24 | DECEMBER 16 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY

A

fter a year’s hiatus
due to COVID, a
group of 39 Detroiters
were happy to reconvene for
their annual hiking trip in
September. The 2021 hik-
ing adventure in the Bend,
Oregon, area was the Detroit
Hikers 19th hiking trip.
The trips are organized
by Richard Stoler, D.O.,
Bloomfield Hills, who says
that there are now more than
140 alumni of the group. They
enjoy the camaraderie, out-
door beauty and physical exer-
tion of hiking for four to five
days in national parks around
the U.S.
Participants choose among
three levels of difficulty. Hikes
vary from about 6 to 15 miles
daily, depending on the ter-
rain. Local naturalists hired
for the group provide detailed
information about each area’s
geographic characteristics,

wildlife and vegetation.
This year’s trip to the area
around Bend, Oregon, on the
edge of the Cascade Mountains
featured spectacular panora-
mas of mountains, forests and
lakes. A special feature was
a trip to Detroit, Oregon, a
tiny town established in 1891,
which was named for Detroit
because of the large number
of settlers from Michigan. The
town suffered a massive fire
last year and local officials,
who met with the hikers, are
trying to raise funds to replace
some of its buildings.
Stoler says that 90 percent
of the Detroit area hikers are
Jewish. Due to the large Jewish
component, most days the
group gathers a minyan so that
participants can say Kaddish
for their relatives. He antici-
pates a return to a larger group
— 90 participants — for the
2022 trip.

Detroiter Hikers reconvene in
Oregon after COVID hiatus.

Back on
the Trail

SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

PHOTOS BY ROSS HOTZ

Nearly 40 Detroit hikers
headed to Oregon this year.
Here, they’re taking a break
on the trail.

The Detroit, Oregon, mayor
met with the Detroit Hikers to
talk about the town’s plans to
rebuild after a recent fire.

The hike passed clear
mountain lakes.

Hikers learned about each
area’s geography and wildlife.