Bend, OR

I should have written about Sumpter before now as I have been there before and summer is vastly different than winter. Maybe it is something about old mining towns, on the verge of becoming a ghost town that intrigue me. This time that I went was just recent and with a group of friends from John Day so that we could go snowmobiling. Sumpter in the summer gives much more access to what is really there, what you can’t see beneath the snow. The original gold mining dredge is still there and next to it is the museum and gift shop, all of which are rich with the history of when Sumpter used to boom during the days when gold mining was much more prevalent. While never much interested in digging/mining for gold the dredge was actually pretty cool to wander around. There are some areas that are roped off and you are not allowed to go beyond and it’s those areas and the little closets and hidey holes that I always want to peek into.

The dredge still sits in the river in which it used to dredge. Along this same river is a historic train from the 1900’s, refurbished, in which you can ride and get a real taste of what it was like to be on a train from back then. I didn’t know this but many trains did not have windows at the time. I took the train tour as it wound past old mining sites alongside the river. At the half way point the train stops for a 10 minute break for those who need to use the restroom or stretch their legs. I played on the merry go round myself because it happens to be my favorite of playground toys.

The first time I went to Sumpter I rode my motorcycle and saw great views from almost 9000’ and winding down the mountainside into Sumpter was beautiful. Once in Sumpter it actually was quite busy as I hit it on Memorial weekend and the whole town was full of flea markets, food and other miscellaneous vendors.

This last time in going I got to see the same great views but doused in the winter snow and it was a pristine beauty of nature. Everything felt so untouched it almost reverberated in a feeling of electricity, like something was going on. It was odd but awesome at the same time. We snowmobiled over little bridges and down to Anthony Lake where people were skiing. I wasn’t even aware that downhill skiing existed here. There were people all over.

This is a beautiful and untouched area of backwoods country. While there are a couple of hundred miles of groomed snow mobile trails there are three times as many ungroomed trails and you can wander and fly to your hearts content and all of those rigorous hikes that can be taken in the summer are much faster in the winter.

From La Pine to Sumpter it is 237 miles according to mapquest. I am including the maquest link for directions as it gives an easier route than the one I take.