Charnelton. Think Broadway, from about Charnelton to High. Once we've parked, we spend time at both places - the library and the market. It makes for a really lovely afternoon!

Some thoughts:
Tuesday mornings are the story time for two year olds at the downtown library. There are two chances to catch it: 10:15 and 11:00. If you've got a two year old (blessings unto you) that works perfectly! If not, the library still has lots of fun stuff to check out. - Thursdays are story times for one year olds. Same times as above. - Just for future reference, Wednesdays are for preschoolers and Fridays are for babies under one year old. :) - The Tuesday and Thursday markets don't run all year long. Be sure to check the website below for dates.  - There have been several different food carts at the market when we've been there. These make for such a fun lunch! We've also gotten pizza at Sizzle Pie, which is a super affordable option. We've also packed a picnic lunch and eaten it on the grass at the market.- Next Tuesday, August 11th, is the downtown library's last summer reading program. Nearby Nature is presenting animal-inspired stories and hands on art. There are two chances to catch this: 1:00 and 3:00. Fine print: These programs fill up really fast. You can pick up free tickets starting 30 minutes before the event begins. Be sure to do that. Then be prepared to sit on the floor - the room is mostly floor space with a few rows of chairs in the back. The aisle is narrow and they want people to stay seated. This is not a great choice for wiggly toddlers. - Since the market is open on Saturdays too, this makes for an awesome family date. The library even has a family story time each Saturday at 10:15. Hit the story time, check out a new batch of books for the week, go have lunch at the Saturday Market, grab some veggies to try to entice your children to eat green things, and head home. Doesn't that sound lovely!? - If you're not in a rush, take your time to wander around on Broadway. My four year old loves to just walk up and down the street and look at the people, peek in the windows, and watch the cars and trucks drive by. Lots of wonderful conversation opportunities. - Bring your quarters. Parking on the streets downtown is metered.- Bring a book for yourself. If you're lucky, there will be other littles running around in the outdoor courtyard that's outside of the children's area at the library. The kids can play and you can read and thank your lucky stars that you picked up a latte on the way into the library because this is about as perfect as parenting gets. 
The Essentials:
Parking: I'd say shoot for Broadway on a weekday. On a Saturday? Try the parking garage near 8th and Park. 
Cost: The library is free, and just walking around the market is free as well. 
Food: Pack a picnic or plan on purchasing lunch or snacks. There are lots of options.
Restrooms: Portapotties at the market, flush toilets at the library
Resting/Nursing spots: Lots of benches
Push or Wear: Either one works
Time Frame: Two-ish hours 

Here are the websites: 
Market: http://www.lanecountyfarmersmarket.org/
Library: http://www.eugene-or.gov/library

Is there anything else downtown that you like to do while you're in that area? Please share! 
Happy Adventuring!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Megan Defferding is the mom to two super fun boys who love to find great stuff to do all around Lane County! Check out her blog series, Happy Adventuring, weekly on GoMomGo.

How to Get There:

Take Hwy 126 west toward Florence. At (just before) the Siuslaw Bridge in Mapleton (46 miles from Eugene), leave Hwy 126 and drive south on Sweet Creek Rd for 11 miles to the Homestead Trailhead.

Trail Talk
Hours: None specifically stated
Parking: Well marked parking lot
Passes Needed: NONE
Distance: 2.2 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 350 ft
Bathrooms: Vault Toilet
Trail: Damp dirt trail, wooden bridges, canyon wall “cat-walk”
Mobility: Easy 
Cell Service: None
Potential Dangers: None (unless you wade in the water then the rocks could be slippery and the current could be quick – use caution if you go in the water.)
Safe to Hike Alone: YES
Animals: Dogs must be on a leash

Gear Gab
Carrier: Deuter Kid Comfort II
Shoes: Any
Kid Shoes: Hikers or Keens
Backpack: Small
In the pack: Water & Snacks

What we love about this hike:

• It is short and easy
  
• It is gorgeous
  
• WATERFALLS
  
• Lots of places to sit along the creek
  

Grab a friend and go explore this trail.  Leave a comment when you have gone - I would love to know what you guys thought of this hidden gem!

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Jenna is mama to two awesome kids, a boy & a girl. They explore Lane County's hills & mountains on a regular basis. See all of Jenna's Hike Mom Hike posts here.

Scandi Fest!!! It's almost Scandi Fest time! Raise your hand if you are so excited that you can just hardly stand it!! 

Reasons why the Scandi Fest is the best:
1. It's free.
2. There are vikings.
3. One word: Aebelskivers.
What more could you possibly need? 

The Junction City Scandinavian Festival is celebrating it's 55th year, and it is such a great family event. This year it is August 6-9. The festival celebrates Scandinavian heritage - Finnish, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish. Don't worry - you don't have to be Scandinavian to enjoy this. If you like yummy food, entertaining performances, and beautiful costumes, you'll have a blast. Here's how it works: Junction City closes down traffic on a few streets. These streets fill up with vendors selling food and crafts. There are three stages with all sorts of demonstrations and performances. It is awesome. 

Tips:

• The festival is free, but I promise you won't be able to leave without buying food. Take cash. There's only one ATM nearby, and there's always a huge line.
  
• We usually go in the evening, because that's when my husband is home. Clearly that's how lots of other people do it too, because it is always SLAMMED. If you can, check it out during the day. I bet it would be way easier to navigate. This year I'm planning on taking the boys early in the morning, and hitting the breakfast buffet. Kids ages five and under eat free, and adults are $7. I'm hoping that we can get a wide sampling of food and skip standing in several lines at the booths. 
  
• I love how the festival is laid out: it's laid out over a few city blocks, which means it's a pretty straight shot to walk up one side, back down the other, and feel sure that you saw most everything.
  
• There are lots of parking lots where you can pay to park, but we have never had a problem finding free spots on the street.
  
• If you see the aebleskiver booth without a giant line, go buy some right that second. That line gets out of control super fast.
  
• Once you get food, there aren't really a ton of places to sit and eat. Take your food off of the main street (the one with the windmill in the center) and head to one of the side blocks. There are several small areas with picnic tables, but you have to look for them. 
  
• Go sit at the main stage (it's the one with the bleachers) and check out some of the dancing. It's pretty impressive! 
  
• Be sure to take water bottles from home, unless you want to pay a buck or two for a bottle from a vendor. 
  
• Even when we've visited the festival at it's busiest, it's been okay to take a stroller. You'd probably be able to move faster without one, but who wants to be in a hurry at a festival? 
  

The Essentials
Parking: Plenty, both free and paid
Cost: Free!
Food: So much food. 
Restrooms: There are several portapotties scattered around, as well as some flush toilets in some of the buildings.
Resting/Nursing spots: Behind the vendor booths/in front of the buildings, there are some benches. There are picnic tables scattered around as well. 
Push or Wear: Either one works. 
Time Frame: At least an hour.

The Details
Where: Junction City, about 15 miles north of Eugene on Highway 99. Once you drive in to Junction City you can't miss it, but specifically it's centered around 6th & Juniper with many blocks shooting off from there.
When: Thursday, August 6 - Sunday, August 9, 10am-10pm every day.
click here for specific hours & schedule of events. Each day has a different theme & it's just so fun!
How Much: Free entry, free dancing, performances & demonstrations. The meat pies & Fri-joes will cost you (but they're so worth it!).

Happy Adventuring! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Megan Defferding is the mom to two super fun boys who love to find great stuff to do all around Lane County! Check out her blog series, Happy Adventuring, weekly on GoMomGo.

This was a beautiful hike.  Easy, rolling, four mile out and back trail. I HIGHLY recommend this hike.  The boys also recommend this hike.  Anyone else done this and have tips or tricks?  Post here! I want to hear them!

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Jenna is mama to two awesome kids, a boy & a girl. They explore Lane County's hills & mountains on a regular basis. See all of Jenna's Hike Mom Hike posts here.

This week we are taking a visit to what might be Lane County's newest park. Not only is it brand spanking new, but it is just so gosh darn cool. Make a list of all of the positive adjectives you would use to describe a park that you luuuuuhve. This park is all of those things! Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I give you...

Quartz Park
2300 S. 60th St. 
Springfield, OR 97478

So let's hear it for the Thurston Crew! Way back a million years ago when I first started teaching, I worked in Thurston, and it was a delight to be a new teacher in that community. I absolutely love Springfield. There are so many good things happening there! Also, I might be alone in this, but the smell of the mills around the 42nd Street exit on 126? I sort of love it. Also Chicken Bonz. Oh, Chicken Bonz. You have my heart.

Anywho. Quartz Park is gigantic, and I promise that you can take any kid, any age, any interest, and they will be thrilled. Here's the rundown:

The stuff we love:

• The ground is made of rubber tiles. This is awesome and the best because it means there are ZERO BARK CHIPS. 
  
• There is a sand box. Now, normally, I think sand is the worst. However, this sand is okay because guess what? There are dinosaur bones buried underneath it! The other day I was there with a little friend who was so entertained by the mere thought of dinosaur bones that he just kept pulling out sticks and rocks and leaves and calling them dinosaur neck bones and nose bones and toe bones. It was a total hoot. This sand has the potential to keep your littles occupied for at least two chapters of your book club book.
  
• The play area is totally surrounded by grass and basketball court. This makes it nearly impossible for a kiddo to slip to the parking lot unnoticed. 
  
• There are two play structures. Well, sort of. There's one small one for the littlest littles. And then there's a whole giant area for bigger kiddos - it might be several structures or maybe just one humungous one? I'm not really sure. I really like having options.
  
• At the front of the park, near the small play structure, there are some musical instrument panels that are super cool to interact with. 
  
• This is genuinely well thought out, purposefully designed play equipment. Kids really have to think about how to use it. Lots of chances for imagination and innovation. 
  
• Such a beautiful setting! You get to enjoy fields and hills and all sorts of prettiness.
  
• Speaking of hills, there are some sweet slopes for kids to chase each other up and down. 
  
• The basketball court has hoops that are adjustable! So don't forget your ball!
  
• There's a paved path that's perfect for wheeled adventures.
  
• Lots of grass
  
• Drinking fountain 
  
• It's never very crowded when we visit. As much as I love having other kids at playgrounds for my littles to interact with (because, hello, book club), sometimes it's nice to not have to wait for swings or attempt to convince your three year old that they can't monopolize the truck that some other kid brought. 
  
• Several benches and picnic tables, although they're only at one end of the park.
  
• Even though the play space is super big, it's designed in a really open way which makes it easy to see your littles even if they're way across the space. 
  

The stuff we don't love so much:

• Getting there is confusing. Whoa. 
  
• Zero shade. Bring your sun hats and your sunscreen and your sun umbrellas and your sun repellant. Ugh. 
  
• One lonely garbage can, at the far side of the park. That's just asking to find juice boxes and string cheese wrappers stashed under the slide. 
  
• The play area is set really far back from the parking lot. Yes, I realize that I listed that earlier as a good thing. However, when you're hauling your giant bag of park necessities or heaven forbid, a toddler in full melt down mode, that is a long, long walk. 
  
• No bathrooms. Well, usually there are no bathrooms. But I was there a few weeks ago and there was a port-a-potty, and I was pumped! Warning! This is maybe a summertime only bonus, because Willamalane is using this park for one of their drop in summer play spots (Check out this post for more info on that). Not really sure. But enjoy it while it lasts! 
  

The Essentials
Parking: A smallish, free lot
Cost: Free!
Food: Take your picnic, yo
Restrooms: Ummm maybe? 
Resting/Nursing Spots: Benches and picnic tables and lots of grass
Push or Wear: Hmm. If you have a giant bag, I'd say push, just so you can store all your stuff somewhere and not have to lug it plus the baby. 
Time Frame: At least an hour

Get out there to the 97478 and check it out! 
Happy Adventuring! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Megan Defferding is the mom to two super fun boys who love to find great stuff to do all around Lane County! Check out her blog series, Happy Adventuring, weekly on GoMomGo.

Fanfare! Drum rolls! Cutting of ribbons and such! Summer has officially arrived, because the city has turned the water features on at the parks! Which means the next three months of your life will be filled with dumping sand out of shoes and trying to fit your four year old in a pair of 24 month shorts because the ones that fit him got wet and you really need to go into Costco because for some reason your family is constantly demanding to be fed. So, to kick things off, why don't we take a look at one of my family's favorite parks. It's probably one you hang out at too.  

Oakmont Park
2295 Oakmont Way 
Eugene, OR 97401

This park is super popular, and I think there are 3 reasons why: 
1. It's centrally located.
2. Hello you can walk to Starbucks!
3. It's actually a really great park. 

Here's what we like:
- There is a very fun little pretend house that is always a hit.
- Great water features - both a small spray and play to run in and a pouring/pipe system near the sand
- Lots of shade
- A great play structure 
- Lovely hills all around - perfect for running out the crazies!
- It's set pretty far from the road
- Surrounded by a nice paved trail for bikes and other wheels
- Water fountain
- A few garbage cans
- A fun little patch of bushes that makes little kids feel like explorers
- Sand. I can't stand the stuff but it sure keeps littles busy. Have we talked about the magic of baby powder? I can't remember. Anyway, put a shaker of baby powder in your bag. Shake it all over those sandy hands and feet, and the sand will wipe right off. Easy peasy. 
- There's a basketball hoop, so you can rock a game of horse if you have big kids!

Here's what we don't so much like: 
- No bathrooms
- Parking is sort of a pain - you have to cross a pretty busy street if there aren't any open spaces right in front of the park (there are crosswalks but no light to guarantee you the right away) 
- I feel like the structure isn't super accessible for really small ones. There is a very steep bridge and an equally steep tunnel that can be slightly intimidating. That being said, we've been going to Oakmont since my biggest boy could walk, and he's never complained. :) 

Thought of the day: You know that bag that you're always hauling to the park? The overflowing tote with the snacks and the sunscreen and the hats and the shovels and the wipes? Okay, well I've been using a canvas bag that was super handy because it had a zipper, which meant that when it tipped over, all the stuff wouldn't come tumbling out. However, it was so little! Way too small to fit all of the stuff that littles require for a long afternoon at the park. So a friend of mine brilliantly shared that she uses an IKEA bag. You know, one of those huge blue plastic ones? (Note: It's officially called FRAKTA which is not only an entertaining thing to say but also 99 cents!) So now that's what I do, and I LOVE it. It doesn't matter if the bag gets wet or sandy. It's giant, so you won't leave anything behind. And even though it's so big that you sort of have to dig to find what you want, it opens up so widely that it's not really a problem. Try it!

The Essentials: 
Address: Oakmont Park, 2295 Oakmont Way, Eugene

Parking: Free street parking. Sometimes when it's super crowded you have to park just a bit down the street. 

Cost: None

Food: Also none. Pack some up in your IKEA bag. ;)

Resting/Nursing spots: There is plenty of shade, and a few benches and picnic tables. Lots of good options!

Bathrooms: Nope

Time Frame: A few hours, no problem

Happy Adventuring! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Megan Defferding is the mom to two super fun boys who love to find great stuff to do all around Lane County! Check out her blog series, Happy Adventuring, weekly on GoMomGo.

Here I thought I was being so helpful in getting new Mama hikers out and conquering new heights, and they go and periodically close Spencer Butte.  Drat.  So let’s mosey on over to the other hill, er, mountain in our area.  

 The Howard Buford Recreation Area is a 2363 acre park that consists of 17 miles of trails.  There are seven official trails but for today we will be on Trail #1: Beistel’s West Summit Trail.  To learn more about the other 6 trails, click here.

From the parking lot, the park is very well marked and laid out.  The West Summit Trail, which we will be traversing, is immediately above you. (This is where the daily parking fee station is located as well.) You will immediately see lots of hikers going to and from here.  You can’t miss it.  There is a big gate that seems to be always closed – you just walk around it.

 If you aren’t ready to start your upward journey just yet, you can walk straight across a cute little bridge and find the bathrooms, the rental facilities, and a few of the other (flatter) trails. There is also an unofficial swimming spot that my kids LOVE. Disclaimer: It is a free running river so swim at your own risk. Also there’s potential toxins. The sign is clear enough.

So here’s what you need to know:

I have done this hike a dozen or so times since being a Mama. I have taken an infant in the front pack, a toddler in both the kid pack and the Ergo, and I have made the boy walk since he was about 4 ½.  This was the first time I made my bug walk it by herself – at not quite 4.  I wanted to know if she could walk it alone to be able to share with all of you. The answer is, yes she can (and she’s SO proud), but it was ROUGH. To be fair, she was awake about 2 hours earlier than normal this day, and she was very tired, and it was pushing dinner but oh the whining. But the way up wasn’t the worst part for me – heading down was super hard for her.  She was slipping and sliding and fell multiple times.  Holding my hand may have been making it worse as then her shoulder was getting pulled and she kept falling forward on her knees.  So she was in tears, her knees bleeding, and she was begging to go home. If you have in-betweeners like her (too big to really pack up, too little to do this well) I would highly recommend taking another way.  If you have all the time in the world to go super slow and stop often, heck, don’t let me stop you.  I for one, will be either packing her for a heavy workout out, or waiting to try it again until next year.

Things we love: 
· Distance wise, it’s not a very long hike but you still get a good workout.

· The views from the top are spectacular.  You can see the whole valley and surrounding mountain ranges.  

· It can be a very quick destination hike to the top OR a meandering family hike around the other trails.  

· There are ALWAYS friendly people there to help and because there is an arboretum there as well, I feel that there is always someone around in case of emergencies.  

· The bench – which I often use as bribery.  You know, “When we get to the bench, you can rest…When we get to the bench, we will eat our snacks….Let’s just hike to the bench!” God bless this bench.

Things we don’t love as much: 
· How hot and relatively steep the first part is.  This makes it hard to convince my littles that they want to do this hike with me. (The boy is much happier with switchbacks or winding trails rather than up – turn – up some more.)

· The crowds – It can be VERY busy and because it is so out in the open, it feels more congested. In the summer there are often weddings taking place as well.  Not on the summit trail, obviously, but it can make for difficult parking and a feeling that you are invading a private party when walking around.

· The trail - this does not feel like being out in nature (another thing that motivates my little to hike). It feels like walking up a long, steep driveway. So if lush Oregon green is what you’re looking for, stick to the bottom trails.

 I have been winding my way around these trails since high school. It is definitely a place worth checking out and revisiting.  There’s lots to see and do and experience out there.

Trail Talk
Hours: Dawn to Dusk 

Parking: Large parking lot right at the base of the trail

Parking Fee: $4/day or purchase a Lane County Parks Annual Pass for $40 (discounts available for seniors and military personnel)

Distance: 2.8 miles round trip

Elevation Gain: 1050 feet

Bathrooms:  Full flushing, running water

Trail: Well-groomed gravel and dirt trail

Mobility: Moderate

Cell Service: Yes

Potential Dangers: LOTS of poison oak/ivy

Safe to Hike Alone: YES

Animals: YES! Both dogs (on a leash) and horses (on specified trails)

 Gear Gab
Carrier: Ergo or Hiking pack 

Shoes: Any – I have hiked this in running shoes and Chacos (the gravel can get in your sandals, though, so use caution with sandals)

Kid Shoes: Keen Hikers

Backpack: Only for snacks 

In the pack: water and snacks
 
Have a great hike!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jenna is mama to two awesome kids, a boy & a girl. They explore Lane County's hills & mountains on a regular basis. See all of Jenna's Hike Mom Hike posts here.

I’ve decided we should start our hiking adventures together right here in town.  Don’t worry adventurous hiking Mamas, we will travel to new places, but for now, let’s stick with what we know and encourage new hikers or nervous hikers to get out on the trail.  Without further ado, Spencer Butte.
Having grown up here, I am no stranger to this trail.  I hiked it as a kid myself, and have found my way to the top many times.  Hiking it as a Mama, is a new challenge, but one that can be easily accomplished.  

(THIS IS NOT RIDGELINE TRAIL – WE WILL EXPLORE THAT ON ANOTHER DAY)

Trail Talk:
Hours: 6:00 am – 11:00 pm
Parking: Large parking lot right at the base of the trail
Distance: 2.16 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 700 feet
Bathrooms: Port-a-potty at base of trail
Trail: Well-groomed dirt trail, rock scramble just before the summit
Mobility: Moderate (if you are unable to take bigger steps or do squat/lunge –type movements, the last bit of the hike will be very difficult.)
Cell Service: Spotty
Potential Dangers: POISON OAK, Rattle Snakes (which my father always warned me about and I NEVER believed him, until I saw one myself a few years ago)

Gear Gab:
Carrier: Ergo
Shoes: Nike Terra Kiger (trail runners)
Kid Shoes: Keen Hikers
Backpack: REI kids pack
In the pack: water, snacks, layers of clothes

I’ve done this hike twice in the last few weeks.  The first time, I went by myself with my two littles. This was the first time I attempted to have my smallest walk on her own.  She was determined to do it all by herself. (I wrapped the Ergo around my waist just in case). The second time, I went with just my smallest and a friend who carried her 2-week old baby in a front pack.

At 3 ½, my bug did a great job! She picked a steady pace and held to it the whole time. No Ergo needed!  The only struggle we had, and which I expected to have, was the scramble at the top.  She isn’t quite big enough or sturdy enough to do it on her own, so with that, I was doing a lot of lifting her up to the next rocky area and then scrambling up on my own and on and on.  The tricky part was keeping an eye on the boy who wanted to be able to just power through, scramble up, and not have to wait for us.

SOMETHING OF NOTE:  At this last part of the hike, height is on your side.  Even though I’m an average 5’6”, I have the world’s shortest legs.  In order to step up at the end, I would need to lean forward, etc. shifting my center of balance which can be particularly tricky with a baby in the front pack or a toddler in the hiking pack. However, when I went with my almost 6’ friend with the world’s longest legs, she just stepped as though it were nothing, keeping her balance perfectly while her 2-week old slept peacefully in her front pack. 

Getting down was also a bit of an interesting endeavor as my 3 & a 1/2 year old doesn’t quite get the concept of gravity or that if she simply steps off the edge she won’t necessarily land on her feet.  There were a few times that I was concerned for her shoulder dislocating while she was holding my hand as she slid/jumped/propelled herself off a rock.

This hike is the perfect place to start if you are unsure about hiking alone with your kids. It’s not too steep, not too long, and just high enough that your kids will feel as though they have conquered Everest.   My kids LOVE this hike.  Gorgeous fir trees keep you shaded for almost the entire trail.  The switchbacks make you feel like you are moving quickly.  The views at the summit are breath-taking. I have never been there when there weren’t plenty of other (friendly) people around to make me feel very safe by myself.

ADVANCED HIKE DISCLAIMER: This is a popular hike to do at sunset. Where it is totally worth it and the views are uh-mazing, your hike down will be DARK. You will definitely want headlamps/flashlights. This is NOT something you want to do if your kids (or you) are afraid of the dark.

NOTE:
There is construction going on at the top of Spencer Butte this spring & summer. It looks like it will be awesome & more accessible when it's done so that's really great. Periodically they will be closing the top for the more intensive construction. Check this link for up-to-date information about closures:
http://www.eugene-or.gov/spencerbutte

Hike Mom Hike!

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Jenna is mama to two awesome kids, a boy & a girl. They explore Lane County's hills & mountains on a regular basis. See all of Jenna's Hike Mom Hike posts here.