We’re settling back in the routine of school, work, and the myriad of activities that jam each week, just like the rest of Americana, I suppose. Fortunately, the memories of late summer are ready to be recounted in Experiential Passage. For me the next best thing to travel is writing about the adventure. Kind of. Well anyway, that’s the plan for the next several months – sticking close to home and writing about my favorite hobby.
“(S)he decided if (s)he could not travel physically, (s)he would travel mentally.”
~ Graham Greene
I crossed off two goals on my recreation To Do list this summer: the (unofficial) Paulina Plunge and paddleboarding. Paddleboarding is the epitome of enjoying tranquility of water, solitude, and a full-body workout. Plus it’s easy to learn on your own. I’m asking for a paddleboard for my 42nd birthday. Hopefully someone in my family is reading this…
Paddleboarding on the Deschutes River. What a peaceful way to enjoy the water without your rear getting wet and cold!
Back to the unofficial Paulina Plunge. It’s a guided mountain bike excursion that takes riders to a series of natural water slides in Paulina Creek. Paulina Creek flows down Paulina Peak, which juts up almost 8,000 feet in the 17 mile wide Newberry Crater. It’s about a 30 minute drive from Bend in Central Oregon. 
In 2010 Jason and I made reservations to go on The Paulina Plunge for our anniversary, but I came down with bronchitis and we had to cancel. So unfair. But it was worth the wait and even better the way we did it this summer with “the Budge cousins”, as Vivian and William refer to their superstar older cousins….
Jason, William, Vivian, Madison, Courtney, Jessica, and Joe at a Paulina Creek waterfall.
First, a little background about the Joe and Rebecca Budge family. Jason’s sister, Rebecca, her husband Joe, and their four daughters Jessica, Makenzie, Courtney, and Madison are adventurers and travelers in their own right. I have long admired how they take initiative and make things happen for the sake of recreation and adventure. And because they’re a family of six, they’re very industrious finding the most affordable way to have fun.
Madison’s perched on a boulder, surveying the next water slide.
Courtney and Jessica rock the second water slide.
For example, about eight years ago the Budges wanted to go whitewater rafting. But a guided rafting trip was prohibitively expensive for the whole family. What to do? They borrowed a raft from one of Joe’s firefighter friends. Joe, not having any background guiding a raft, but possessing plenty of brawn, outdoor smarts, and confidence, tried out the route himself. No problems occurred, so he led a family raft trip down the Deschutes River. It went so well they went rafting multiple times over the next few summers. Impressive, eh?!
So I wasn’t surprised at Thanksgiving 2010 when the Budges told us that they rode the Paulina Plunge on their own. How? Oh, they did some background research on the trails and mysteriously learned the route (I have been requested by outside influences not to divulge their methods.) The trails and creek are US Forest Service land and belong to the public, and therefore, welcome to anyone and everyone seeking adventures in nature.
Ready to ride and slide!
We were thrilled that our schedules matched up this summer to meet at Sunriver, where the Budges were vacationing, and then caravan to the Newberry Caldera National Monument. It’s a spectacular setting – in fact the photo on Experiential Passage’s banner is from Paulina Peak! Pristine Paulina Creek flows down the mountain into Paulina and East Lakes, which are popular for fishing and camping. There are also lots of hikes and mountain biking trails.
Commanding view of Mt. Bachelor, the South Sister, and Broken Top from the bike trail.
And that was our quest for this summer day….a mountain bike trail that would lead us to natural water slides along Paulina Creek. We kicked up a fair amount of dust and had to walk our bikes occasionally on looser parts of the trail BUT overall it was a slight downhill grade and very un-technical riding. Ideal for mountain biker novices such as ourselves!
Nothing like waterfall rain!
The total ride was about 6 miles and we pulled off the pine-shaded path three times to shoot down the rapids or wade under the waterfalls. On average we hiked about a quarter or half mile to the swimming holes, making it my ideal recreational trifecta: hiking, biking, and swimming. Awesome!
The adrenaline seeker in me did hesitate briefly before our river spree. Were the rocks sharp? How deep was the creek? Was it super cold? It took just a few minutes of watching the broad smiles on Joe and Jessica’s faces as they whooped it up, dunking under the rapids. They spurred me on!
The first slide was a little bumpier than I anticipated. Besides my bum taking a bit of abuse, my hands felt scraped. I finally learned to hold my arms up in the air like a total daredevil, but instinctively I wanted to control the speed and plant my hands beside my hips. It took a few plunges before it dawned on me to just let go!!!
The second slide proved smoother, shorter, and faster. FUN! And submerged each of us with a WHOOSH dip at the base of the slide. We spent the most time here, launching ourselves down the slippery, steely flat rock over and over. What a rush! It took my breath away each time.
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Last waterfall of the day, and they could have splashed till dark.
Experiential Passage 