2014 in Photos

It's time again for my favorite post of the year.  I love looking back through past entries, remembering the fun ski trips, hikes, and new places I've been.  It's been a busy year for me - visiting three national parks (Crater Lake, Badlands, Olympic) skiing some new backcountry routes (including a Mt. St. Helens summit) hiking a huge number of trail miles, and running four races (one relay, two half marathons, and the Portland marathon).

As with previous years, I've chosen a representative photo from each month of blog posts.  Not all images chosen were my very best.  Some got the nod because they captured an especially meaningful moment in my life.

I hope you enjoy my 2014 visual scrapbook!

January

The Ornament Trail

A low amount of snow in the mountains meant hiking instead of skiing.  Accompanied by friends John and Young, we traversed the Columbia River Gorge in search of the famed Ornament Trail.  Our quest met with success, and I had a blast capturing a wee bit of Christmas deep in the forest.

February

Snowlandia

A rare mid-February snowstorm transformed Portland into Snowlandia.  Six inches of the fluffy good stuff fell at my doorstep.  Work was closed, and I spent a delightful two days playing in the snow with my doggie.

March

Crater Lake in Winter

A long time winter bucket list finally fulfilled, my hubby and I visited Crater Lake in winter.  We hit weather jackpot, arriving on the heels of a huge snowstorm that cleared out upon our arrival.  Two magical days followed, skiing and snowshoeing in wonderful fluffy powder, enjoying bluebird skies.

April

Summitting St. Helens

Ever since I started backcountry skiing, I'd longed to summit Mt. St. Helens on skis.  After a failed attempt in 2013, friends John and Young invited me on their yearly trek.  One of the toughest things I've ever done, it was a 7 1/2 hour grind to the top (losing my glasses along the way).  But once upon the summit, all strife was instantly forgotten.  Young captured my moment of glory.

May

The hunt for the auto

After seeing dozens of photos on the internet, I set out to the Dalles Mountain Ranch to capture their lovely spring wildflowers.  But my main goal was to find a rusty old auto slowly deteriorating amidst a field exploding with color.  It took some searching, but my quest met with success.

June

Evening at Ecola

An evening trip to the Oregon coast provided some wonderful light in which I captured one of my favorite beach scenes.  This shot of Indian Beach at Ecola State Park was definitely a winner.

July

Ed's Trail to Silver Star Mountain

Hands-down my favorite hike of 2014, I skipped work for a chance to join John on a trek up Ed's Trail to Silver Star Mountain.  The abundant flowers and mountain views made for a photographer's dream.  A wonderful group of hiking friends was icing on the cake.

August

Cooper Spur

Such a great month......so many wonderful  hikes.....how to pick a favorite?  After much pondering I decided the trip I made up Cooper Spur with friend Mary Ellen won the nod.  After several years of closure, the Forest Service finally opened the road to Cloud Cap Inn, providing access to this wonderful trail high on Mt. Hood.

September

Bear Butte, SD

On my annual family trip to South Dakota, I managed to squeeze in a couple hikes.  Climbing Bear Butte was actually my parent's idea.  It had been decades since I'd hiked here, and I found out quickly what I'd been missing.  Not only a spectacular panorama, also a great opportunity for quality time with family.

October

Broken Top Crater

It's no secret I love Central Oregon.  During a fall tour of this area, I explored some new trails and filled a memory card.  The hike I took with my brother into Broken Top Mountain's crater was nothing short of spectacular.

November

Ozette Triangle, Olympic National Park

Although foot surgery sidelined me the months of November and December, the blogging didn't stop.  A photo backlog from numerous fall trips provided plenty of material. And sitting at home gave me a chance to catch up!  A trip to Olympic National Park produced many great images, but this one from a hike on the Ozette Triangle was my favorite.  

December

Tamanawas Falls

My last hike before foot surgery, I visited two beautiful waterfalls on Mt. Hood's east side.  Arriving early in the morning, I had gorgeous Tamanawas Falls all to myself.

And.....A Bonus Photo

Abiqua Falls

Because I love waterfalls, I just had to include this shot of Abiqua Falls in my year-end recap.  A new place visited in 2014, it took a long drive along a horrible road, and muddy scramble down a faint path to reach this beauty.  Sometimes the best things in life require a bit of extra effort, but they're always worth it!


Thank you to all my blogger friends who regularly stop in and comment.  With all the photo-taking I do, my family and friends sometimes think I'm a little crazy.  It's nice to get positive feedback from fellow photographers who "get it."

Once my foot is healed, (hopefully I'll be skiing by MLK Day) I plan to get back on track, posting photos of my outdoor adventures.  Santa brought me a GoPro camera, and I'm itching to put it to use.  I've got lots of good stuff planned for 2015, so I hope you'll keep dropping by.

Happy New Year!