BEND, Ore. — W hen I’m game for an outdoor adventure, I’ve found I haven’t had to look hard to find like-minded, adventurous women in Bend. Most recently, I discovered HikerBabes, a community of diverse and supportive women who love hiking and feel strongly about preserving and respecting the outdoors.
The community was founded in Bend by Monique Redmon but has since spread far and wide, amassing more than 200 chapters globally, including chapters in Canada, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Spain, according its website.
Last month alone, the Central Oregon chapter hosted 15 hikes, sometimes on consecutive days, and, in one instance, two on the same day. The abundance of outings of varying locales, distances and times made it easy to find one that fit into my schedule.
A few weeks ago, I joined an excursion up to Chimney Rock in Prineville. The 2.7-mile-out-and-back in the Crooked River Basin is about an hour drive from Bend. It’s best hiked during the winter or fall since it’s mostly exposed and conditions can be unbearably hot during the summer season.
However, in mid-March, we had to negotiate large swaths of mud. It clumped to my boots, and in a few instances, I found myself sliding.
I brought my dog, Juno, along for the journey and we were embraced with open arms by the four other women. We plodded along at a slow, steady pace. At one point, I paused to snap a photo of the Crooked River with peaks rising up on either side. It was then that I noticed the group had stopped to wait for me farther up the trail.
One of the tenets of HikerBabes is that no hiker shall be left behind. This involves waiting at trail junctions, water crossings and other difficult sections along the trail. Ambassador Nicole Phanco was at the helm and kept an eye on the members in the group, making occasional stops for us to take a breather or eat a snack.
“No one ever has to worry about being slow with HikerBabes,” Phanco said.
It was satisfying to reach Chimney Rock, a 30-foot basalt outcrop with sweeping views of the Crooked River Canyon. Below the base of the towering rock was a bench, around which the four of us gathered to enjoy our achievement.
Learn more
Visit HikerBabes at hikerbabescommunity.com or join the Facebook group HikerBabes Community: Central Oregon chapter, to stay in the loop.
It’s required to sign a waiver acknowledging the HikerBabe’s oath, which may be done by commenting on the link to the document listed under the files tab on the Facebook group.
Getting there
From Bend, head east on Highway 20 for 18 miles. Then make a left turn onto Highway 27 toward Bowman Dam and Prineville Reservoir. The trailhead is on the opposite side of the road from the Chimney Rock Campground and there is space for parking on either side.
