Arrive at the site between 4 and 4:30 pm after taking time to explore the beautiful countryside between the Columbia River Gorge and Glenwood, WA.

Note: We'll get you settled into your room. You'll have a bit of time to relax or explore the grounds before our 6pm dinner.

Arrive To: Check-in at 4:30 pm in the main Lodge. Park in the corral on your left as you approach the buildings. Staff will help you move your luggage to your room with handy carts. Please do not arrive earlier than 4pm as we will not be ready for you. Dinner will be served in the cook house (first building on your left) at 6pm.

Dinner: Dinner in the cookhouse building. Delicious meals are served family style. We take dinners and breakfasts in the cook house. Lunch is in the field with a sack lunch you make after breakfast each day.

Evening: We gather in the main lodge living room after dinner for introductions and a brief evening program outlining the week ahead and orienting you to the natural history of this part of the world. In an engaging lecture we will provide a framework of understanding for you to build on as we learn about the forests, geology and wildlife - especially the birds! - of the areas in which we will be hiking.

Lodging: Flying L Ranch

Meals Included: Dinner

Birds and plants of a young Ponderosa pine forest in the morning followed by a longer walk in a mature pine forest after lunch. Also a visit to a pioneer cabin.

Note: Morning walks on grounds and afternoon walks on wildlife refuge. Flat terrain, approximately 3.5 miles total distance.

Breakfast: 6:30 am: Optional early morning bird walk. Meet in the main lodge kitchen where a fresh pot of coffee will help you get going! Dress warmly. 7:30 am: Breakfast is served in the cook house family style. Please be on time.

Morning: After breakfast we spend the half the morning on a bird walk on the grounds and half on a flower walk on the grounds.

Lunch: After our morning outing you will prepare your lunch from a sandwich spread set up in the main lodge. Informal seating outdoors or indoors.

Afternoon: A 20 minute drive from our lodge is the Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge. We’ll visit a Pioneer Cabin as well as hike through a mature Ponderosa Pine forest along a beautiful and peaceful trail. Trail is level and approximately three miles round trip. Bird - wise we may encounter Western Tanager, Lazuli Bunting, White-headed Woodpecker, Chipping Sparrow and Yellow-headed Blackbird. From the area around the pioneer cabin we may see Sandhill Cranes or even Roosevelt Elk. Plant-wise we will look for the rare Phantom Orchid and other wildflowers as well as learn about the different layers of forest vegetation. We return to the lodge between 4 and 4:30 pm.

Dinner: Dinner is served family style in the cook house at 6pm. You'll have time before dinner to enjoy the company of your fellow Road Scholars on the lawn along with views of Mt Adams and beverages of your choice. The store in nearby Glenwood offers a good selection of beer, wine and soft drinks.

Evening: We gather in the main lodge living room after dinner to review our species list for plants and birds and a preview of tomorrow's activities. Tonight's lecture focuses on Volcanoes! What are they exactly? How are the Cascade Range volcanoes different from others around the world? What is the recent history of Mt Adams and Mt St Helen's? Should we be worried?

Lodging: Flying L Ranch

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Invigorating hike through oak-savannah in the morning. Lunch at a restaurant in Hood River. Afternoon visit to Columbia River Gorge Discovery Center.

Note: Morning hike is ~ 4 miles round trip with a 1300 foot elevation gain. The grade is gentle and steady. Afternoon activity includes a museum and short walks.

Breakfast: Early morning bird walk option again at 6:30, meet where the coffee is in main lodge kitchen. Breakfast served family style at 7:30 am.

Morning: Weldon Wagon trail hike and birding: 4 mile round trip. Elevation gain of ~ 1300 feet, steady, gentle grade. This trail follows an old wagon trail that was used to transport apples from the town of Sanborn to Husum in the early 1900’s. It traverses a south facing hillside where Oregon White Oak and grassland mix to form what has become increasingly rare Oak-Savannah habitat. Birds may include Bushtit, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, American Kestrel, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Western Kingbird and Western Bluebird.

Lunch: We will enjoy a sit down lunch at one of Hood River's excellent restaurants.

Afternoon: After lunch in Hood River we travel to the Columbia River Gorge Discovery Center. Though just twenty miles east of Hood River the climatic change is dramatic. The Discovery Center offers excellent exhibits on the geology, history and natural history of the Cascade Mountains and Columbia River Gorge. The grounds are inviting with outdoor exhibits, native plant garden and natural areas that offer birding opportunities. Depending on availability we will have a special presentation by museum staff during our visit. Depending on timing we may offer a stop and a brief walk with stunning views as we make our way home.

Dinner: Dinner is served family style in the cook house at 6pm.

Evening: After dinner we meet in the main lodge living room to review our plant and bird species lists. Tonight's evening program features local photographer Darryl Lloyd of Longshadow Photography. He will share with us his brand new program "Time and Change on Mt. Adams". Darryl grew up on the Flying L ranch and first climbed Mt. Adams at the age of 10, with his father and twin brother.

Lodging: Flying L Ranch

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Visit to the east side of Mt St Helen's. Hike in a primeval old-growth forest and then see the devastation of the volcanic eruption of 1980.

Note: We'll break up our drive today with several stops that offer stunning views and short walks on our way to Mt. St. Helen's. Once there we'll walk interpretive trails and take in the views.

Breakfast: Early morning bird walk option again at 6:30, meet where the coffee is in main lodge kitchen. Breakfast served family style at 7:30 am. Prepare your sack lunch after breakfast in the main lodge kitchen and place in cooler.

Morning: We explore the area between Mt Adams and Mt St Helen's - referred to as the "Dark Divide" by well-known Pacific Northwest author, Robert Michael Pyle. With scenic stops along the way we approach Mt. St. Helen's from the east. Before reaching the blast zone of the 1980 eruption we walk in a pristine old-growth forest miles from the zone of destruction.

Lunch: We enjoy the picnic lunch we prepared this morning at a rest stop with views and bathrooms.

Afternoon: From Windy Ridge the extent of the devastation caused by the 1980 eruption is visible and a view into the crater with its active lava dome. Take in the sights and visitor center activities or go for a two mile round trip hike with 600 foot elevation drop to the shores of Spirit Lake after lunch.

Dinner: Dinner is served family style in the cook house at 6pm. With luck it will be a BBQ!

Evening: You have the evening free to enjoy the grounds, visit with fellow participants, take a drive or walk to Glenwood (1 mile).

Lodging: Flying L Ranch

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Exploring the habitats around Trout Lake, formed by an ancient volcanic mud flow. Hiking on Mt. Adams, either along the Pacific Crest Trail or in the Bird Creek Meadows area, depending on snow levels.

Note: Morning walk is .7 miles with very slight elevation gain, through wet conifer forest along the south shore of a beautiful lake. Afternoon hike is up to three miles, location will be dependent on snow levels on Mt Adams.

Breakfast: Early morning bird walk option again at 6:30, meet where the coffee is in main lodge kitchen. Breakfast served family style at 7:30 am. Prepare your sack lunch after breakfast in the main lodge kitchen and place in cooler.

Morning: After a short drive and a visit to the Mt Adams ranger station we take a .7 mile walk along the south shore of Trout Lake. The vegetation is a cool and moist Douglas fir, Western Hemlock and Western Red Cedar forest. Many interesting plants to learn about and forest song birds such as Western Wood Pewee, Pacific Slope Flycatcher, Golden-crowned Kinglet may be seen along with several species of swallow, Yellow Warbler and Gray Catbird. Elk and deer may also be sighted.

Lunch: We enjoy our picnic lunch at a campground on the edge of prairie surrounding Trout Lake.

Afternoon: We will seek out the highest and most scenic hike on Mt Adams available, depending on snow levels. One option is along the Pacific Crest Trail: From the Mosquito Lake trail head on the west side of the mountain we do a 3 mile loop trail with slight elevation gain along a section of the Pacific Crest Trail that stretches from Mexico to Canada. If snow levels allow us to go higher on the mountain we may choose instead to access trails that lead towards Bird Creek Meadows on the east side of the mountain.

Dinner: Dinner is served family style in the cook house at 6pm.

Evening: We catch up with our Wednesday plant and bird lists and review the week as we wrap up the program.

Lodging: Flying L Ranch

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Stunning views of the Klickitat River Canyon and visiting dry-side Oak forests.

Note: We clear out of our rooms after breakfast and before our outing. Short but steep walk to canyon view point. Program ends at noon.

Breakfast: Breakfast is served family style in the cook house at 7:30 am. There is no optional early morning bird walk scheduled this morning.

Morning: Prepare your sack lunch after breakfast and pack all your belongings into your car. We drive east to explore the unique dry Oak habitats of the Klickitat River Canyon where new birds and new wildflowers await us. We eat lunch at campgrounds near river and then return to our lodge by noon and end of program.

Meals Included: Breakfast