Linda's Lens

Ski Photographer For a Day

2012-02-24T22:35:00.002-08:00

Grant Myrdal, the resort photographer at Mt. Hood Meadows, offers a workshop each month specializing in snow and action photos. For the past three years, I've wanted to take the class, but it never quite fit into my busy life. Then this Christmas I got the green light to sign up (a gift from my sweet hubby).

Size matters! Click on any photo to enjoy a larger version.

Mountain scenery from the top of Meadows

I chose the February workshop. Two weeks ago, I packed up my camera gear for a day of shooting on the slopes.

Lone skier amongst the tracks

Grant is an incredible photographer. He's a surfer who got his start capturing images of water, waves and other surfers. His work has been published in a wide variety of surf magazines. Now he's undergone a successful transition from riding the waves to riding the snow. For the past three years, Grant's been a familiar face hanging out with his camera on the slopes of Meadows. You can check out Grant's work on his website here.

Mt. Jefferson and the Three Sisters

Grant's an awesome friendly guy. You can tell he really loves his job. When I'm skiing at Meadows, I often see him on the side of some run shooting away. He's taken many great photos of me, and I've purchased several of his images (which I've posted in this blog!)

Grant, my photo zen-master

So I was super-excited to be learning from a world-class professional photographer. I couldn't wait for the workshop day to arrive. Showing up for class that morning, I found out - much to my delight - I was his only student. The iffy weather forecast had scared away the other two students. Their loss - and my gain!

A line of little kids

The morning started out with a review of photography basics. Always a good refresher, no matter your skill level. But once all the necessary info was covered, the fun began. Time to get out on the slopes and capture some images!

Cool turns by Hood

As I emerged from the lodge, I was happy to see - bright sunlight! The forecast had hinted at clouds and rain, so this was a welcome surprise. Perfect light for a day of photography.

Happy kiddos on the lift

We started out high over the top of the Mt. Hood Express lift in an area with sweeping views of both the resort and the adjacent mountains. First, Grant had me practice a little bit of landscape photography. When I ski I'm always carrying my little point-n-shoot camera, which takes OK photos. But with my "big girl" camera, I was able to do justice to the wonderful scenery.

Had to get a telemark skier!

Every once and awhile a skier or boarder would appear on an adjacent slope. I switched to my zoom lens to capture the action. Grant was hoping someone would jump off the nearby cliffs, but we only saw one attempt.

This guy is good!

After an hour or so, we traveled to a nearby ski run to do what Grant does best - take action photos of snow-riders. Most resort photographers I've seen take posed still shots of their guests against the resort scenery. To Grant, this type of photography is boring. He's a man of action and action is what he likes to capture. I couldn't agree more! I love seeing photos of myself making turns on skis. And judging by the success of his business, others do too.

Snowboarder spraying snow

Grant put up his flag, and we parked ourselves in the middle of a blue run with a nice view of Hood. He gave me some instruction on how to aim my focus, and what compositions work best. Then we raised our cameras and shot away!

Another happy skier

Skiers and boarders began zipping by. There were people of every age and ability. And I tried to capture them all.

More fun from the lift

Oh, what great fun! It didn't take me long, and I got the hang of zooming in and following people as they slid down the slope. Lots of folks smiled as they swooshed by. The chairlift was overhead, and riders occasionally called out for us to take their picture. Everyone seemed to be having a good time

I love photographing kids!

The kids were my favorite subjects. Groups of little kids would come by, skiing in a zig-zaggy line. They mugged for our cameras big time.

This lady was skiing with a camera around her neck

What a blast, sitting slopeside shooting photos of everyone! What a great way to combine the things I love most - skiing and photography. I told Grant he had the best job in the world. He smiled and said "yes, I do!"

Catching big air

After an hour and a half, Grant's memory card was full. That meant it was time to pull up stakes and head back to the lodge to download the photos. I was having such a great time, I really hated to leave.

Catching bigger air

After clearing our memory cards and reviewing a few photos, Grant had one more assignment planned for the day. We headed over to one of the terrain parks, hoping to catch some action on the jumps.

Amazing high jump!

At the jumps, there were a few young men attempting to catch big air. Grant instructed me to switch to my wide angle lens and position myself near the side of the take-off ramp. It took quite a few tries to get the hang of it, but I was soon producing clear images of acrobatics frozen in mid-air. By the end, I'd produced a few great images to be proud of.

This guy shows off his ski bottoms

At the end of the day, Grant and I downloaded and critiqued my photos. I was amazed by all the wonderful images I captured. Grant said I did a great job - he even complimented many photos saying they were as good as what he'd shoot (that really made my little head swell!).

So now I'm inspired to get out on the slopes with my big SLR camera. I agree with Grant, shooting photos of people in motion is much more fun that taking stills. Thanks Grant for such a wonderful day. And thanks so much for your words of encouragement to this rookie photographer!

Tilly Jane Tour

2012-02-19T20:08:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday the Mazamas ski mountaineering class scheduled its first all-day ski tour of the season. Students had the choice of three locations, and I chose the Tilly Jane Ski Trail. I'd heard about this tour from many different people over several years. Now was the chance to finally ski it for myself.

Size matters! Click on any photo to enjoy a larger version.

Yes, I love trail sign photos!

The Tilly Jane/Cloud Cap area is located on the NE side of Mt. Hood. It's an officially designated historic district. This area contains some of the oldest structures on the mountain. There's the Cloud Cap Inn, built in the summer of 1889. At an elevation of 5837 feet, it's the country's oldest high alpine ski cabin. The Inn is still in use today by the Crag Rats, a local climbing club. Other historic structures include the Snowshoe Club Cabin, constructed in 1910; the Tilly Jane Guard Station, circa 1934; and the Tilly Jane Ski Cabin built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1939. In order for skiers to access this cabin, the CCC also created the Tilly Jane Ski Trail.

Skier obstacle course

Early Saturday morning, two Mazama groups gathered in the sno-park adjacent to Cooper Spur Ski area. The faster group put on their skis and took off quickly up the trail. That left my group, dubbed the "leisurely group" (we didn't want to call ourselves the "slow group") with Kevin, our fearless leader.

So off we started from the trailhead. Precip from the night before had frozen on the needles of the fir trees. Sunshine filtered through the branches, turning the forest into a mass of glittering tiny icicles. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

Only a half mile in and I'm already pooped!

This year the snowpack has been less than usual. Not far from the trailhead, my group encountered the effects of low snow. In many areas, the snow was totally gone from the trail - washed away by rains. That meant we had to ski over areas of dirt, rock and pine needles. (Lucky we had our climbing skins on - that saved our ski bases!) Then we began to encounter a bunch of blown-down trees across the path. Between the bare spots and the trees, the first half mile was a true skier's obstacle course. It was so bad, two people from our group turned around and headed back.

We began our tour to lovely blue skies

But it was a lovely blue-sky morning. The nice weather was a surprise, as the forecast had called for clouds and precip. Bonus!

Hello from Young and Julie

After the first half mile, things began to get better. The trail stayed relatively snow covered, the forest cleared, the there were no more trees to hop over. But skiing uphill is hard, hot work. Most of us got so warm we stripped down to our long john tops and zipped open the sides of our ski pants. Even so, sweat poured from my body. No worries about keeping warm as long as I kept moving!

The snow was sparse in some places

Our group climbed until we reached an area where a fire had recently scorched the forest. In the fall of 2008, the Gnarl Ridge Fire burned a large portion of the Tilly Jane woods.

Checking the map

The burned tree trunks made for an eerily beautiful landscape. And the great thing for us skiers - the fire-cleared forest created nice wide glades. Epic tree skiing on a powder day.

Blue sky and smiles!

Sadly, today's snow was hard and icy. No powder to be seen anywhere.

Burned out remnants of the fire

But the lovely blue sky made up for the crunchy snow. And it was great to be in the backcountry on such a nice day.

There are some photos you just have to post at ginormous size

I, of course, had a grand time taking photos. Whenever our group stopped for a break, the first thing I'd do is whip out my camera and start shooting. Sometimes I spent so much time snapping away, it left almost no time to take in food and water.

Happy skiers

But I couldn't help myself - as we climbed, the scenery kept getting better and better. If it wasn't for the fact I needed to stay with the group, my photo count would've been much higher.

The Tilly Jane A-frame

Finally, we climbed a steep pitch, and there before us was the A-frame of the Tilly Jane Ski Cabin. Yahoo! Time for a well-earned lunch break. After skiing uphill for the last couple hours, my body was ready for some food.

The cabin made a great lunch spot

The cabin was rustic, but charming. The downstairs was full of picnic tables, and had a wood stove off to one side. There was an upstairs loft that appeared to be a sleeping area for anyone who wished to spend the night. The cabin was full of outdoor recreation-lovers, all enjoying a dry, warm place to take a break. Besides our group, there were a bunch of snowshoers in the cabin having lunch.

Back on the trail again

After lunch, I assumed Tilly Jane was our day's destination, and now we'd ski back down to the trailhead. But Kevin surprised me when he said, no, we were continuing our uphill climb.

Skiing through the snowy fog

Although disappointed at first (I was getting tired of skiing uphill and really wanted a break), I'm glad we continued. Turned out the best was yet to come.

Our fearless leader Kevin demonstrates how to dig an avy pit

We skied through dense forest until finally reaching a wide, treeless gully. And much to our delight our group discovered that at this higher elevation the gully's slopes were covered in a couple inches of powder! Woo-hoo! The sky clouded up, and began to spit snowflakes.

Husband-wife digging team

At the top of the gully, Kevin stopped and announced this would be our turn-around point. But before we could ski back down, he wanted the class to dig an avalanche pit to determine the snow's stability.

Colorful gear decorates the forest

Our group shed it's gear, dropping backpacks and sticking skis and poles into the snow. The colorful gear really stood out against the white snow. We dug out our warm jackets and grabbed snow shovels.

Julie tests the snowpack

Everyone took turns digging the avy pit. After Kevin determined we'd reached the proper depth, each person got into the pit and analyzed the snow. We were looking for any weak layers, which indicated a potential slide.

Giving it the shovel test

Then Kevin instructed our group to dig out a column of snow and give it the "shovel test." Whacking the column with a shovel, first with light taps, then graduating to heavy blows, would give us an idea of how the snow would react under loads (like the weight of a skier).

Time to click in the heels and ski!

After determining the snow was indeed safe to ski, next came the moment we'd all been waiting for. Time to ski down that nice powdery gully! As we were putting away our gear and clicking in our boots, the first group came whooping down from above, making tracks through our perfect snow. Poachers!

Downhill is so much fun!

But there was enough pow for all, and once everyone was ready, we picked our lines. It was a run of pure bliss. The snow was soft, and the gully the perfect pitch.

I was the only telemark skier in my group. Although my tele skills still need lots of improvement, I gained the admiration of my group-mates when I somehow executed a few perfect turns through the pow (it helps when you're the only telemarker - no one to compare to!)

Zipping through the forest

The rest of the ski down was way funner than I expected. Winding through the forest was a blast. And once we got down lower, the warm temps of the day had softened the icy snow enough to be skiable. We skied down in about a fourth of the time I'd taken us to ski up.

Class group photo

But our group had one adventure left in the day. About a mile from the trailhead, the snow became thinner, and thinner. We had to navigate our skis around a host of obstacles; trees, rocks, vegetation. Finally, fearing for our bases, we decided to take the skis off and hike the rest of the way out. I was able to figure out how to carry my skis on my little backpack, and it wasn't as hard as I though I'd be. We walked out on a different trail, and ended up at the top of Cooper Spur Ski area's lone chairlift. Of course no one was going to pass up the opportunity for one more downhill slide. We put our skis back on and had a final run down the slopes of Cooper Spur.

We had to carry our skis for the final mile

At the bottom of the hill, who should I meet snowshoeing to the parking lot, but my hiking buddies Chuck and John. Boy, what a small world!

I was ever so grateful to see my car. The tour had completely worn me out. My body was so sticky with sweat, I felt like I'd run a 20-miler. My legs, back, and arms all ached. Backcountry skiing is such a full body workout.

Thanks to my fellow "leisurely" groupmates for such a wonderful day. You were all great people to ski with. And also kudos to our leader Kevin for volunteering his time to take a bunch of rookies skiing out-of-bounds. You totally rock!

Total stats for the day: 8 miles round trip and approx. 2000 feet elevation gain. And the satisfaction of knowing I'd earned every inch of that wonderful downhill run.

Wonderful Day at White River

2012-02-13T23:08:00.000-08:00

Two years ago I took a ski mountaineering class through the Mazamas, a local mountaineering education club. Although I really enjoyed the class, and loved the idea of skiing outside the resorts, I didn't do any backcountry skiing at all last year. This year, I vowed it wouldn't happen again. The Mazamas let former students come back and help with the current year's class. I really wanted to gain more experience, so I happily volunteered to be an assistant.

Our group heads into White River Canyon

Ski mountaineering is basically hiking, or climbing mountains, with your skis on (also known as backcountry skiing). Skiers (and boarders) are always in pursuit of fresh powder and skiing outside of the resorts gives one a better chance to catch some freshies. But of course there are no chairlifts in the backcountry. In order to ski down, one must first climb up ("earn your turns").

Getting instructions from our leader

To enable the skier to go uphill, backcountry skiers attach a wonderful device called a climbing skin to the bottom of the ski. The skins are pieces of heavy fabric with the nap running in one direction. If you travel in the forward direction, you slide with ease. However, the nap prevents a backward, or downhill slide. Skins work amazingly well - I'm always totally awed by how steep a slope I can traverse with nary a slip. The underside of climbing skins have a wonderful sticky glue that enables them to adhere tightly to the ski bottom. It does not let go (unless you get your skins wet by dropping them in the snow - which I learned the hard way!)

Practicing turns on the flats

In order to propel yourself uphill, the heels of your boot must be untethered to your skis. For ski mountaineering, there are three types of snow-riding devices to choose from: the telemark ski, where your heel is always free; the alpine touring (AT) ski, in which the bindings unlock at the heel for uphill travel, and then lock down to enable the user to ski downhill; or the splitboard, which is a snowboard that separates into two pieces for uphill travel, and clamps back together into a snowboard for the ride down.

Trying out our turns on the slope

The Mazama ski mountaineering class teaches students everything you need to know to stay safe in the backcountry. Avalanches are always a concern, and they devote an entire weekend to this subject. Also covered is gear selection and maintenance, reading the weather, and building emergency shelters - just in case you are stranded in the boonies.

Skiing straight uphill. Ugh! It's hard work!

The weekend before last, the students got the chance to practice all the skills they'd been learning in class. It's called "field day." I remembered attending field day the year I took the skimt class, and how much fun it was. I made sure my name was on the volunteer list.

Wonderful mountain views

Field day 2012 was held at the White River Sno-park. This winter recreation parking area is located next to the mighty White River, that roars down the side of Mt. Hood. On sunny winter days, this place is gorgeous. And - lucky for all of us - field day dawned to clear, sunny skies.

Digging snow shelters

First thing in the morning, the skimt students and assistants gathered in the parking lot. It was quite a group of people, all hefting large, colorful backpacks with ice axes, shovels and other assorted gear strapped to the sides. Everyone had a pair of skis - mostly AT skis, some teles, and one lone guy with a splitboard.

Young tries out our shelter

We strapped on our skins, and headed down the trail. A short distance away, we came upon a low ridge with short, gentle slopes. The group split into four smaller subsets, and spread out along the ridge to practice uphill travel.

A deep shelter

Skiing uphill is hard work! It doesn't take long and you're breathing heavily, drenched in sweat. It's the ultimate cardio workout. Our group leader demonstrated how to travel along the side of a hill in a zig-zag pattern. Every so often he would perform a kick turn and head the opposite direction. Traversing a hill is less strenuous than climbing directly up. To prove this point, our leader had us ski directly up one of the slopes. Now THAT was some work! By the time we reached the top, everyone in my group was huffing and puffing.

My group poses for a photo with our little shelter

After lots of uphill travel practice, we gathered around our head leader Jeremy to learn about the proper way to attach and remove skins. Jeremy is an skimt rock star. He can attach and remove his skins with the skis still on his feet! He also showed us how to use your ski poles or an ice ax to arrest a fall. If you fall on an icy slope, you want to be able to stop FAST! If a person picks up too much speed, they could slam into a rock or tree, or slide into a crevasse.

Time to tour

Then came the fun part. We traveled to a small gully, split into small groups, and practiced building emergency snow shelters. If in the backcountry you're caught in bad weather and need to hunker down, it's important to know how to create a place to stay safe and warm. Most shelters consisted of digging a trench into the hillside and covering the top with a tarp. It was a blast digging up the snow and fashioning a little space. Made me feel like a kid playing in the snow again.

Me looking towards our destination

A couple of the groups built large elaborate shelters (there were architects among them!). We joked that those were the "street of dreams" shelters. Our little humble trench was dubbed the "street of affordable dreams." Myself and two other women had a great time creating our little snow cave and I was kind of sorry when we had to fill it back in.

Digging an avy pit

By this time it was afternoon, and time for a "mini tour." Jeremy led our group along the river to a far snowy knoll. The hope was that the sun had softened the snow enough for a nice trip down its steep slopes. Although the ski towards the knoll was kind of drudgery, the sunny skies against the white snowy backdrop was spectacular. The light was so good, I did a quick stop to create some Kodak moments.

Climbing up the ridge

Before we traversed to the very top of the knoll, Jeremy had us stop and dig an avalance pit to test the snow stability. We divided into three groups, each digging a pit into the side of an icy hill. Jeremy watched our progress from the top of the ridge. He was rummaging around in his backpack when suddenly a tupperware container popped out. The bowl quickly slid down the icy slope. At the bottom, the slope flattened out as it met the river. The flat slope slowed the tupperware's pace, and for a minute we thought it would stop. But then the bowl hit an icy patch and zipped straight into the river! It was so funny - one of those moments you wish could've been caught on video. Jeremy skied down to the riverbank, but any attempt to retrieve the dish was in vain.

Still a long climb up!

After testing the snow in our pits, we determined the snow was nice heavy Cascade concrete. All the recent rain and freeze-thaw cycles had welded it into a solid block that wasn't going anywhere. The downside was the sun hadn't softened the icy crust on the very top of the snowpack. But Jeremy led us up the side of the knoll, determined to get some turns in.

Finally a chance to ski downhill

It was kind of hairy skiing up the side of the steep, icy knoll. Two of my classmates elected to stay back, and as I climbed higher, I was thinking they made the right choice. I don't like skiing in ice, especially on my tele skis, but especially on a slope that had been groomed by Mother Nature. Yes, I understand when you're in the backcountry you have to be able to ski in any condition that's thrown at you, but I also know to turn around if something is outside of your comfort zone.

Makin' pretty turns

So I ended up stopping about halfway up the knoll. I wasn't alone. A couple of my classmates did the same. Now came the tricky part. Removing your skis, taking off your skins, and getting your skis back on - on an icy slope. I made sure my skis didn't slide away, but both my poles took off a short distance downslope (but I was able to retrieve them). One of the guys on top had one of his skis get away, and it slid all the way to the bottom. Bummer! Instead of skiing, he ended up sliding down on his butt.

I was so nervous to ski on the ice, I ended up side-slipping part way down. But then I noticed other classmates making turns with ease. I tried a turn and found, although it was a little icy, my edges could grip the snow. The rest of the way down was no problem.

Sunset on Hood

The rest of the ski out was lots of fun. What took us most of the day to reach traveling uphill was a 30 minute return trip. Although the snow was icy and bumped up, the slope was just the right angle that we never got going too fast. We whooped and hollered as we zipped through the trees. Before I knew it, we were back at the parking lot. The sun was beginning to go down, and its last fading rays lit up Mt. Hood in a brillant pink tint.

What an amazing day! It was great to spend a sunny winter day having fun in the snowy outdoors. This sure beat fighting the masses at a crowded ski resort. I can't wait for the next tour.

Groundhog Day

2012-02-09T09:18:00.000-08:00

Most winters people look forward to Groundhog Day. By February everyone is tired of cold weather. The hope is that the little critter won't see his shadow and we'll have an early spring .

Lots of shadows today

But this year we really haven't had winter yet. So I was perfectly fine when Feb. 2nd dawned clear and sunny. Bring on six more weeks of winter! Mt. Hood could use it!

Heather Canyon was finally open!

A sunny day makes for a great ski day. Almost as good as a powder day. (You know the Linda saying: "If you can't have fresh powder, sunshine is the next best thing!") And after two crummy Thursdays in a row, we were due.

See the mountain?

On this particular day, I teamed up with my friend Glen. This was the first time we'd skied together this year, and it was great to make some turns with him and catch up.

Dorky chairlift photo (I'm the dorky one!)

After weeks of not enough snow, Heather Canyon was finally open. Of course, Glen and I had to go check it out. The top slopes had varying conditions. The snow alternated between wind pack and nice powder stashes. We found a small ribbon of pow hidden between some stiff snowy ridges and had a great ride to the bottom.

Doesn't Glen look like a pro skier?

Around mid-day, the temps and sunshine combined to make almost every slope ski-able. Even the ungroomed stuff became nice soft corn snow. Yahoo!

Glen demonstrates his skiing skills

Glen and I traveled around the different lifts and slopes of Meadows, trying our best to hit the highlights. I love days when the snow is good everywhere. Opens up a lot of terrain. The only problem is, you never have enough time to ski everything!

Two Bowl photo for Kim

Glen was trying out his new iphone and sent a photo of us to my friend Kim, stuck back at work (yes, I know, how mean!) Kim texted us back a "hello" and told us to "ski Two Bowl for me." So after lunch, that's exactly what we did. And to let Kim know we'd complied with her request, Glen sent back a photo of us under the trail sign.

Mt. Hood hairstyle

By afternoon, increasing winds caused some interesting lenticular clouds to form around the top of Hood.

Cool lenticular cloud

The shape of the cloud changed throughout the afternoon. It was very cool to watch. You never knew what mood the mountain would be in. I particularly liked this view and tried to capture a decent photo. But two snowboarders plopped themselves right in the way, and wouldn't move. So I took my shot anyway. Now one of these folks will have a photo of their butt on my blog. (That's what they get for not moving!)

Hood decides to show herself

Near the end of the day, Glen and I took a final ride up the Cascade lift to the highest trails at Meadows. The clouds temporarily cleared from Hood's summit, and we were treated to a brief glimpse of the mountain.

Avalanche aftermath

On the way down from Cascade, Glen spotted the aftermath of a small avalanche. Of course, we had to ski over and check it out.

Looking up the slope from where it came

It looked as though the ski patrol had bombed a small cornice to keep it from coming down on the skiers. It was quite a large area of hard, chunky snow. Wouldn't want to get caught in that. Thank you Mt. Hood ski patrol!

Take that, groundhog!

As we shushed down our last run, Glen and both agreed it had been a stellar day. Although the sunshine was nice, I do hope more snow is coming. The way this winter's been going, I don't want six more weeks of skimpy snow. I'm crossing my fingers that ol' Mr. Groundhog is right and we'll see a return of winter!

I Love Mt. Bachelor

2012-02-06T22:34:00.000-08:00

I love Mt. Bachelor. It's my most favorite place to ski in Oregon.

The Three Sisters all lined up in a row

The mountain is located on the eastern side of the Cascades. This makes for a more arid climate, which in turn means drier, powdery snow. Way better than the wet, icy snow common to Mt. Hood. Just one of the reasons I love Mt. Bachelor.

Mt. Bachelor summit looks down on the bunny slope

I usually ski Bachelor over the Christmas season. But due to the skimpy snowfall, I passed on this year's Holiday break. Massive storms over a week in mid-January, brought the mountain back up to a respectable snow coverage. Time to head over for a visit. (I love Mt. Bachelor!)

Skiers tracks make cool patterns on a slope

So last weekend found me traveling over the mountains headed for Bend. The weather forecast was for sunny skies. Perfect! There's always more sunshine at Mt. Bachelor.

Broken Top Mtn watches over the skiers

Saturday morning I stopped for gas on the way out of town. As I bounced out of my car, the gas station attendant remarked "you're sure in a happy mood." It told him "yep, I'm going skiing - at Mt. Bachelor!"

Could there be a more wonderful view from a ski area?

My tank full, I hit the road for Bachelor. From the town of Bend, it's a short 20-mile trip to the ski area. Compared to the usual 1 1/2 to 2 hour journey from my house to Hood, this drive is a breeze. (I love Mt. Bachelor!)

The Pine Marten Lodge, located mid-mountain

I arrived at the parking lot to clear, bright skies. Mt. Bachelor gleamed white in the sunlight. Time to put on my skis and make some turns!

Late afternoon shadows

A sunny Saturday at Mt. Bachelor brought out the fair weather skiers in droves. The main lift was a swarm of bodies. But I parked myself in the singles line and was on a chair in no time. Fast-moving lifts - I love Mt. Bachelor!

The Pine Marten Lodge has a commanding view of South Sister

Mt. Bachelor has seven lifts, and they were all in operation that day. The in-bounds portion of the ski area takes up roughly 2/3 of the mountain, so there's lots of room for people to spread out. Even though the main lift might be busy, just ski over to another area and chances are you'll avoid a lift line. That's exactly what I did. I skied over to the Skyliner lift, and in less than five minutes I was back on the chair. (I love Mt. Bachelor.)

Broken Top and the top of the cone

One of the best things about skiing Bachelor on a sunny day is the views. A parade of snow-capped volcanoes line the northern horizon. To the Northwest, the Three Sisters vie for your attention, and Broken Top mountain anchors the Northeast. To the east, a lovely panorama of the high desert plain spreads out before you. And of course you can't miss the in-your-face view of Mt. Bachelor's summit crater. What fantastic sights! (I love Mt. Bachelor.)

Lenticular cloud over the mountains

I had the most wonderful day making laps on Mt. Bachelor's trails. Although it hadn't snowed for several days, there were lots of impeccably groomed runs to choose from. And even off the groom, the snow was soft enough to make some decent turns. I traveled all over the mountain and managed to tire myself out quite nicely! Lots of fun places to ski - I love Mt. Bachelor.

Dale ready for some skiing action!

My brother Dale, who lives in Bend, was busy on Saturday, so I skied solo. But Sunday he was able to join me. Although the weather was quite windy, we still had nice blue skies. (I love Mt. Bachelor!)

Checking out the clouds over the peaks

And the views were just as grand. The high winds caused cool lenticular clouds to form over the Three Sisters. It looked like the mountains were wearing white cloudy caps.

Dale takes a breather

Dale is a lot of fun to ski with. We're pretty evenly matched in our abilities, and enjoy the same type of terrain. I had a wonderful morning tearing up the slopes with Dale. And - the high winds scared away all the fair weather skiers, so we practically had the place to ourselves. On a Sunday! (I love Mt. Bachelor.)

Chili fries! The lunch of skiing champions!

We got kind of a late start, so Dale and I talked about skiing through lunch. But every time we came up the lift, we caught a whiff of burgers cooking from the mid-mountain lodge. Each lift ride, the burgers began to smell better and better. Around noon, it became too much, and I gave into temptation. I suggested to Dale we stop for a bite. Inside the lodge I saw something that sounded so good, I just had to have it, even though it was the most greasy, unhealthy thing I could eat. Chili-fries! And they were fantastic. (Even though I paid for it later, it was worth it!) Ummmm......a mid-mountain lodge with great food. (I love Mt. Bachelor!)

Oh yeah - I'm in my happy place

So I had a wonderful time enjoying the long runs, sunny skies, and magnificent views at Mt. Bachelor. I head later from one of my friends that Hood had lousy weather all weekend. It even rained on Sunday. Did I pick the right time to ski Bachelor? Yes, yes and YES! I love Mt. Bachelor so much, I wish I could ski there every weekend.

Have I told you how much I love Mt. Bachelor? :)

Another Sucky Ski Day

2012-02-02T21:26:00.000-08:00

What's up with the weather on Thursdays? Two weeks ago it was raining. Last week the skies were clear as a bell. But the wind was blowing so hard, Mt. Hood Meadows was all but shut down. Only two main lifts and the bunny hill were running.

Size matters! Click on any photo to enjoy a larger version.

Snow blowing off the top of Mt. Hood

To top it off, at 5 am the temperature was 32 degrees. At 7 am, the mercury had dropped to 20 degrees. This ensured any snow that hadn't already been blown away got encased in an icy crust.

Icky, icy crust on the snow at HRM

Of course we clueless souls on the ski bus didn't know any of this when we boarded our ride that morning. Everyone expected another warm, wet day. But checking the snow phone on our way up the mountain gave us an inkling what we were in for.

Melting snow creates interesting patterns

We arrived at Meadows to howling winds. The MH Express Lift was running at a greatly reduced speed. The first ride up the lift was so miserable, my bus friend Linda and I decided to head for the lower HRM lift and get out of the wind.

Chairlift shadows

But - remember the drastic temperature drop? It created a lovely thick ice crust on all the snow from the top of HRM on down. Did Meadows bother grooming any runs off of HRM? Of course not! So Linda and I unknowingly were led into some of the crappiest skiing conditions I've seen so far this year. We ran into thick ungroomed heavy snow with a hard icy crust on top. It was near impossible to turn in the gunk, and once you sunk below the crust it was all one could do to keep from getting stuck, wiping out, and twisting a knee.

Linda heads down Two Bowl

It took Linda and I almost an half hour of slow, careful skiing to finally reach the bottom of the lift. We had both decided long before that we were not coming back here. We heard later there was a Meadows employee stationed at the top of HRM warning everyone not to go down. All I can say is shame on you Meadows for opening an area with such unsafe snow conditions!

Too windy to ski, might as well drink!

So Linda and I were stuck on the windy MH Express..... But someone told us Two Bowl had good snow, so we decided to give it a try. That person was right on! All of the snow blew off the main trail and settled into the bowl. It formed a wonderful soft fluffy carpet of powder. We had the best skiing of the day right there in little ole Two Bowl.

My buddies from the "Love Bus"

Conditions ranged from "blow you off the mountain" windy, to "blown off icy" to "soft powder stash in wind-protected areas." Linda got cold and tired, so she ended up quitting around 1:30. I didn't want to give up so easily (I'd taken a vacation day from work to ski after all!) and stayed out awhile longer. But the weather seemed to get colder and windier. My last lift ride I was joined by a nice older couple. They dug out an airline bottle of Yukon Jack and offered me a nip. I usually don't drink and ski, but it was so cold I took a swig. And I have to say that stuff does a great job of warming a person up!

Bus moms Dixie, Lisa and Linda

But around 2:30, I'd had enough. I hung up my skis and joined my bus friends in the bar. And I have to say, if I'm stuck in a ski resort bar, these are great people to pass the time with. That's the best part of riding the ski bus - you meet some wonderful folks.

Linda keeping us bus riders in line

There were many toasts, and lots of laughter. The time passed quicker than I expected. Soon it was time to load the bus for the trip home.

Our great bus sign - created by fellow rider Doug

So even though the conditions were less than stellar, I had fun with my fellow bus-mates. And I have to admit it was better than going to work! Maybe this ski day wasn't so sucky after all.

A Colorado Weekend

2012-01-30T22:39:00.000-08:00

The weekend before last I traveled to western Colorado to visit my friend and fellow blogger, the Brave Ski Mom (BSM for short). Her blog, appropriately titled "The Brave Ski Mom," is one of my favorites. The BSM offers lots of good info on family skiing, resort reviews, and occasional giveaways. And there's plenty of great outdoor family-related posts in the off season. You can check it out here.

X-county skiing the Grand Mesa!

My flight landed at noon on Friday. BSM immediately whisked my away to the Grand Mesa for an afternoon of cross country skiing. After sitting on airplanes all morning, a little exercise was just what my body needed!

Breathtaking view from the top of the Grand Mesa

The Grand Mesa lies 40 miles east of Grand Junction, Colorado. It rises up from the Colorado River valley to an elevation of 11,000 feet. That's not much lower than my beloved Mt. Hood, which tops out at around 11,240 feet. It was a scenic drive up through a canyon lined by steep rocky cliffs, their sides artfully scoured by years of erosion. As we climbed, the horizon opened up to reveal a wonderful panorama of the landforms below. A bright blue sunny sky provided the finishing touch (which after a week-plus of torrential Oregon rains, was a most welcome sight!)

Brave Ski Mom points out a map of the extensive trail system

The top of the Grand Mesa has a large network of cross country ski trails. They are well groomed and pass through beautiful wooded areas and ice-covered lakes.

Beautiful wooded trails

I hadn't xc skied in many years and was a little nervous about how I'd do. But like riding a bike, my skiing skills came right back. It helped the trails were pretty mellow - mostly flat with only a few small hills to conquer. I started sliding backwards down the steeper ones, but my work-around was to gracefully sidestep up when that happened. I'm proud to say I only fell once!

Cool snow patterns on a frozen lake

Between gliding on my skis, and trying to remain upright, I did manage to capture a few photos of the snow-covered beauty on the Mesa.

We had a beautiful blue-sky Colorado day

We ran into quite a few fellow skiers, all out enjoying a sunny Friday afternoon. I learned the Grand Mesa is a popular place with the locals.

Scenery out the car window

The next morning, it was time for some alpine skiing. BSM and her family took me to the Powderhorn Ski Resort, their local hill. Powderhorn was also located on the Grand Mesa, so I got to see all that lovely scenery for a second time.

Awesome pow run

On Saturday, a storm was rolling in. The forecast promised snow - and lots of it. But when we arrived at Powderhorn that morning the only weather we encountered was high winds. I hopped on the chair anyway, and endured a windy ride to the top. Coming down a run, the snow was sparse and icy - just like at home on Mt. Hood. Like the rest of the nation, CO is suffering from a lack of snow. BSM and her husband were apologetic about the conditions, but I told them I was used to skiing in snow like this. And besides, this was an improvement compared to last Thursday's miserable ski in the rain.

Ridin' the lift up to do it again

About mid-day the snow began in earnest. The skies opened up and it was dumping! Conditions on the slopes improved considerably. It was wet, heavy snow at first, but again, skiing in the PNW, I'm used to that. I laughed and told BSM and her husband this was what we called "Cascade Concrete" back home.

Lovely aspen grove

By early afternoon, winds and heavy snow brought the visibility down to near zero. So we cut the day short. But at the rate the snow was falling ("puking snow" as someone put it), it bode well for the following day.

Bare aspen branches reach skyward

And - oh yeah - Sunday was the day! It was a classic Colorado ski dream come true. The storm had dumped 11 inches of dry fluffy pow overnight. And we awoke to brilliant blue skies. It doesn't get any better than this!

Proof that I was at Powderhorn

Sunday morning, Powderhorn was a-hoppin'. Lots of locals came to the mountain for a long-overdue powder fix. But it was nowhere close to the crowds that Meadows gets on a powder day. The lift lines were never very long - five minutes was the most I ever waited. It was nice to ski at a small resort. People were extremely friendly, and everyone seemed to know each other. It was a great vibe.

Snow-flocked trees

For our first run, BSM and her husband took me down a narrow, steep run that was filled with deep, fluffy pow. It was so much fun, we just had to go back for seconds.

Lots of nice glades for your skiing pleasure

I spent the rest of the day chasing BSM and her family through deep snowy glades, over soft moguls, and screaming down tree-lined trails. As expected, the entire family were superb skiers, and it was all I could do to keep up. Luckily, BSM and her husband were nice enough to wait for me, so I never got lost. Of course, I discovered Colorado has "snow snakes" too, and upheld my reputation by finding them all. (That and a close and personal encounter with a treewell had me wearing some snow)

Million-dollar views

Powderhorn might be a small ski area, but it boasts some mighty views. From the top of the chair, the entire valley opens up before your eyes. Smaller peaks and mesas dot the plains far below. The Colorado River winds through the lowlands. Slopeside, lovely aspen trees line the trails. I felt lucky to be up here on a bluebird day, able to enjoy all of it.

I had a blast skiing with BSM

It was a wonderful weekend of skiing with the BSM and her family. Sadly, time went by way too fast and before I knew it, I was boarding a plane back to cloudy, rainy Oregon. Western Colorado is an amazing place, and I'd love to come back again with a full contingent of photography equipment to capture more of its scenic beauty.

Thanks to the Brave Ski Mom for showing this Oregon skier a good time!

Soggy Ski Day

2012-01-24T21:24:00.000-08:00

I should've known better....

Last Thursday's forecast was for snow and 32 degrees at Mt. Hood Meadows.

Slushy, wet base area

A huge, wet storm was blasting Hood. But the ski bus was going up, so I went anyway. Temps hovering at the freezing mark assured the snow would be anything but dry. Arriving at the ski area, I found 11 inches of slushy, heavy new snow that had the consistency of mashed potatoes. The howling wind sent visibility down near zero, and whipped large, soggy flakes into my face.

Notice all the equipment in the racks - not on the slopes!

After four attempts to ski down the mountain in the sticky slop, and face-planting most every run, I hung it up for the day. I never quit skiing before lunchtime - but conditions were downright miserable. The last thing I wanted to do was injure myself. I sat in the lodge with my fellow ski bus passengers, drying out, and hoping our ride would leave early.

Modeling the latest in PNW skiing fashions

But some folks are true die-hards. They just donned the nifty plastic bags Meadows was handing out, and kept on skiing. Only in the Pacific Northwest do people wear plastic bags and ski in the rain! But eventually the conditions drove even the most hardy of these snow-riders into the lodge, sporting super-soggy outerwear, and wringing torrents of water from their gloves.

This was hands-down the most miserable ski day I've had in years. Next time I see a forecast for Hood that predicts moisture and above-freezing temps, I'm staying home!

Winter's Finally Here!

2012-01-17T22:20:00.000-08:00

IT SNOWED!!

Yes it snowed!! Hood finally got a decent powder dump! Woo-hoo!! Happy, happy, happy, happy!

Hooray for snow!

Yep, 12 inches of wonderful, light, fluffy, non-Cascade-concrete powder snow fell up on the mountain overnight Saturday. And - lucky us - Kim and I had already planned to ski Meadows on Sunday. Timing is everything!

Kim catching snowflakes

Of course, Kim and I weren't the only ones with Sunday ski plans. A large portion of the Portland Metro area powderhounds had the same idea. We met most of those folks on the road to Meadows. Traffic was extremely heavy and slow.

The mother of all lift lines

And then we met everyone again in the mother of all lift lines.

Kim freezing in the 35-minute lift line

It was a long, slow 35-minute shuffle through the maze of people for a cold, windy lift ride. When Kim and I finally got on a chair, we cheered. And we got the other two people on the chair with us to cheer too!

Stuck in lift line hell

By the time we got to the top, Kim had already decided we weren't skiing back down to that same lift just to sit in line again. The long wait had chilled her to the bone. So we skied over to the lodge to warm up and take a hot chocolate break.

Colorful flags and tents at the main lodge

After a warm-up and a great cup of cocoa, we were ready for some powder action. It was snowing hard and the new-fallen flakes were beautiful.

Powder happiness for Kim

I suggested to Kim we try the Gemini run. It hadn't been groomed, but that was just fine with us. The slope was graced with knee-deep soft, fluffy pow. And in the great morning rush, this run had been forgotten. It was hardly tracked at all! All this deep pow, all ours!

I express my glee in finding a deep powder stash

I had my telemark skis on that day. In the past I've had trouble making tele-turns in deep powder. But today, the tele-gods were with me. The knee dropped easily, the turns came smoothly. I discovered there is nothing more fun that doing tele-turns in deep snow. The flakes were flying up so high, I think I even got a few face shots.

Makin' tracks

Our run down Gemini was so epic, Kim and I braved the lift line and cold, windy ride to the top and did it again.

Knee deep in pow

Yeah, the slopes were crowded, the lift lines long, and the driving to and from treacherous. But we got to ski in lots of dry, fluffy powder and that made it all worthwhile.

Welcome winter! I'm glad you're back!

Spring Skiing in January??

2012-01-13T21:23:00.000-08:00

This has been one of the wackiest winters ever. Hood's had hardly any snow for the entire month of December (if it wasn't for the NYE dump, we'd have been skunked). The weather gods brought clear, sunny skies - unheard of for Portland in early winter. And temps up on the mountain have been above freezing. The timing of the seasons is way off. We have spring skiing in January.

Hood looks over a barren White River

My friend Dean and I teamed up for a day at Mt. Hood Meadows last Sunday. I love skiing with Dean. He's super enthusiastic about snow-riding and is a lot of fun to be around. He likes to attack the gnarly steep stuff. We're pretty evenly matched in our abilities. And we both love to ski Four Bowl.

Sunrise at White River

On our way up to Meadows in the morning, the sunrise was lighting up Hood so nicely, I made a pit stop at the White River Sno-park to snap a few photos. Since this Sno-park has a "little boys room," Dean took the opportunity to have a pit stop of his own.

Dean flies down the slope

Dean and I arrived at Meadows under sunny, bluebird skies. It was already feeling warm in the parking lot. No heavy layers needed today!

What's in that flask, Dean?

Dean is a well-prepared guy. He always stuffs his pockets with snacks and carries his water in a small flask bottle. Dean get some funny looks when he pulls out his flask on the lift! Not everyone believes him when he says it's only water inside.

Yes, this is one of the slopes! Grass skiing, anyone?

We started out at the Hood River Meadows lift (affectionately called "herm" by we locals) the lowest elevation lift. The upper runs were still icy, but down at HRM, the snow was already soft and ski-able. Even the dreaded "face of HRM" was easily traversed. We had a couple of good runs, but did have to dodge some protruding stumps, rocks and bushes. Ah - the joys spring skiing already!

Lookin' down Inner Limits

After HRM's trails started getting really soft, we moved up to Shooting Star. The snow was just perfect and we enjoyed some most excellent runs.

Dean does his "Karate Kid" impression

Around 11 o'clock-ish we decided it was time to move higher. Dean and I rode the lift over to the Cascade - the highest trails in the resort. The snow was just beginning to soften, so our timing was good.

Can you see me up there?

The blue skies and plentiful sunshine guaranteed jaw-dropping views up top. We were not disappointed. Dean and I had planned to take a lunch break around 11:30. But the snow was perfect right around then, so lunchtime was delayed until 12:30.

Icy, icky slope. Yeah, we skied through that.

After lunch, we headed right back up to Cascade. Dean spied a south-facing slope, warmed by the sun, where he thought the snow would be good. We skied over to find it and discovered, much to my dismay, that reaching the slope required a traverse through a bumpy, icy plain. I took one look at this spot, glittering with ice, and said "no way!" But Dean told me he was going for it, so I had no choice but to follow. Bumping and sliding through the ice field, I complained "this better be worth it!"

Dean and I's favorite run

Ooohhhh.....and it was! The first turn down was pure heaven. It was hero snow. My ski edges cut like butter. I made a bunch of effortless sweeping graceful turns. I ended up liking the run so much that we rode the lift back up, endured bumping back through the ice field, and did it again.

Dean, pointing out Upper Elevator

By early afternoon, Meadows was a corn snow paradise. Everything off the groomers was totally soft and ski-able. Dean and I hit the face off express. Fabulous! Riding the lift back up, we eyed Four Bowl. Beings it's our most favorite run, Dean and I just had to go leave tracks on it.

Mt. Jefferson and the Three Sisters dominate the skyline

For the final trip, I suggested to Dean we check out Upper Elevator. Neither of us had skied that run since last year, so he was totally game. I kind of remembered how to get to the top of the slope, but the trail sign was iced over, so it there was a little bit of guesswork involved. We did manage to head in the right direction and found our slope of choice. And we had a most excellent trip down to the bottom.

If you can't have fresh pow, sunshine is the next best thing!

It was a fabulous sunny, "spring" day. I always say, if you can't have fresh powder, sunshine is the next best thing!

Any day on skis is a good day!

:)

Blast From the Past

2012-01-10T21:16:00.000-08:00

My kids got me the best Christmas gift ever. They pooled their money and purchased a photo scanner. I was so psyched! Now I can scan all my old photographs and use them for things such as....blog posts!

The image below was my first scan. There's a great story behind this photo. It was taken during my honeymoon, way back in 1985. Roger and I were living in South Dakota at the time and didn't have a lot of money for an exotic trip. We chose to visit Estes Park, Colorado as it was a day's drive from our home.

Like my "80's hair"?

We had a great time. Roger and I were treated to majestic views of snow-capped mountains. We climbed a path above the highway to an especially scenic panorama. Wanting to show our friends how high in elevation we'd ascended, Roger snapped this photo of me beside an innocuous sign. The mention of Mt. Hood didn't even register on my geography-meter. At the time, the only thing I knew about Oregon was what I'd read from Beverly Cleary books back in grade school.

Fast forward three years later and where were we living? Yup - Portland, Oregon, in the shadow of Mt. Hood. After we'd lived in Oregon a year, I rediscovered this photo. Roger and I had a good laugh. I showed the pic to a bunch of my co-workers, and had a photocopy made to hang at my office. To this day, it holds a prominent place on my cubie wall. And it still elicits lots of comments from proud Oregonians wanting to know why Colorado picked on their iconic mountain.

The best part of all, Mt. Hood ended up being my favorite mountain. Over the years living in Oregon, I've come to know it well, skiing its snowy goodness, and hiking its spectacular trails. I have photos well into the hundreds of this beautiful peak. Who knew an innocent photograph would foretell a future favorite place?

Happy Ski Year!

2012-01-07T17:05:00.000-08:00

I love skiing on New Year's Day. The slopes are empty. Everyone stays up late the night before, and nobody wants to get up early to go skiing. But I do.

Good mornin' Mt. Hood

My ski-buddy Kim had a carful of people who wanted to snow-ride on NYD. Her sister, her teenage son, and three of his friends. And of course me. It was a full vehicle travelin' the road to Hood.

A sexy telemark skier

The mountain got a 16 inch dump of snow Friday night. I'd heard Saturday (New Year's Eve) was an absolute zoo at Mt. Hood Meadows. But today all was calm and quiet. And sunny too. Oh yeah!

Hood peeps out from the woods

The four boys grabbed their snowboards, and instantly ditched us old mommies. Kim's sister headed for the bunny slope. That left Kim and I free to explore. And check out what was left of all that new snow. It was a beautiful blue-sky day. Hood towered, gleaming white, high above us. And the snow, although skied out, was still soft and fluffy. Best of all, lift lines were non-existent. (Have I told you how much I love skiing on New Year's Day?)

Kim takes in the glorious view

Kim and I rode the new Stadium lift over to Shooting Star. We had some fine trips down Star's trails. I spied this great view of Hood from one of the cat tracks. I made Kim pose and got this great shot of her (wearing her new "bling" goggles).

BIFF!

Then Kim offered to take a pic of me in the same spot. I handed off my camera and side-stepped back into position. Or I should say I tried. My skis were right on the edge of the slope and my maneuvering caused a backward slide. I tried to stop myself, but in the process tumbled to the ground. Having camera in hand, the situation was much too tempting for Kim to pass up. She took a shot to document my great biff. What are friends for?

Time for my photo op

But Kim took a non-embarrassing photo of me too.

Kim takin' some turns

The Cascade lift was open, so Kim and headed over to check it out. The views are always wonderful from the top of Cascade. And being a clear day made for a perfect vantage. We could see Mt. Jefferson and the Three Sisters far in the distance.

Enjoying a good run

From the lift, Kim and I saw a couple ski patrollers heading down an empty trail. The trail looked good, so when it came time to unload, we headed over. Midway down the run, we noticed a ton of people around us. What happened to our nice empty ski trail? Kim said we must be trendsetters. Everyone wanted to ski with us!

Cascade Lift and Mt Jefferson

Later in the day, the snow began to get bumped up. We revised last year's "Kim and Linda mogul rating system". Most of the runs, the moguls only rated an "A" or "B." But down some of the trails off Cascade, we encountered groups of "DD's." I decided to try a run where I'd seen some people heading, went over a rise, and ran into a bunch of massive moguls that qualified as "Dolly Partens." Kim wasn't happy with me for leading her into this! (I think she might've used the b-word)

Heather Canyon

The bumps finally got to poor Kim, and she headed in. I took a couple more runs, but then my legs started talking, so I decided to quit. I found Kim and her sister sitting at a table in the cafeteria. But the boys were no where be found. They were still somewhere out on the slopes.

Man in pink??

While waiting for the boys, we passed the time people-watching in the lodge. Kim spied a man wearing a neon-pink one-piece ski suit. It was straight out of the 80s. But a man wearing pink? (Maybe he lost a bet.) We tried to refrain from pointing and staring. I attempted to take a photo of the guy without drawing attention to myself. I turned off my camera's flash and held it in an inconspicuous position. I got one blurry shot as proof of our sighting. It's not every day you see a dude in a pink snow suit!

Kim's son and friends finally located us. We loaded up her rig, and headed for home. But road conditions were super-icy and and traffic soon came to a screeching halt. We were engulfed in a massive traffic jam. What is normally an hour and a half drive took us four hours! Ugh!

Aside from the traffic, it was great to be up on the mountain. A perfect way to spend New Year's Day. Happy New Year! Or should I say - Happy Ski Year!

Winter Waterfalls

2012-01-05T21:31:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve day I needed an outing. I'd been cooped up in the house doing chores the previous day. The weather had been dumping rain since Wednesday. But this day dawned cold and dry. I decided to head to the Gorge with camera and tripod to check out the waterfalls. With all the rain we'd received, I knew they'd be running full and mighty.

Click on any photo to enjoy a larger version

Latourell Falls

Usually this time of year I'm up on the mountain skiing. But the sparse snow kept me away most of the month. Hood did get a dump of snow the night before, but after such a prolonged drought, I was sure the slopes would be packed with powderhounds. Knowing the mountain would be a zoo, I wisely stayed away.

The falls in its green grotto

That's the great thing about Oregon. There is such a wide variety of things to do outdoors - even in the winter. I pointed my car towards the Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway and Latourell Falls.

Latourell Falls - up close and personal

Latourell Falls is a spectacular waterfall, plunging 249 over the top of an ancient basalt lava flow. Colorful yellow-green lichen grows on its adjacent rock walls. Latourell's lower bowl is unusual. The rocky grotto forms interesting hexagonal patterns called columnar basalt. Everything is dripping wet and super-green.

Footbridge adjacent to the splash pool

You don't have to hike far to access Latourell Falls. It's a short 0.1 of a mile hike from the parking lot to reach the footbridge at the splash pool. All of the recent rainfall had this cascade absolutely roaring. I couldn't get very close without getting doused with spray. I tried to take some close-ups but kept having to wipe water droplets from my camera lens. I did manage to get a couple of nice shots, though.

Downstream from Bridal Veil Falls

After Latourell, I decided to check out Bridal Veil Falls. This waterfall was flowing so full, that it was hard to capture a good shot. The sheer amount of white was throwing off my exposure. So instead of the falls, I concentrated on getting shots of the creek below.

Roaring creek full of rainfall

The adjacent forest was scenic, even without any leaves. The mossy rocks added some character.

My final stop was at Wahkeena Falls. But this area was so full of people, I couldn't get a decent photo without someone walking in front of my lens. So I gave it up for the day. Sorry, no photos from Wahkeena.

But I did manage to get a couple of nice images of flowing water that I've posted here for you to enjoy. And it was wonderful to be outside on a dry winter's day!

Deschutes River Hike

2012-01-02T21:16:00.000-08:00

Post-Christmas I have a tradition of visiting my brother Dale and his family in nearby Bend, Oregon. This year was no exception. December 26th found Cody and I packing up my Subie for a trip over the Cascades. Normally these visits are accompanied by a couple of ski days at nearby Mt. Bachelor. But December was such a dry month, the snow on the slopes was looking mighty thin. Not wanting to pay $74 to ski on ice and dodge rocks, I asked Dale if we could go hiking instead.

The Deschutes River showing it's calm side

There are many wonderful places to hike around Bend. Dale suggested we explore a section of the Deschutes River. Bend has a magnificent trail system that parallels the Deschutes. Both hikers and mountain bikes can use these riverside paths.

Posing on the river bank

Dale likes to get outside as much as I do, and his dogs needed some exercise. We loaded up the car with five people and two dogs, heading for the trailhead.

Dale points down into the rapids

We picked a middle section of the Deschutes for our hike. At the trailhead, the river banks were at trail level, the river smooth and glassy. But that didn't last for long!

Ice has formed around the river's edge

A short distance down the trail the river dropped into a narrow canyon. The water lost its smooth veneer and began to boil and roll into frothy white rapids. The trail, now much higer, provided lofty views of the Deschutes far below us.

View down into the churning water

It was a chilly day. You could see where ice had formed along the river's banks. The overcast sky soon began to spit intermittent raindrops. Although it was near freezing, the temps weren't quite low enough to produce snow. Even so, I was glad I'd thought to wear a hat and bring gloves.

Water rushing through a narrow spot

As we followed the trail though the rocks and manzanita bushes, side paths led us to breathtaking overlooks to the river below. The Deschutes was hemmed in by tall basalt cliffs. The rock formations were very scenic and interesting. Ponderosa pine trees and remnants of summer vegetation clung to the tops of the walls.

The trail is now high above the Deschutes

The Bend area, being on the eastern side of the Cascades, has a drier climate than Portland. The vegetation is radically different. Ponderosa pines, sagebrush and manzanita bushes dominated the landscape. Instead of the green I'm used to at home, most everything was a rusty shade of brown. The green needles of the ponderosa pines did provide a little color relief.

Hiking party group photo

After hiking a short distance down the trail, we can upon a bend in the river. Some men in a boat could be seen far below, fishing in the frigid waters. A beautiful meadow, in several different tints of rust and gold, spread out on the opposite shore.

The post marks the trail

We continued a little bit farther past the fisherman until the trail began to wind down the canyon. One person in our party had a bum knee, and downhills were not particularly good for it. So it was decided to make this our turnaround point. The rain was starting to come down harder anyway.

Domino ready to fetch a pinecone

Dale's dogs, Domino and T-Bone had a great time, bounding through the woods. Domino especially loved running back and forth along the trail. But her favorite activity was fetching thrown sticks and pine cones.

Scenic meadow near a bend in the river

While it wasn't quite a comparable substitute for skiing, I still enjoyed getting outside on a chilly day and exploring a new trail. Who says you can't find nice scenery in winter?

2011 in Photos

2011-12-31T08:30:00.000-08:00

Many of the other blogs I read do year-end "recap" posts. I really enjoy reading them. It's interesting to look back and remember places and faces from the past 12 months. At the end of 2010, I wanted to do something like this, but didn't quite get it together. This year I resolved not to lapse again.

This blog is many things. It's a skiing blog, a hiking blog, sometimes a running blog, and also a place to showcase my family's activities. But most of all, it's a photography blog (it is named "Linda's Lens" after all!). With that in mind, I give you the year 2011 in photos - one representative image from each month of the year. Some of these pictures were chosen not because they were my best work, but because I wanted to commemorate an event in 2011 that was special to me.

Skiin' the pow in Steamboat, CO

January - this month I was busy skiing, skiing, and more skiing. Thursdays, I was riding the ski bus, and Sundays traveling up to Mt. Hood Meadows with my good buddy Kim. But the highlight of the month was the trip I took to Steamboat, Colorado. While there, the weather gods provided a dump of the finest Colorado powder, that hence forward would spoil me for skiing in Oregon.

Happy B-day to me!

February - February is my birthday month, and this year my kids surprised me with dinner and a homemade red velvet cake. Not wanting a blaze of candles on my cake, Cody and Denise managed to advertise my age in a different and creative fashion. What can I say? My kids are the best!

I never tire of this spectacular view from Mt. Bachelor

March - Still more good skiing to be had. But there was also the Shamrock Run (where Roger ran his first 5K). However, the trip I made to Mt. Bachelor to ski with my brother Dale was memorable. It was a beautiful, clear (but cold) day. Perfect to showcase the spectacular views from the mountain!

Cami and I celebrate our Eugene marathon finish

April - A transition month. I began the month skiing and ended it hiking and running. I cut my ski season short so I could concentrate on training for the Eugene marathon, which I completed with my best running friend Cami.

Punchbowl Falls

May - So many hikes, so difficult to pick just one photo. With the higher country still snowed in, my explorations were limited to trails in the Columbia River Gorge. A Friday visit to the Eagle Creek trail reminded me why this is one of Oregon's (and my) all-time favorites. I had to wade into the creek to get this shot, but I think it was worth it.

Amazing display of Bachelor Buttons near Bald Butte

June - Again, many more hikes, with some family and running activities thrown in for variety. But the best hike from this month had to be the trip I made up Bald Butte with my hiking buddy Chuck. We hit the wildflower season just right and were rewarded with a fabulous display of every variety you could imagine. I loved the Bachelor Buttons the best. I've never seen such a large concentration of these flowers in the wild.

My parent's 50th anniversary celebration

July - More hiking. Roger and I made our first backpacking trip since 2004 (and it was a success!). The big event of the month was traveling back to South Dakota to celebrate my parent's 50th wedding anniversary. The first time my entire family was together in many years, I commemorated the day with a photograph.

Smith Rock State Park

August - So much happened this month, it was really hard to pick just one image to represent. There was the Haulin' Aspen half, the Styx concert, loads of zucchini, and - you guessed it - lots of hikes. However, I finally made it back to Smith Rock State Park, a place I've wanted hike again. It was the day after I'd ran a half marathon, and hot weather to boot, but I had the most amazing time. The views were phenomenal. I got some great photographs (it's hard to take a bad photo here).

Wildflower paradise on Mt. Hood

September - Another action-packed month. There was the Hood to Coast relay (hands down my most favorite running event of 2011), another great backpacking trip with my hubby, Oktoberfest with my folks, and - yes - more amazing hikes. This month I hiked one of the best places of 2011, the Paradise Park Trail on Mt. Hood. The lingering snow delayed the wildflower bloom, and I enjoyed a summer floral paradise in the middle of September.

Mt. St. Helens from Norway Pass

October - A little bit of everything to blog about this month. One more half marathon completed, Halloween, fall colors starting to show, OSU football games (and tailgating!) and, oh yes, a couple more hikes. A trip to Norway Pass near Mt. St. Helens, made it onto the "best hikes of 2011" list. This trail has been on my bucket list for years, and I finally got there. This view of Mt. St. Helens was so worth all the time spent driving and hiking to reach it.

Fall colors at Multnomah Falls Lodge

November - Fall colors ruled the blog postings. I tried to squeeze in as many hikes as possible before the bad weather hit. The Gorge was the place to be in November, and I had many incredible fall foliage photos to choose from. This image of the bright orange leaves against Multnomah Falls Lodge was the eventual winner.

The 2011-12 ski season has begun!

December - Transition back to ski season. However, the weather wasn't very cooperative, so only two posts about skiing this month. But there was another half marathon to recap, holiday goings-on, and a fun limo tour of the Oregon wine country. The eventual photographic choice was this self-portrait of myself on the first day of ski season. I was so happy to be back sliding on the snow, and it showed.

Lupine and St. Helens Lake

Before ending this post, I wanted to include a final photo from my number-one favorite hike of the year. August's hike to Coldwater Peak near Mt. St. Helens takes top honors. Not only were the flowers in full bloom, this hike included an amazing view of both Spirit Lake and the incredibly blue St. Helens Lake. Visitors have a head-on look into the crater of Mt. St.Helens, which appears eerily close. Hiking the desolate plains and forests flattened by the blast gives one an idea of the gravity of the devastation, and a new respect for the power of Mother Nature.

I had the most difficult time choosing just one image to represent the hike, but finally settled on this shot of St. Helens Lake rimmed with dark purple lupine.

I hope you enjoyed reading and viewing this recap of 2011 as much as I had fun creating it. Here's to an exciting, adventure-filled 2012, with hopefully lots more blog posts, and, of course, tons more photographs.

Happy New Year!

Merry Belated Christmas

2011-12-29T16:32:00.000-08:00

Merry belated Christmas to my readers! If you're a regular visitor, you probably know by now that I'm always several days behind in my postings. This week is no exception. Before the holidays drift too far into the past, I thought I'd share a few photos from my family's Christmas celebration.

So many presents...

Denise was done with school two weeks before Christmas. Cody arrived a week before the holiday. We got our tree the weekend Cody got home. It was up and decorated while I was away wine tasting (see previous post). Nice to have grown children that can take care of such things while mom's away!

I bribed my kids and got one good photo

I take lots of pictures, and have since my children were tiny babies. However, Cody and Denise aren't very keen on my photography hobby. When they see me getting out my camera, they run the other way. But on Christmas Eve, I got them to cooperate, and even produced one nice photo of my kids.

Super-large gift for me!

We open our gifts on Christmas Eve, so after dinner my family gathered for the great unwrapping. I'd noticed a large package stuffed under our tree, but hadn't thought much about it. Turns out it was for me! My kids pooled their money and got their mom a photo scanner. What a great gift! Ooooh I'll have some fun with this!

My die-hard Vikings fan

Roger has always been a huge Minnesota Vikings fan. Even through the tough years (such as this current season), his loyalty hasn't wavered. There's not much Vikings merchandise to be found in Oregon. But this gives my folks (who live in S. Dakota, much closer to Minn.) something to get their son-in-law for Christmas.

Cody tries to guess what's inside

Not matter the age, it's always fun to watch your kids open their Christmas gifts.

Denise gets a bag of fake fish from her brother

Denise has a history of killing pet fish. Cody gave her something to fill that empty fish bowl. A variety of fish that won't die no matter what. (What are brothers for?)

Cody checks out his new piano book

Cody loves to play our piano. He wanted a new book of piano songs to practice. Santa came through!

Denise hugs her stuffed "Benny Beaver"

Denise is easy to buy for. Any type of Oregon State merchandise is always a winner. I couldn't resist the OSU mascot pillow pet. As you can see, Denise loved it.

I got some tea! Or did I?

I unwrapped one small package from my mom. It was a box of tea. I love tea, so was happy to have a new flavor to try. I put the box in the kitchen, and didn't think another thing about it. The next morning, wanting a cup of tea with my breakfast, I decided to try my mom's gift. Imagine my surprise when I opened the box and found no tea inside. Instead, wrapped in tissue paper, was this cool skier ornament.

Nope - inside the tea box was this cool skier ornament

Christmas 2011 was wonderful. I was happy with all of my gifts, but the best gift of all was to have my family together. I'm thankful for my family's health, our home, that my kids are in school pursuing careers, and that Roger and I both have good jobs. Christmas is a time to stop, reflect, and appreciate all the blessings we have.

Merry Christmas!

Touring Wine Country - In Style!

2011-12-23T22:59:00.000-08:00

There are many wonderful things to do in Oregon. We have mountains, ocean beaches, the beautiful Columbia River Gorge, rivers, forests, and - we have our own wine country. The Willamette River Valley is conducive to growing nearly everything. And this includes grapes. They grow in abundance throughout the state. There are over a hundred wineries concentrated in the fertile farmlands between Portland and Salem.

Time for some wine

As much as I love wine, you'd think I'd be out touring wineries all the time, since they're practically outside my back door. But no - I'm too busy with my other outdoor pursuits. I haven't visited an Oregon winery in years.

My limo awaits

But last weekend I got my big chance. Two friends invited me to join them on a chauffeured limo wine tour. They'd gotten a good deal via a groupon special and needed six people to fill a limo. I was more than willing to be their sixth person.

So this is how the 1 percent live!

We met our chariot and driver in the town of Sherwood. Our group filed into the limo, and celebrated with a champagne toast en route to our first winery.

Colorful labels at "Hip Chicks do Wine"

Our first stop - Hip Chicks do Wine, located in the beautiful town of Newberg. The winery was right on the main street, and our driver impressed us with his parallel parking skills, pulling the limo into a spot right outside their front door. People on the sidewalk stared at our limo, making us feel like celebrities. I almost expected to encounter the paparazzi as we exited our ride.

Cheers!

This place was great. Our host was very knowledgeable about her product. And the wines were wonderful.

I need this glass!

They had great gifty items displayed throughout the shop.

Hip Chicks had great labels

I absolutely loved Hip Chick's bottle labels. And they had some great names for their wines. I especially liked the "Drop Dead Red" (and it was great wine too!)

DeeAnn and I mug for the camera

There was only one bad thing about Hip Chicks being first on our tour. Since we had two more wineries yet to visit, my group was conservative and didn't buy much. As it turned out, they had the best wines by far. After the day was over I was wishing I'd purchased more than one bottle of "Wine Bunny Blush."

Tasting room at Kason Vineyards

Our next stop - Kason Vineyards located in the lovely countryside near Yamhill, Oregon. At least I think the scenery was lovely. It was an extremely foggy day, so the views were nil. But we had wine to taste and that made up for the lack of scenery.

Everyone smell the grapes

Kason Vineyards specializes in pinot noir. We got to try several different varieties of their pinot. It didn't take long and they all began to taste the same. I'm not a huge pinot noir fan, but I have to say, Kason's product was better than most.

Showing the group where they press the grapes

Our wine steward was great. She let us taste some of their newly pressed chardonnay (so new it hadn't yet been bottled). She then took us down into the basement and showed us the winery's grape press.

Visiting the wine cellar

We were then led into the wine cellar. It was so cool to see all of the barrels stacked inside! Our guide took a glass tube and drew some chardonnay out of one barrel, for a lucky DeeAnn to sample.

The limo ladies

Since pinot noir is not my favorite wine, I didn't buy anything at Kason Vineyards. But we still had one more place yet to visit, so after a quick photo session in front of our limo, it was back inside our plush ride.

Kerry and Ann enjoy a "winetini"

Our final stop was Mia Sonatina Cellars in the small town of Amity. This winery was run by a husband-wife team. Vern, the husband, was our host. He was a fun, personable guy and led us through tasting the different wines on their roster.

The girls and Vern

I liked some of the wines here. There was a good variety and I even found myself liking a red port desert wine. I'm usually a Merlot kind of gal, so this was a surprise. Even more surprising - I ended up buying a bottle of the stuff!

I like this saying!

After a very fun time at Mia Sonatina, it was time to board our limo for the trip home. But it was a merry atmosphere inside. Warmed by wine and camaraderie we ladies enjoyed one final ride in the lap of luxury.

What a great way to tour wine country! The best part of all - we could sample all the wine our hearts desired and didn't have to worry about driving. Definitely the way to go. Too bad I can't afford to do this everyday.

So now that I've rediscovered Oregon's wineries, it's time to plan for trip number two. Ladies - who's with me?

The Holiday Half - Once Again!

2011-12-15T07:55:00.000-08:00

Last August when I registered for this year's Holiday Half, it seemed like such a great idea. I ran the Holiday Half last year on an unseasonably balmy December day and had a blast. When registration opened for the 2011 race, memories of last year's nice weather clouded my judgement. Fast forward to present day, a bone-chilling, foggy December morn, and I wondered what the heck I was thinking? Run a half marathon in the icy pre-dawn? All I wanted to do was hunker down in my warm bed.

My thoughts exactly!

So that explained part of my present bad attitude. The other problem was that I didn't train near enough to tackle a race of this distance. And I knew it. I was afraid about mile 8, things were going to get ugly.

Runner invasion at the Adidas Campus

But I'd paid good money to run this race, and that was enough motivation to get me out of bed race day morning. After forcing down a quick breakfast, and gathering up my gear, I pointed my car towards the Adidas headquarters in North Portland, starting line for the Holiday Half.

Maryalicia's cool costume

I lucked out and found a parking spot three blocks from the Adidas campus. I walked to the starting area, and found the gear check and race expo crammed into a cold, dark parking garage. The gear check line was so long, I gave up and ran back to my car to stow my coat. With the unseasonable cold temps (hovering around the freezing mark, which is cold for Portland) I'd been fretting the previous day about what to wear for the race. I knew I'd warm up running, but didn't want to shiver through the first couple of miles. In the end, I layered two long sleeve tech t's and wore a santa hat over my cap. But when my coat came off, boy was it chilly!

Maryallicia and I model our holiday attire

I ran into Maryalicia, a woman I'd met at the Haulin' Aspen half last August. We'd run part of that race together, shared some photos, and become friends on facebook. Maryalicia is quite a prolific runner. She's finshed a large number of halfs this year (I think she told me 17), one pushing her daughter in a running stroller the entire distance! She is quite the wonder woman.

Pre-race photo op

Maryalicia was dressed up in a wonderful Mrs. Claus costume. She was bubbly, enthusiastic, and totally up for the race. I loved her positive engergy and, hoping some of it would rub off on me, asked if I could run with her.

Shuffling towards the starting line

So I lined up at the starting line by Maryalicia's side, and patiently waited for the race to start. While waiting for the horn to sound, we amused ourselves by checking out the participant's costumes. Red and green clothing dominated the crowd. There were elves, santas, reindeer antlers, crazy socks, and the free world supply of santa hats!

A few costumed runners at mile 3

Then came the countdown, and the mob of people shuffled towards the starting arch. As we spread out into the street, Maryalicia and I picked up the pace. The course first wound through residential neighborhoods surrounding the Adidas HQ. There were quite a few small hills to climb, and by mile one, I was already warm and starting to sweat. All my worry about being cold was for naught!

Some fast reindeer

Mile two popped us out onto Willamette Blvd, a road build on top of a steep bluff, that, on nicer days provides a great view of the Swan Island Industrial area and Willamette River. Lovely older well-kept homes line this street. Occasionally small groups of people stood beside the road, ringing cowbells and cheering the runners.

Here come the elves!

From the beginning, I struggled, and by mile 5 I was feeling tired already. This was not good news, as there was still eight miles to go! I grabbed a Gu from the next aid station (Peppermint flavor! Very yummy!) and sucked it down, hoping for an energy boost.

I enjoyed the carolers

Maryalicia was so sweet. She stayed by my side, even though she was capable of running a much faster pace than mine. I appreciated the company. That really helped pass the miles much quicker. We amused ourselves by checking out all the runner's costumes. By mile 5, we began to see the leaders returning (the course was an out-and-back). Maryalicia and I whooped and hollered for these super-fast athletes. We ducked under the St. Johns Bridge and past a wonderful group of carolers. The Christmas music really helped boost my sagging spirit.

Nearing the turnaround point

Despite buddying with an upbeat person, and being surrounded by hundreds of people in crazy costumes, my funk continued. My head was just not into running this race. After rounding the turnaround point, Maryalicia, sensing my lack of energy, suggested a quick walk break. I'm usually not one to stop and walk in races, but this time I acquiesced.

Maryalicia ran the entire race - fast - in this costume

After a short walk (which felt good) I took off running again. But my legs and feet felt like concrete. Maryalicia began to get farther ahead. I was amazed by her stamina. It couldn't have been easy to run in a hot, bulky Mrs. Claus costume, but she was moving, and fast!

Finally around mile 9, I told Maryalicia to go ahead without me. I felt guilty holding her back, and knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with her pace. I watched her red, fuzzy suit vanish into the crowd ahead.

A Christmas star and tree

The last four miles were an exercise in mind games. Legs and feet were starting to protest quite loudly. My head tried to convince me to give in and walk. Time seemed to move at a snail's pace. But I told myself, the faster I ran, the quicker I would be done. And there was a beer waiting for me at the finish line!

Finally, I passed the mile 13 marker. I swear the last 0.1 of a mile was a lot longer (my Garmin actually said I ran 13.2 miles, so there might be something to that). But I rounded the final corner, and there beyond the spectator-lined street was the finish! Yahoo! I crossed the line in 2:04:42. Not one of my speedier times, but considering my lack of training, and poor attitude, I was satisfied.

I loved this sign!

I met Maryalicia at the finish line. She'd stopped to adjust her costume and ended up finishing only two mintues ahead of me. We walked over to the food tent, so I could get some hot soup and that beer I'd been dreaming about since mile 10.

So that's my tale of the 2011 Holiday Half. Looking back, although it wasn't one of my better races this year, now that's it's in the past, I'm glad I didn't sleep in and totally miss out. It was great to run with Maryalicia (couldn't of done it without her!) and being around lots of runners decked out in their Holiday best really put me in the mood for Christmas.

And running 13.1 miles in the cold gave me a great excuse to pig out on Christmas cookies all afternoon - guilt free!

Ski Hooky

2011-12-11T17:49:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday my ski bus was scheduled to go up for it's first trip of the season. I asked for the day off from work, and all week long looked forward to a day of skiing.

Morning mountain view

But Dixie, my bus mom, emailed me Wednesday with bad news. Not enough people signed up to ride the bus, so Thursday's trip was cancelled.

Lots of bare patches - we need more snow!

Hood hasn't received any new snow since Thanksgiving, and the temps have been above freezing every day since. A sure-fire recipe for a dwindling snowpack, the slopes were starting to look mighty bare. Bad snow equals no skiers. That's probably the main reason there wasn't enough people to fill the bus.

Gettin' ready to unload

Now I had a decision to make - go to work, or take the day off and go skiing anyway? I had tons of work to do, and my conscience told me I really needed to get some of it done. I also knew the snow conditions wouldn't be great. I really shouldn't burn a vacation day for so-so skiing. I debated the go-no go question all day Wednesday, and by the time I left work still didn't have a firm decision.

Lookin' down elevator shaft

I read books during my daily commute to and from work. My current book is "Mile Markers" by Kristin Armstrong (a most excellent read-highly recommended!). On the train home that evening, I came across a passage in this book that really made an impact. The author was discussing her fear in trying a trail race. Her friend, attempting to talk her into the race, said when on the fence about a decision, she applies the rocking chair test. The test is asking yourself the question "When you are old and sitting in a rocking chair talking to your grandchildren, how would you want to tell the story?"

No lift lines whatsoever!

Hmmmm......No one on their deathbed ever wished they'd spent more time at work. Reading that paragraph made my decision - the h*$# (heck) with work, I was going skiing!

Slopeside self portrait

Thursday morning, I packed up the car, and made the drive to Mt. Hood. The Portland Metro area was still in the midst of an inversion, so although it was cold and cloudy at home, warm and sunny skies greeted me upon my arrival. Did I make the right decision? Oh yeah!

Could the day be more perfect?

And, yes the snow wasn't perfect, but I still had a ton of fun. The sun softened things up, so I was encountering corn snow by mid-morning. After a week of cold, gray skies, the blue sky and sunshine was a most welcome sight. It was sunglasses weather for sure! And best of all, lift lines were non-existent.

Mt. Jefferson dominates the view

At lunchtime, I texted my ski-buddy Kim, stuck back at the office. I told her how awesome the weather was and that I was having a great time. Kim sent back a response all right, but I won't share it here (let's just say she used the b-word!)

Time to bring out the sunglasses!

So, yes I had a wonderful time playing ski hooky. I have absolutely no regrets with my decision to skip work and go skiing. I had fun making laps on corn snow with slopes practically empty of people. A happy day in the sun!

And years from now, when I'm sitting in my rocking chair talking to my grandchildren, I can finish the story by telling them that I went skiing.

Frosty Morning

2011-12-10T07:19:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, Portland experienced some unseasonably cold weather. An inversion came into town, and left the valley shivering in below-freezing temps. With it came a frost that left everything outside with a coating of white.

Rhodie bud gets some flocking

Nature's white flocking made our front yard look so pretty, I threw my jacket over my PJs and ran outside with my camera to capture it.

White-tipped grasses

Each individual blade of grass sported a thick frosty coating. The dead leaves lying on the ground had their veins traced in an outline of white.

Still a few leaves left on our pear tree

Even the few leaves still left on our tree had an icy edging.

Rose bush leaves with an icy coating

The rose bushes were especially pretty. The frost made lovely patterns on their serrated leaves.

Dried up rosebud

And the few withered-up roses that were left got a nice sparkly coating.

I had good fun roaming around the yard with my camera. Although the weather outside is cold, it does bring along beauty. Hope you enjoy the photos!

Back in the Saddle

2011-12-04T17:31:00.000-08:00

There's nothing I love more than skiing. Not running. Not camping. Not even hiking. Nothing. Skiing is my most favorite activity of all. Period. When November rolls around, I'm stoked for ski season. I watch ski movies, bring my gear out of hibernation, and begin checking snow reports, plotting my return to the slopes.

Back where I belong!

This year, our local ski areas opened the weekend before Thanksgiving. But they were only reporting a skimpy 20 inch base, not enough to cover the rocks and stumps. In the interest of saving my ski bases, (not to mention my body if I should fall) I normally postpone my return to skiing until the resorts have a solid 3 foot base.

A sunny, but windy day

This past Friday looked to be the day. Mt. Hood received a good dumping of snow over Thanksgiving weekend. Although the snow level went up during the week, the melt/freeze cycle ensured a good solid base. Icy, but solid.

I had Friday off. The weather forecast was for sunny skies. Time to head for the mountain and make some turns!

My pretty new gloves!

The first day on the slopes always requires more preparation. I have to gather up all my gear stored in various places around the house, try on my ski pants (and hope they still fit!) and check my jacket pockets for last year's left-over treasures (sometimes I even find money!). This year the only new piece of gear I picked up was some cool new gloves. When I dropped off my skis to get waxed, these lovely little babies called my name. Finding a 20% off coupon for the ski shop made for an easy purchase decision. These gloves have every feature I need, and then some. They even have little zippered pockets on the top for inserting hand warmers. How cool is that?

Friendly shadow

Friday morning after driving through alternating rainstorms, I happily pulled into a sunny Mt. Hood Meadows parking lot. It was wonderful to see my home hill again. As I stepped out of my car, I was hit with a puff of wind. I looked up to see the flags all flapping around. Yes, it the day was sunny, but it was also windy. Wind is never a good thing when you're skiing.

Hood is lookin' good

I grabbed my telemark skis and headed for the lifts. As my chair crested the final hill, I was hit with a strong gust of wind. On top, the first run down was a wind-blown sheet of ice. Ugh! But once I got into the trees, both the wind and the snow improved.

Even with the long summer off, I was happy to see my body hadn't forgotten how to make tele-turns. As a matter of fact, I felt like I was picking up from where I left off last year. My knees dropped easily, and my ski edges cut through the icy snow. Oh, how I've missed doing this!

Low clouds and Mt. Jefferson

I headed over to the Shooting Star lift to check out the runs there. The wind was a little calmer, and the snow a tiny bit better. I made lots of joyful laps down the trails.

Grant Myrdal Photography caught me in action!

Then I saw Grant, the resort photographer, setting up on Shooting Star Ridge. Even though I have a reputation for wiping out in front of him, I couldn't resist the opportunity to get my picture taken. And Grant's a really nice guy (he takes good photos too).

So I skied down past the photographer. And I actually made some great turns and stayed in control the entire time. A first! The morning sun had melted the icy snow on the run, so it was fairly soft and skiable. It was so nice, I made a trip back up and tried it again. And again. I gave Grant lots of photo ops!

Makin' tele-turns (photo by Grant Myrdal)

There were no lift lines to speak of, so I didn't get much rest time. After making tele-turns in icy snow all morning, by noon my legs were toasted. But I felt good that I'd lasted so long. I silently thanked Stacey, who teaches the powerflex class at my gym, for forcing me to do endless reps of lunges.

New lift! Niiice!

After eating lunch and relaxing in my car, I switched into my alpine skis for the afternoon. This year Meadows has a new chairlift. They replaced the old Stadium chair with a high-speed quad, and first thing after lunch, I jumped on to try it out. I have to say, Bravo Meadows! This is the best improvement they've done to the resort - ever! This lift comes right down to the base area, so now on busy weekends, skiers have two choices for rides to the top. This will really cut down lift lines. And it takes you directly to the Shooting Star and Hood River Meadows (HRM) areas. No more weaving through intersecting trails, and skiing up a hill to reach Star and HRM.

The view from HRM

After tele-ing all morning, skiing with my heels locked down was so EASY! And I didn't tire out near as quickly. I zipped down the slopes, and ventured into some non-groomed areas just to check them out. After chattering through some rock-hard windpack and ice, I decided to stick to the groomers. I slid, turned, carved, and soaked in the sunny views, all with a huge smile on my face. I was in my happy place.

Finally around 3 o'clock, my quads let me know they were done. As I was taking off my skis, I ran into photographer Grant. Grant told me he'd gotten some great photos of me and I should come and have a look. Well of course I had to check it out, and ended up buying three of his shots. Grant got tons of good photos - it was hard to choose!

I'm in my happy place! (photo by Grant Myrdal)

But this was the best photo of all. The expression on my face speaks volumes. I'm so happy ski season is here. Oh skiing how I've missed you! Even though today's snow wasn't the greatest, I still had a blast. As I drove home, my brain buzzed with positive energy and happy thoughts. My ski trip put me in such a good mood, I didn't even mind fighting through rush-hour traffic to get home.

It's good to be back.

:) :) :)

Thanksgiving Weekend

2011-11-30T21:28:00.000-08:00

Now that my kids are away at college, I really look forward to holidays. It's about the only way I get 'em both home at the same time. So, as you can probably guess, I was eagerly counting down the days until Thanksgiving.

But finally the long-awaited week arrived. Cody came home Tuesday night, and Denise rolled in between rainstorms late Wednesday.

Picking the last of the apples

With the kids here, we kept our activities close to home. Thanksgiving day, Roger put them to work picking the last of the apples from our tree.

Roger going for the really high ones

We have a Granny Smith apple tree in our backyard. This season was a banner year for apples, and we had a bumper crop. We've had our tree for several years now, and it's grown rather tall. And of course the best apples were the ones on the highest branches, out of our ladder's reach.

Time to make some pies!

Roger picked all the apples he could get to with his ladder. Then he resorted to shaking the tree to get the others down. When that didn't work, he and the kids began throwing the bad apples up into the tree, trying to knock the high apples down. It was funny to watch - every once and awhile a throw would connect, and several apples came raining down. I should've captured it on video!

Nice looking apples

Cody decided he'd make some apple pies. The rest got cut up and frozen for later.

Thanksgiving table

I, of course, was busy on Thanksgiving day too. First, I got up early and ran in a Turkey Trot with my friend Cami. It was a 4-mile race, down a huge hill and then back up it again. Cami joked that we burned enough calories running up that hill, we should be able to eat our turkey and pie guilt-free.

Dinner is served!

Then I came home and cooked up a turkey dinner for my family. It wasn't too hard, though. Turkey is pretty easy to cook - just put it in the oven! And Roger helped quite a bit.

I'm thankful for my kids

The smell of roasting turkey soon permeated the house. By the time the food was ready, everyone was really hungry! It was great to have everyone together around the table again.

Cleanup crew

After dinner, I had lots of help with the cleanup. My kids are good about pitching in (and so is Roger!)

Family photo - outtake one

Every year, I try to get a family photo for our Christmas card. With my kids in school, it's hard to get all of us together for pictures. Since everyone happened to be home Thanksgiving weekend, I suggested a quick family photography session. Well, my kids aren't the most willing subjects. They really hate posing for pictures. But before everyone took off on Sunday, I gathered (bribed) the troops and posed us on the couch. At the last minute, I decided to include Bear in the photo. I grabbed my dog and placed him in my lap. As you can see by my first take, Bear wasn't too thrilled with this!

Outtake two

I tempted Bear with dog treats and we tried again. This time, just as the shutter clicked, Bear decided to lick his nose. Aaugh!!

Third time's the charm!

Take three - Bear calmed down, but wasn't looking at the camera. I though "oh great, another dud!" But just before the camera flashed, Bear perked his ears and looked up. Success! I finally got my Christmas card shot. And hopefully it wasn't too painful for my family.

The weekend passed by way too quickly, and before I knew it, the kids were both packing up to head back to their respective colleges. But it was great to have everyone together again. Thanksgiving reminds me to appreciate the important things in life - my husband and kids. I'm so thankful for such a great family.

:)

Sunny Sunday

2011-11-24T14:30:00.000-08:00

After several weeks of less-than-stellar weekend weather, Sunday's forecast finally promised clear skies. I wasn't going to pass up a sunny dry weekend day - probably the last for a long time. I emailed my friend John and asked him if he was interested in a hike. John, always up for a romp in the woods, responded with an enthusiastic yes.

What a beautiful trail sign!

Where to go? The higher elevations were all snowed in, restricting us to somewhere in the Gorge. Then I remembered hearing about the Cape Horn trail. It's a relatively new trail on the Washington side of the Gorge. Rumor had it this route promised spectacular Gorge views from a recently constructed overlook. It was a path I'd yet to hike, so I convinced John to make Cape Horn our destination.

My companions hit the snow

Cape Horn is a prominent bluff that towers high above the Columbia River. US Highway 14 climbs over Cape Horn, and clings to the side of its rocky cliffs. The great thing about this place is it's very close to the Portland Metro area. A thirty minute drive places you at the trailhead.

The mountains have white flocking

Sunday dawned clear and sunny, as promised, but cold! After braving intermittently icy roads, our group arrived at the Cape Horn trailhead. In addition to myself, John had rounded up three of his friends (Steve, Barry and Kelly) to accompany us. I, of course, had brought my dog Bear. There was no way he was letting me go without him!

Mushrooms growing out of a tree

The trail entered the woods and immediately began to climb, heading for the bluff's summit. Our group wound through the mostly-barren maple tree forest until we hit patches of snow. Although we'd bundled up against the cold, it wasn't long before everyone, warmed by the uphill trek, began to shed layers.

Makin' tracks through the snow

As we trudged up to the top of Cape Horn, small gaps in the trees gave teaser glimpses of nearby snow-flocked mountains.

My party enjoys a sunny moment

And then suddenly my group reached the top of the bluff and the first of three clifftop viewpoints. The grand panorama of the Columbia River Gorge spread out far below us. Wow! It was an incredible sight! I was so glad to be visiting on a clear day - it would be a shame to climb this far and not be able to take in such a view.

New Cape Horn overlook

My hiking group (aka "John and friends") followed the trail as it skimmed along the top of the bluff, pausing at each of the viewpoints to take in more breathtaking vistas and Kodak moments.

What a view!

After leaving the summit of Cape Horn, and following a series of trails and abandoned roads, the trail led us to the newly-constructed Cape Horn overlook. The viewpoint consists of two circular rock walls atop a clearing. The overlook was constructed to honor Nancy Russell, the founder of the Friends of the Columbia Gorge. Nancy fought to save this beautiful area from development, and was able to preserve Cape Horn in its natural state for all to enjoy.

A cold windy lunch

Standing atop this overlook, gazing out over the Columbia River, I was grateful for Nancy's hard work and determination.

John braces himself against the wind

Our hiking group took advantage of the rock wall seating areas for a snack break. Although the sky was sunny, the temperature was anything but warm. And away from the forest's protection, the wind was howling mightily. It was a cold place to rest, but you couldn't beat the scenery!

Incredible Gorge panorama

If it wasn't for that pesky wind, my group probably would've stayed at the overlook all day. But the roaring gales forced a retreat back into the woods.

Barry and I pause from our photographic duties (photo by John)

From the overlook, the Cape Horn Trail descended quickly through a forest of large, moss-clad trees. Before we knew it, our group arrived at the junction with Hwy 14. The trail continued on the opposite side of the highway, necessitating a wait for a gap in traffic, and then a speedy scramble across!

My happy pup

The best part was yet to come. The second, lower loop of the trail wandered along the portion of the bluff below the highway. It followed spectacular cliffs lining the Columbia River. There were more great viewpoints, impressive talus slopes, and even a waterfall or two.

Cigar Rock (Can you guess how it got it's name?)

But, oh was the wind strong down here! At every clearing, we had to steady ourselves against the buffeting gusts to get photographs. I tried to gain some stability by leaning against a nearby tree, but the tree was blowing around so much it was no help. To steady our cameras, John and I finally ended up leaning against each other.

The last of the fall leaves

But despite the wind and cold, the viewpoints down here were incredible! The eastern Gorge spread out before us, with sights all the way to Beacon Rock. The mighty Columbia sparkled a pretty blue, punctuated by frothy whitecaps. The basalt cliffs of the Gorge rose up from both sides of the river, the upper elevations wearing a frosty cap of snow. The mid-afternoon sun lit up the scene nicely. It was worth battling the chilly gusts for some photographs.

Wispy waterfall

After climbing up and down the cliffside path, our group came upon a thin, wispy waterfall. It was spraying over a tall basalt cliff. What a beautiful sight!

Can you see the rainbows?

A point in the trail provided a nice overlook of the falls. And the sunlight was at the perfect angle to create not one, but two rainbows. This isn't the greatest photograph, but I was pleased the rainbows showed up. Can you spot both of them?

Barry and Bear walk under the falls

And then the trail led you right underneath the fall's drizzly cascade. Super cool!

US Hwy 14 perched high on the cliff

One final amazing sight awaited us. The last leg of our hike was a one-mile walk up a paved road. Following asphalt is not how I usually want to end a trip, but we passed a clearing with a fantastic view up the side of Cape Horn's rocky cliffs. You could see the underside of Highway 14 perched precariously mid-slope. This was a view of the road most people don't get to see. It must've been a tremendous engineering feat to construct the elevated bridge and retaining walls that hold up the highway.

Sun-streaked leaves

A few yellow fall leaves still clung to the trees here, creating a narrow tunnel around the road. Although we weren't walking on a trail, the final mile was a pleasant enough end to this spectacular hike.

Back at the trailhead John told me "Thanks, Linda for the suggestion to come here." John said he's fallen in love with this new trail. It's become one of my favorites too. A great hike for a sunny fall day!

Happy trails!

:)

My Own Backyard

2011-11-19T22:19:00.000-08:00

These past weeks, I've been traveling all over the Gorge in search of fall colors. But last weekend I discovered there's nice sights to behold right in town. Even in my own backyard!

Our maple tree has lovely red leaves

We have a small maple tree in our yard. In autumn it has the most vibrant red leaves. Roger raked up all the fallen leaves, except the ones directly under this tree. My dear hubby said the leaves were so nice, he left them in place for me to photograph.

Raindrop-spangled leaf

Since Roger had gone to the trouble not to disturb the maple leaves, I had to get out there with my camera.

Cool orange/red leaves

One of the bushes in our backyard had colorful orange/red leaves. Not sure of the exact name of the bush, but it was sure fun to photograph.

Amazing colors at the Rec Center

Later that day, I took Bear for a walk. My home is close to the neighborhood recreational complex. It's a great place for an afternoon stroll. Between the baseball and soccer fields are dozens of beautiful trees, all wearing their autumn best.

Fall leaves close-up

This time, I thought to bring along my pocket point-and-shoot camera. The fall scenery was so outstanding, I was glad I did.

Fallen leaves make an orange carpet on the ground

The local fall colors were at their peak last weekend. It was definitely a good time for a walk/photo session.

Leaves of many hues

Some of you may be getting tired of seeing so many blog posts featuring autumn leaves.

Nature's red carpet

But the fall colors are so fleeting, I want to capture as much as I can before winter's dreary months set in. After the leaves have all fallen, there won't be much for color until March.

No more picnics 'till spring

I'm fortunate to live somewhere that has such a beautiful fall. All I have to do is walk outside my home. I can find all sorts of lovely sights right in my own backyard.

Bear just wants to play Frisbee

And because he's so cute, I have to end with a photograph of my pup. Bear waited patiently through my photo session, and then was rewarded with a game of Frisbee!

:)

Fall Gorge Tour 2011

2011-11-17T22:38:00.000-08:00

Every year when the fall colors are at their peak, I take a photography tour of the Columbia River Gorge. Autumn in the Gorge can be best described as having an artist take a paintbrush and apply brightly colored hues to the trees. Pair this with steep basalt cliffs and numerous waterfalls, and you get scenery that is simply stunning. After last week's hike, I knew I had to get back there soon before the leaves started to drop.

Bright colored leaves at Multnomah Falls

Last Friday, I had the day off of work. The weather, although cloudy and cold, wasn't spitting moisture from the sky. Time to pack up the camera and head to the Gorge!

Multnomah Falls bridge

Since I didn't bring my tripod on last week's hike, and regretted it, I made sure it was in my car this time. But on the drive out I realized I'd forgotten something just as important. My camera attaches to the tripod with a small metal plate. Guess what got left at home? D'OH!!

Bright orange leaves at Multnomah Falls Lodge

I wasn't about to turn around and drive back through traffic to get said plate. However, my goal had been to photograph lots of waterfalls. Now that my tripod had been rendered useless, I had to switch gears and formulate plan B.

Classic Multnomah Falls photo

It was quite early in the day, so for my first stop, I swung by Multnomah Falls. Early mornings are great for getting photos of the falls void of people. The trees surrounding the old stone lodge were decorated with the most amazing colors! I was successful in capturing many images of the lodge, sans humans. (And was able to do so even without my tripod.)

Beautiful trees adorn the Multnomah Falls Lodge

It was a cold, foggy morning, but the fog just added a bit of mood to the scene.

Leafy staircase

After a extended photo session at Multnomah Falls, (even though I'd just been there last week, it was so stunning and uncrowded I stayed much longer than planned!) I drove a short distance up the road to check out Horsetail Falls. But most of the leaves had either already fallen, or weren't very colorful, so I took a couple of shots and continued on.

Oneonta Tunnel

I originally hadn't planned on it, but when I drove by Oneonta Gorge, and saw the restored Historic Highway tunnel, I just had to stop. Like the Mosier Twin Tunnels farther east, this tunnel was part of the old Historic Columbia River Highway. It was recently uncovered and restored for walkers and bikers to enjoy.

Fancy stone railing

The Historic Highway's old stone guardrail was still intact. It is such a beautiful piece of railing, with its graceful curved crossbars and decorative post tops. What wonderful workmanship! I'm so glad some of these amenities from the past have been preserved.

Lovely red leaves

And Oneonta Gorge is a simply beautiful place. A small creek dances merrily through the rocky bottom. Leaves swirl in its waters. The banks are decorated with a kaleidoscope of colorful leaves. The rocky walls of the Gorge rise up near-vertical from the creek bed. All the surrounding trees were in full autumn hues.

Bridal Veil Falls

After drinking in the beauty of Oneonta Gorge, I continued my travels westward on the Historic Highway. I came upon Bridal Veil State Park, home of Bridal Veil Falls. I've been all over the Gorge, and hiked most of its trails, but Bridal Veil Falls was one place I'd yet to visit. Today was the day!

Beautiful cascade of Bridal Veil

A very short hike takes visitors to a nice viewing platform with a front-and-center view of Bridal Veil Falls. And, oh what an amazing waterfall! It was a elegant, lacy two-tier beauty that fanned out over a mossy-rocked cliff. How had I visited the Gorge so many times and not ever stopped here? Now I was really wishing for my tripod.

Forest fall scene

I did the best that I could steadying my camera on the viewing platform's railing. I managed to get a couple pics of the falls to turn out nicely.

Columbia River view

Above the falls, Bridal Veil State Park had another trail that led visitors along the top edge of the Gorge's rocky walls. A couple of viewpoint areas split off from the main trail gave fantastic views up and down the Columbia River. One especially great vantage perched you out over the railroad tracks and practically on top of I-84. Although the sky above was a drab, washed out gray, the trees below made up for the sky's lack of color.

Gorge view from Crown Point

I ended my tour climbing the winding road up to Crown Point, hoping to catch the grandest views of them all. But by the time I reached the famous viewpoint, the skies were filling with heavy clouds, and the light was terrible. The above photo was the best I could do. You can't blame a girl for trying (especially without her tripod!)

The Columbia River Gorge is such a special area. It's my most favorite place in all of Oregon. It is jaw-droppingly, stunningly beautiful. Every season is a good season to visit the Gorge, but fall is by far my number one time for photographic exploration. Despite forgetting a vital piece of gear, I was still able to produce some great images. Take a look and judge for yourself.

And if you've never been to the Gorge - come visit!

P.S. Linda's Note: The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area celebrated it's 25th anniversary today!

Wahkeena-Multnomah Loop

2011-11-10T21:40:00.000-08:00

Aahhhh.....Early November. It's when the lower elevation fall colors kick into high gear. Time to head to the Gorge for my favorite fall hike - the Wahkeena Trail.

Old stone trail sign

In autumn, the changing leaves within the Columbia River Gorge put icing on what is already an astonishingly beautiful place. And there's no prettier trail than the Wahkeena. Starting at the Historic Columbia River Highway, this path switchbacks steeply up the side of the Gorge. The trail itself is well-constructed - paved for almost the first mile with slopes retained by beautiful stone walls. A burbling stream is never far away, and the plethora of deciduous trees guarantees tons of colorful leaves. On the way up, hikers pass Wahkeena and Fairy Falls, as well as several smaller unnamed cascades.

Wahkeena Creek

Chuck and I both had Friday off, and this time rain was not in the forecast! Yahoo! I had my heart set on a fall color hike, so off to Wahkeena we went.

Wahkeena Falls

The beauty began at the trailhead. Trees of varying orange and yellow hues surrounded the parking area. A lovely creek meandered through the lush green, leaf-scattered slope. My photo session began as soon as I exited the car. There were lots of great things to photograph! I think Chuck was a little worried I wouldn't leave the trailhead. But I did manage to tear myself away and follow him up the path. More amazing sights awaited!

Chuck searches for coins embedded in the wall

From the trailhead, the paved Wahkeena path climbs steeply. After a very short distance, Chuck and I reached Wahkeena Falls, a fan-shaped cascade roaring mightily down the middle of a mossy grotto. A grand stone bridge crossed the creek below the falls. I soaked in the views and snapped a few images. But the dim light of a cloudy day wasn't conducive to photo-taking. I had to use such a slow shutter speed that most of my shots turned out blurry. I was wishing I'd brought my tripod.

Chuck found a coin!

From Wahkeena Falls, the path continued its climb, switchbacking up the side of the Gorge. Although the ascent was taxing, the paved trail and its scenery provided a nice distraction. Lots of turning leaves added color to the scene. The trail was lined with elegant stone retaining walls, covered in ferns and a layer of bright green moss. Someone spent a lot of time and effort to construct such a wonderful trail.

Leaves decorate the path

Chuck told me the builders of the walls embedded some coins and a toy army man into the rock faces along the Wahkeena Trail. While I was busy taking "Kodak moments," Chuck busied himself scanning the masonry in search of hidden artifacts.

Colorful leaf pile

Chuck managed to find three coins - two nickels and a penny. But try as he might, the toy army man eluded his search. Better luck next time!

Mossy old stone wall

After reaching a scenic overlook, with nice views up and down the Columbia River, the paved trail gave way to a nice dirt footpath covered in leaves. Chuck and continued our upward trek, following a gushing stream.

Fairy Falls

After a mile and a half, we came upon Fairy Falls. This delicate little waterfall is one of my favorites.

Fairy Falls close-up

Chuck sat down on a nearby wooden bench to have a snack. I meanwhile prowled around the falls, trying to steady myself and my camera to capture some slow shutter images. For the umpteenth time, I regretted not bringing my tripod.

Chuck and Bear share a moment

After our refreshment and photography break, Chuck and I resumed our climb. We passed through another forested area ablaze with golden leaves.

Bright colors line the trail

We reached the junction with the Devil's Rest Trail. It was decision time. Should we continue our climb up to Devil's Rest? Or should we level off and head towards Multnomah Falls? Multnomah Falls, a very popular attraction, is usually overrun with tourists. It's normally someplace I avoid. As we weighed the pros and cons of each trail, I mentioned to Chuck that Multnomah Falls has a nice lodge with a restroom. Bathrooms with warm running water and flushing toilets? That sealed the deal - Multnomah Falls, here we come!

Weisendanger Falls

It's been many years since I've hiked the trails above Multnomah Falls. I found it to be a truly beautiful area. We approached the famous falls from the very top, following the creek that feeds it downstream. There were a couple of pretty waterfalls along the way, including lacy Weisendanger Falls.

Cute stone bridge

Just before the top of Multnomah Falls, Chuck and I came upon a cute little stone bridge spanning the creek. It looked like something you'd see in a Grimm's fairy tale. Golden leaves covered the trail and the creekside boulders. I almost expected to see a gnome pop out from under the rocks. What a magical place.

Top of Multnomah Falls

And then we came upon the side trail that led us to the top of Multnomah Falls. Chuck and I followed the a path that led us to a fenced viewing platform on the brink of the famous waterfall. We peered 542 feet down the dropoff to the forest and river. It was a dizzying view of the lodge and viewing area far below. Not for the faint of heart!

Gorge view from top of the falls

Looking down from the top of Multnomah Falls, I realized in order to reach the lodge, we'd have to lose all this elevation. The trail to the parking lot and viewing area winds down a steep slope in a series of 11 switchbacks. To make matters worse, each switchback is identified with a little sign. So visitors know how much further they have to climb, or in our case, descend.

LOTS of switchbacks to reach the bottom!

Chuck and I trudged down the trail. We met lots of red-faced people puffing their way up to the top. Although the path wasn't nearly as crowded as a typical sunny, summer day, we were definitely not alone.

Photographers on viewing bridge

Multnomah Falls has a stunning stone footbridge that crosses the rocky chasm above the lower cascade. It's very cool to stand on this bridge and look up at the falls, and then down the watery chute to the splash pool below. Spray is blowing in the air and everything is a lush green. Amazing! After avoiding Multnomah Falls for so long, I was reminded why this place is so popular.

Multnomah Falls - the grand waterfall of them all

We made our way down to the lower viewing area. Again, I was really wishing for my tripod. But I managed to fire off a few decent shots. There were tons of people milling around the platform, and I had to wait awhile for the area to clear so I could get a waterfall shot void of people. But it was so worth it. What an incredibly beautiful waterfall! And the fall colors provided the perfect accent.

The most spectacular of all the Gorge falls

Chuck and I reached the Multnomah Falls Lodge and our coveted restrooms. After a brief potty stop, we headed back to our vehicle via a short connector trail paralleling the Historic Highway.

It was a wonderful day to be out with Mother Nature. The autumn colors put on a show, and the waterfalls ran full and strong. I completed my annual trek up the Wahkeena Trail, and explored the area above Multnomah Falls. Even though Multnomah Falls can be crazy with people, it's truly worth visiting. I'm lucky to live close to such an amazing place!

:)

Historic Highway

2011-11-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I reeaallllyy wanted to go hiking. It'd been a couple of weeks since I'd done a local hike, and I was itching to get back to my "playground."

But the weather decided to be uncooperative. Rain was in Sunday's forecast. Not just showers, but RAIN! Soggy, nonstop moisture from the sky. What's a hiker to do?

Trailhead marker

The answer? Go east young lady! East as in the eastern end of the Columbia River Gorge. The portion of the Gorge past Hood River puts you on the leeward side of the Cascade mountains. And that generally means drier weather. Even some sunshine, if you're lucky.

View of the eastern Gorge

There is a portion of the Historic Columbia River Highway that's been reconstructed as a hiker/biker path near the eastern Gorge town of Mosier. I'd heard about two abandoned highway tunnels that had been dug out, totally restored, and were now part of the trail. The engineer in me loves tunnels, so I decided this was the day go and to check it out. Plus, if it starts raining, I have someplace dry to escape!

Fall colors along the trail

The Historic Columbia River Highway was America's first scenic highway. In its heyday, the road snaked through the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge, between the towns of Troutdale and The Dalles, a distance of 73 miles. It was built between 1913 and 1922. Samuel C. Lancaster, the engineer who designed the highway, purposely laid out the route so that it would access all the natural beauty spots in the Gorge. He designed beautiful bridges, stone walls, viaducts, and several tunnels with windows built inside, so travelers would not miss any of the scenery. It was an engineering challenge, to fit a road through the steep, rocky cliffs of the Gorge, but Lancaster found a way.

Eastern portal of the Mosier Twin Tunnels

In the beginning, the highway was hailed as an engineering marvel. Thousands of autos traveled the highway enjoying the vistas. But as traffic increased through the 1930s, the tunnels became narrow and dangerous. Construction of a new interstate highway at river level began after World War Two. By the early 1950s, most of the traffic had been transferred to the new route, and many portions of the Old Historic Highway were abandoned or destroyed.

Inside between tunnel one and two

In the late 1980s, several people and organizations recognized this loss, and lobbied the State Highway Dept and State Legislature to preserve the portions of the Historic Highway that remained. Since 1987, the State of Oregon has worked to restore the Historic Columbia River Highway, opening small sections at at time. As of this year, 62 of the original 73 miles are now open to travel either by motor vehicle or foot and bicycle. The driveable sections of the old road have been restored to their original 1920s appearance.

Columbia River view from the tunnel's window

One of these sections of restored Historic Highway lies between the towns of Hood River and Mosier, my destination for today. This portion of the highway has been converted into a hiker/biker path. As mentioned earlier, one of the highlights of this trail is the Mosier twin tunnels, two old highway tunnels that have been restored to near-original condition. The tunnels feature two beautifully arched windows that allow visitors wonderful views of the Gorge.

Rock guard structure at the western end

After driving through torrential rain most of the way, and thinking several times "what the heck am I doing?", I arrived at the trailhead. Minutes after stepping out of my car, the rain stopped. Taking this as a sign, I shouldered my backpack and camera and headed out.

More trail scenery

I couldn't have picked a better time of the year to introduce myself to this trail. The leaves were in full fall regalia, and the scenery was amazing. The cloudy skies, which I'd cursed all the way to the trailhead, provided me with nice light for photos. I moseyed my way down the nice wide asphalt path, making frequent "Kodak moment" stops.

Lovely fall colors

Some of the old highway features, such as white picket fences and rock walls, were restored along this portion of the path. In a couple of places side paths split off from the path, leading to overlook areas. The clouds lifted enough to provide me Gorge views in both directions.

Trail overlook

It didn't take very long and I came upon the famous tunnels. Oh, and they were spectacular! As amazing as they were to build, I was even more impressed that they were uncovered and restored for a second time. There are two tunnels in line. The first one is 288 feet long, followed almost immediately by a second, shorter tunnel. A concrete roof now connects the tunnels. The two windows in the first tunnel have been reopened. And the view from those windows to the river down below was breathtaking. For safety reasons, bars now cover the openings, but I stuck my camera through the narrow slots and got some images anyway.

Self portrait along the trail

While I was at the tunnel, the rain started up again. So I just delayed my departure, and hung out inside taking more photos. At the western end of the second tunnel there is a steep rock wall that has a reputation for being unstable. As part of the tunnel reconstruction work, a concrete shed was built for 700 feet beyond the second tunnel. This structure protects path users from falling rocks. Because the I-84 freeway and a mainline railroad track is directly below this point, the structure had to be designed to catch and capture any large rocks that fall from the slope above. So this thing is pretty beefy. I felt very safe walking under it's massive concrete roof and beams.

A blaze of yellow

After the rainstorm let up, I continued my walk, exploring the path beyond the tunnels. Thick trees dressed up in bright yellow leaves drooped over the trail creating a narrow corridor.

Patchwork quilt of color

After the second overlook beyond the tunnel (which was a particularly scenic view featuring a patchwork-quilt of oranges, yellows, and greens) I decided to head back to my car. The day was getting late, and the sky looked ready to let loose again.

Mosier totem with Coyote Wall in the distance

I made it back to my car ahead of the next cloudburst. I hadn't brought much of a lunch, and it being way past noon, I was mighty hungry. Before heading home I stopped in the town of Mosier and loaded up on junk food from the tiny general store. Coming out of the store, I spied this cool totem pole across the street. The sun came out for a final blast and lit up the area. You could see Coyote Wall, across the river on the Washington side, and it was dressed up nicely for fall. A beautiful end to my hike.

So even though the weather was discouraging, I managed to find a calm place amongst the storm. And learned a bit of history to boot. So next time it's raining in Portland, I'm heading east!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T19:41:00.000-07:00

No, I didn't carve these. The pumpkins were from a Halloween party I attended last weekend in Bend. But I thought the photo came out quite nice!