The Sierra Club Outings program is being revived in Central Oregon!

We are looking for a cadre of fun-loving and reasonable folks to lead trips into the wilds of the mountains, sage covered hills, canyons, lava fields, lakes, and other important environments in our region and throughout Oregon.

To be a Sierra Club Trip Leader you need be a member of the Sierra Club, be certified in basic first aid and complete this free Outdoor Leadership Training course along with a first trip with other club leaders. We will help you gain the skills to take people into the wilds of Central Oregon.

Questions? Want more information?

Contact: Kelly Smith, Juniper Group Outings Chair, kayakkel@gmail.com, 541-788-8828

About Our Schedule

Our hikes are publicized on our Sierra-Club-Juniper-Group Meetup site. Our leaders' personal schedules change as the year progresses and the snowmelt is unpredictable some years, so we are planning only a few months ahead. Since the schedule is and will remain a work in progress, you will need to keep checking there for the current schedule.

Is the Hike Appropriate for You?

It is important that you evaluate whether this outing is appropriate for you. We have rated them from Easy to Difficult using our experience as hikers and the ratings in the hiking guide books referenced. If your hiking experience is limited, several miles and several hundred feet of elevation gain may be more of a challenge than you expect, so be conservative with yourself in signing up for hike to avoid disappointing the other hikers. For more information about the nature of the hike, many of the hikes reference a published hiking guide book. Any medical conditions should be discussed with the Leader. 

Children

If you are thinking of bringing children, please inform the hike leader and have a discussion about the appropriateness of the hike for your children. Note that Sierra Club has additional liability waiver forms to be signed for children (see below).

Dogs

Most of our leaders have decided not to allow dogs on their hikes. Those hikes OK for dogs are marked "OK for dogs." Our leaders are not "anti-dog", in fact most of them are dog lovers or owners. But while trail experienced dogs can be a delight to have along, we have found many dog owners do not have an impartial evaluation about their dog's state of trail training and are not willing to discipline their dog when it is infringing on other hikers' right to a pleasant experience. In addition, too many dogs on one hike, however well trained, can be an unpleasant experience for everyone (including the dogs). If you would like to bring a dog on a hike marked "OK for Dogs", please contact the trip leader so we know how many are dogs are signed up.

Contact the Leader

You must contact the Leader by email or phone to confirm your attendance and and learn the meeting time and location prior to the hike. We intentionally do not publish that information publicly to allow us to know who and how many are participating. Leader contact information is available on our Contacts page. Group hikes in the Three Sisters, Waldo Lake Wilderness Areas, and now the Badlands Wilderness, are limited to 12 persons in a group by Forest Service and BLM rules. Given the uncertainty of the weather in Central Oregon and the Cascades, plans may change at the last minute, so we need to be able to get in touch with you. We will meet at a designated time and location to car pool to the trailhead. Plan to reimburse your driver $3 to $5 for gas, depending on length of the drive. Also, if you are time constrained for the day, discuss this with the trip leader when you sign-up to ensure you are not unduly constraining the other hikers. On some hikes there are options to extend the hike or take side trips, and we usually stop on the way home for refreshments and some social time. Wear comfortable boots (a must) and several clothing layers to accommodate changing weather conditions.

Legal Stuff

Before we depart the trailhead, we will need you to sign the Sierra Club Sign-in Sheet and Liability Waiver. Also, if there are children in your party, we will ask the accompanying adult to sign an Individual Liability Waiver for Minors. And, although most of our hikes are short day hikes, we may still be a few hours from emergency medical assistance, so if you have a significant medical problem, please let us know. We may ask you to fill out our Medical Form so we are fully aware of your condition and its implications for our planned activities.

Meetup.com

Our hikes are publicized on our  Sierra-Club-Juniper-Group Meetup site. You can sign up for our hikes there using the Meetup system.