Sarah Johnson went hiking October 3, 2020 3.5 miles 500 feet gained

Gothic Rock and Metolius Balancing Rocks

2

Spent the weekend in central Oregon on a socially distant camping trip.

We made our basecamp at Steelhead Falls Campground. Our driving time was long, and our hikes short and hot but it was worth it to finally spend some time with friends I hadn't hung out with since the pandemic began.

The evenings were thankfully cool, and full of coyotes howling throughout the night.

Got an eye on a few of the fires burning in the state.

Trail Talk

2 people have hearted this trip.

Jen · October 9, 2020

Green Ridge has had several burns in the last two decades. That formation you are calling Gothic Rock is known to me as "the five-fingered sentinel", it's basalt and completely different than nearby Castle Rock-ashy tuff. The wonderful trails to the south have been overgrown with manzanita after the burn-nightmare bushwacking! But eventually they will return.

Sarah Johnson · October 10, 2020

It was a really cool formation! I'm honestly surprised I can't even find that much information about it online, just a few trips reports from attempts to climb it.