Bend, Oregon offers an avid outdoors person an amazing amount of wilderness to explore, weather by bike, foot, snowmoble or 4 wheeling. In my case it’s either of foot or bike. This particular adventure was on foot to the Swampy Lakes area of Bend. To get there you take Cascade Hwy towards Mt. Bachalor. It’s about a 20 min drive to the Swampy Lake Sno – Park. Pull into the car park and head to the trail head.  In the Winter Swampy Lakes is used for Cross country skiing and summer works great for a long hike or bike. Swampy Lakes does not get the foot traffic as some of the other popular trails and so going a short distance you will feel a sense of being in the wilderness. At the start of the trail head there are a few trails you can head to from Swampy Lake, Tangent and the Swede Ridge Loop.  I took the Swede Ridge Loop that started with a slow uphill climb that came to a small ridge and meets with another trail loop. Today is May 27^th and there is still a fair amount of snow on the ground, but I love snow in the spring when the sun is out the sky is blue and the snow is corn soft. Where the trail meets  other trails I take a right over the ridge and still continuing on the Swede Ridge Loop trail.  Swede Ridge starts to slop down into a drainage and opens up to switchbacks great for biking. From here it’s about 2 miles as the post says to the Swede shelter. Cordinates are 44.015N and 121.548W. I think it is further than 2 miles but it is a pleasant hike with lots of shade and not many ups and downs.  If you are looking to beat the crowds then this might be a hike to get away, enjoy and spend some quality time outdoors.   By Sharon Page – May 27th, 2009

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Have you ever been to the desert, if so then you will know that water is everything. Carry enough water for a fulls day’s hike can be challenging at best and since you’ll need at least a gallon a day in the warm months, more at the height of summer, planning a backpacking trip in the desert revolves around the quantity of water that you can reasonably carry and the likely hood of finding additional sources along your route. Don’t count on water being available just because the map shows a spring. You can probably trust people who have actually been there – so long as they were there yesterday, not the week or month before. Even in that case, bring along some extra water.

In an emergency, your map, your eyes are your best ways for finding water. Examine the map not only for springs and streams, but also for man-made structures like wells, cattle tanks and windmills. When you are hiking keep an eye out for bright green vegetation. There may be a spring nearby. Keep an eye out for cottonwoods, sycamores and seep willows growing in dry stream beds. They too may mean water is close at hand. If you find damp sand, dig downwards as may find water further down. Search out places in canyons where flash-flood waters have scoured away the sand and gravel, exposing bedrock. Shallow depressions in the bedrock, called tinajas, may have trapped pools of rainwater.

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If you’re hiking the ridges in hilly terrain, examine the canyon floors for the bright flash of sunlight reflecting in a water-filled pothole. Lava and limestone are porous rocks that often contain springs and a cave neaby. Look for the dark stains and green moss that mark seeps in sandstone cliffs.

In the high desert in the winter months, examine the shady north sides of cliffs where the sun never shines. Lingering snow patches may provide a source of water. Whatever the source, an easily cleaned water filter will not only remove whatever critters may exist, but also the inevitable sand and silt. If you carry a Strei Pen which is a water purifier just carry a coffee filter for cleaning out silt, will save you weight.

Leh is situated between the Tibetan Platetu and the Indus Valley in the province of Ladakh in the region called Jammu and Kashmir. Rising from the valley floor to 11,000ft, the city of Leh is breathtaking has well as stark in contrast almost looking like a moon landscape, until you look out to the high Karakorum range of the Himalayas heading towards China. Leh is called little Tibet and as you head into Leh from the airport you understand why with Buddist temples situated on the side of mountains and the old Leh palace protruding above the city of Leh with Tibetain flags fluttering in the wind and welcoming into the city of Leh.

 Leh is in a sensitive area of Northarn India and one that is still disputed between India, China and Pakistan today. So for a westerner flying into Leh, it is a bit unnverving to see gun turrets looking at you as you get off the plane. The Indian army as a good pressence in Ladakh and controls the area with an iron hand and for good reason. In 1965 China took a good part of Ladkah by force and took the Indian goverment by surprise with the invasion. So for well over two decades the area of Ladkah was closed off from the outside world until 1971 when India opened up the area to tourists. Since 1971 tourusts have flowed into the area and Leh the captial of Ladkah has doubled in size. Even though there are changes happening to this area of the world with a new hydro dam, Ladkah is still a place of living history where Buddists, Kashmiri and Hindu live together in mostly a peaceful harmany.

Leh became the capital of Ladkah in the 17th century when Sengge Namgyal moved his court from the Palace of Shey so that Namgyal could be closer to the silk road trade route. Since then Leh proposed until the closure of the Chinese border in the 1950′s. By closing the border’s to Jammu and Kashmir India unwittling created an area of amazing Buddist culture, rivers that sparkle the color of Jade, mountains that are still wild and the Ladkah people that value harmony with nature.

Leh is a great place to have your base camp to visit other areas of Jammu and Kashmir. There are plenty of things to do and visit in and around Leh and a good place to get used to the altitude of 11,000ft for a few days. The old Buddist stores are a great place to find traditional Tibetian clothing and rugs. There are daily open markets and I mean open so beware of the area I called Goat Alley and stay away during the midday heat. Otherwise you will find an array of spices and fresh Aproacots, Mango and Papaya.

 Leh has many stupas(Buddist Relics and one of the oldest forms of Buddist Architecture) and Gompas(place of mediatian and learning). A great Gompa to see just outside of Leh is the Thikse Gompa of the Gelukpa Order of Buddhism which is a living symbol of Tibetian Buddism and even though there are crumbling buildings the main building has be revived and is a great place to come and see and hear Tibetian prayers.

 Leah, Ladkah is a place that you will never forget and a place that you will find great joy in the simplest of things.