This was one of our first close-up views of Smith Rock State Park. After seeing this, we knew we had to go for a hike there. My friend Heidi recommended doing Misery Ridge and that we go close to sunset or early in the morning to beat the heat. Sometimes things don't happen the way you want them to, though.We headed out mid-morning on Saturday - already pretty late for an exposed hike. But Andy had gotten his standard fly-home-to-Philly cold so he needed to rest a little bit in the morning before I dragged him out. And on the way to the park, we drove past this sign.
Mud Volleyball?! Who can resist checking this out? So we did a u-turn to see what was going on...
Isn't this the coolest? Two man-made mud volleyball courts. It was a tournament to raise money for the local girl's volleyball team. The local Pumpkin & Corn company provided the land, which explains the cornstalks surrounding the courts. And that is Smith Rock in the background. Andy was hoping for some bikini-clad babes, so he was a little disappointed. But it looked like everyone was having a great time.We finally got to Smith Rock and started our hike. First down one side of the canyon, cross the river, and then up and over this volcanic mass of rock.
The, aptly named, Crooked River winds itself around the rock mass, carving the canyon that eventually extends past our campground.
One of the main features of the park is a rock formation called Monkey Face. Can you see why?
There weren't any rock climbers on Monkey Face when we got there, but there were climbers in many other areas of the park. Can you find the two climbers in the picture below? This park is very popular with the rock climbing crowd of all levels. 
We ended up turning our hike into a loop. We crossed over the pass and down the other side and then followed the river back around. It was so pretty. I would not recommend doing it in the middle of the day, though. Shade is a rarity. The sun is intense and the heat is draining. But it was worth every step. 
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