Bald Hill – An Irreplaceable Treasure

Barn sketch

Bald Hill Barn by Kerry McFall

Bald Hill: open space, respite, sacred groves of madrone, sleepy sheep, happy dogs and hikers, bunnies napping on their “back porches” in bramble thickets.  It is a treasure, Corvallis, and if you love it too, it’s time to put your money where your mouth is and donate to the Greenbelt Land Trust to keep it. http://www.greenbeltlandtrust.org/

It exists as part city park, part farm but apparently the farm part is up for grabs.  NO!  To develop any part of this would be sacrilege.  Here there are ancient oaks, prairies that still bloom with camas lilies, views of the Cascades, quiet places to see the stars.  The shady part of the trail takes you into a fairy world of ferns and mosses.  The sunny part lets you flirt with calves as they reach under the fence for the best grass, and listen to bluebirds sing.  The little yellow farmhouse is adorable.   AND IT”S NOT FIVE MINUTES FROM TOWN!  Seriously, in five minutes from anywhere in Leave It To Beaverville you are in the parking lot of a unique and wonderful place.  This is what they dream of in City Planning school when they say “Open Space”.

This is where I came to heal after 9/11, after my father died, whenever my heart aches.  This is where I came to run with my dogs and ride with my children, to breathe sweet meadow scent, to picnic in the shelter of the open barn on many a rainy day.  Here you can be alone or enjoy the community of like-minded souls.  Several of my recent posts were sketched here.  I’ve always pictured bringing my grandchildren here someday.  This is what Corvallis wants to believe Corvallis is  – but is rapidly losing.  You don’t know what you’ve got’ til it’s gone… let’s not let it go.