Note to Reader: The videos in this series were captured during my 1,000-mile hiking quest in the summer of 2024. You can read more about that journey in my upcoming book The Woman on the Ferry: A Journey of 1,000 Miles to Redefine Success and Discover Joy.
The Rogue River winds through southern Oregon like a mischievous thread—sometimes charging in wild rapids, other times easing into calm, glistening passages. It’s a magical river, and the trail that shadows it? A hiker’s dream.
On this quiet morning, a short distance from my campsite in Prospect, Oregon, I stumbled into something extraordinary—Takelma Gorge, a half-mile long, 150-foot deep slot canyon where the Rogue River squeezes through ancient basalt lava flows. Locals call it “the Fishhook” for the sharp bend in the river. It’s easy to see why.
The gorge was carved in the aftermath of Mt. Mazama’s eruption—the same explosion that created Crater Lake nearly 8,000 years ago. Lava and ash poured into this valley, reshaping the land and leaving behind this stunning chasm.
I hiked in from Woodruff Bridge on the Upper Rogue River Trail, a quiet 3-mile stretch shaded by pine and lined with volcanic rock. I had the place to myself—just me, the birdsong, and the deep whoosh of the Rogue crashing through the gorge. I picked up a lava rock, held it in my palm, and marveled at how something so destructive gave birth to this raw beauty.
Now I invite you to step away from your screen for just one minute. Watch. Listen. Breathe.
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