On a recent flight to Bend, I flew through SFO airport in San Francisco. It was a crystal clear day and I had a window seat. This allowed me to get an excellent view of the amazing landscape through Northern California, into Oregon, and into Bend. I took lots of great photographs of the incredible landscapes.
The Route From San Francisco to Bend Oregon
United Airlines flight 5877 from San Francisco International Airport to Redmond Municipal Airport (RDM) took off around 10:47 am on a beautiful Friday with crystal blue skies. Immediately upon takeoff, I had a tremendous view of San Francisco Bay, and the entire Bay Area.
Immediately upon take off I could make out most of the major areas of the Bay Area, and our flight proceeded to fly right next to one of the most famous areas in the entire state of California – Napa Valley.
Not more than 20-30 minutes into the flight, as we headed over Northern California, I saw the next major volcanic peak dominating the landscape – Mount Shasta. Mount Shasta sits at a towering 14,179 feet and is considered an active volcano. It is the second highest peak in Cascades and the 5th highest in the state (Mount Whitney). There is a disputed eruption in 1786 (historians are sure if it really happened). But the last known disruption was around 1250 AD.
After another 20-30 minutes of flight, the next major landscape on the horizon began to appear, confirming our arrival into the state of Oregon. Crater Lake simply looks stunning from the air, the water is deep blue and the surrounding crater looks like it was custom architected to carefully hold this magnificent body of water.
The eruption that caused Crater Lake was said to have happened 7700 years ago and witnessed by Native Americans. The resulting lake fed by rain and snow is the deepest in the USA and one of the purest in the world.
Almost immediately after passing Crater Lake, I began to see the great peaks that define the Bend area. The Three Sisters Mountains, along with Mount Bachelor were seemingly right out side my window.
These icon peaks stand guard above Bend and provide all kinds of recreation for hikers, climbers, and mountaineers. Deep inside that picture are amazing hikes like the Green Lakes Trail Hike and the Ray Atkinson Trail Hike at Sparks Lake.
At the same time, and more impressive was the view I had of the extended path of the Deschutes River as it winds through the Central Oregon region. You can easily see below the river as it passes through Redmond, Tumalo, and Bend. The Deschutes is the main drainage on the eastern side of the Cascades Range all the way to the Columbia River.
One final highlight of the flight before landing at Redmond Airport was the next great peak in the Cascades Range – Mount Jefferson. Mount Jefferson at 10,502 is the second highest mountain in Oregon (Mt. Hood). However due to the rugged nature of the area, it is considered one of the most difficult to summit.
Birds Eye View Why Bend Is an Outdoor Wonderland
Anyone who visits Bend or lives in Bend knows what an outdoor oriented town it is. But seeing the landscape, the peaks, rivers, and terrain from above really highlights what a special place Bend is for those who love the outdoors.
