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Soaking Up Solitude at Shevlin Park in Bend, Oregon
A Saturday in March, 8:15 a.m. Weather: snowing lightly. One other car in the parking lot, I tuck my key in my pocket and run. Up the hill, ponderosa pine too big to hug anchor the horizon. Manzanita glistens with powdery snow. I know the trail like the halls of my home. Leap this rock here, power down this hill there. Stop on the bridge for the briefest moment to absorb the view—the clear waters of Tumalo Creek icy and glittering—and breathe. I run the loop at Shevlin Park (just outside Bend) year-round, as often as possible. One reason I never tire of this trail is that here, I find the expansive shelter only a wide-open forest can provide. I need that peace like I need water. Today, I have plenty of solitude. I pound the trail alone.
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