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Wednesday, December 31, 2014

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!

36 comments:

  1. Fabulous review of your hikes. It's enough to make me want to move out west! Every one is an inspiration to get out there exploring! Happy 2015!

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  2. Love all the photos. I got Trips and Trails Oregon book from my husband for Christmas. Grest places still left to visit in our beautiful state. Mend well my friend. Happy New Year!!!

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  3. Linda, you have chosen a gorgeous series to share here. Thank you so much for being such a great friend, and for all your wonderful posts. Happy New Year to you. :)

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  4. Lovely shares and yes, only fellow photographers understand, lol. Glad you are healing. Wishing you A Very Happy and Healthy New Year to you and all your family!

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  5. Such pretty pictures. The teahouses in your previous post remind me of the chalets in Glacier.

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  6. What a year in photos! I enjoyed them all very much, the places you visit are so beautiful and you capture them so nicely! Happy New Year:)

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  7. Gorgeous photos! What a great year you had. I hope 2015 will be an even better year for you. Happy New Year!

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  8. Fabulous choices!
    I think we're all a little daffy when it comes to photography. But it's what we love to do.
    May the new year bring you good health and much happiness!

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  9. Hello Linda, you have had a great year hiking in many beautiful places..It is hard to pick a favorite, I love them all. I have enjoyed following your adventures.. I hope to see many more from you in 2015..Wishing you and your family a happy & healthy New Year!

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  10. Your pictures just inspire me to get a trip to the PNW on the calendar. Pam and I always talk about it when we are together! Hopefully, one of these days it will happen. Hang in their with the foot - you've been patient and I know that has been hard. I'm hoping for perfect skiing conditions for you the minute you are able to get back out there!

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  11. Your pictures are simply stunning! I am gobsmacked by several of them, like the Oregon beach, the waterfalls, oh man! Thank you so much for these, I am glad I've found you! :-)

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  12. Wonderful choices, Linda! I wish you and your family all the best in 2015!!

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  13. What stunning collections of pictures,looking forward seeing this year, my friend♪
    Happy New Year and may the new year be the bright, healthy one for you and all of your loved ones;
    Sending Lots of Love and Hugs from Japan, xoxo Miyako*

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  14. A fantastic review of the year, Linda. I love your wide-brimmed hat in the Cooper Spur shot.
    Best wishes for better foot health in 2015, and for a Happy New Year in general.

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  15. Wow! What a neat way to look back at the year! And what an amazing variety of hikes you managed to do! love it!

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  16. Absolutely stunning images throughout the year! And I totally "get it". Happy New Year, Linda. I look forward to more of your lovely posts and stunning photography.

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  17. What a fantastic year you had on the trails! I am going to pin this post so I can refer back to it as we travel this coming year. We'll be in SD in June and OR in 2016.

    Happy New Year to you, wishing you good health and great adventure in the year ahead!

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  18. Nice series- especially like your doggie

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  19. Lovely set of pictures. Thanks for the follow :o)

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  20. A beautiful retrospective of the year. Happy New Year!

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  21. Oh yes, I remember and loved so many of these! Ornament trail was one of my favs. Your photos are absolutely breathtaking and need to be made into postcards! Love your snow doggie! Happy New Year my friend!
    hugs,
    Jann

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  22. Great choices. Happy New Year, and happy healing!

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  23. What a great idea to create a blogging calendar of the past 12 months' activities, Linda. This is a beautiful collection. Wishing you total healing soon. (and thank you for your comments on my recent blog). Happy 2015!

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  24. Great set of pictures - do we really live on the same planet??

    Cheers and a Happy New Year - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  25. Lovely photos as always Linda! I have SO enjoyed traveling with you from the comfort of my recliner:) THANK you for making that possible by keeping a blog. Blessings for the new year!
    Aimee
    PS: LOVE your Bear:)

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  26. Thank you for stopping by my place and saying hello :)
    Your photos are beautiful and your December shot is just magic!
    It looks like you had a full year.
    Happy new year to you. I hope 2015 is full of more exciting hikes and gorgeous photos.
    Debs :)

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  27. A beautiful compilation! And a bonus photo, that's what life should provide in many forms for 2015. Have a great new year, all the best,
    Katrin

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  28. That's a year of beautiful photos with a variety of landscapes. Thanks for sharing them with us.

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  29. Happy New Year to you Linda !
    What a wonderful glimpse of your year .
    I ALWAYS love all your photos .
    Here to a NEW YEAR full of them :)))))

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  30. I had a much harder time picking favorites for my review of 2014, I can't imagine skimming back to only one per month especially with shots as gorgeous as you get! My favorite though is the one of Bear...I remember reading about our day of snow fun in Portland with him because your delight jumped right off the page. Same thing with your favorite hike of the year when you played hooky with friends. If I'm ever there in July that's where you're taking me, you know that, right?

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  31. What exciting adventures! My travels seem a bit dull now. Tom The Backroads Traveller

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  32. Thanks for the taste of beautiful Oregon, my true home State. We still spend summers there every year! It's lovely to see your pictures and your love of the State shines through each one!

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  33. Wow! So much beauty! I have so enjoyed following your blog. Our bucket list has always included Oregon, I ve bookmarked some of my favorite places you have shown us. Happy trails to you in 2015!

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  34. What a great idea, to post a "year in review" of your favorite places. I have really enjoyed following you around on your hikes, especially to Central Oregon (Bend is one of my favorite places), and the Washington coast. I've bookmarked those two waterfalls; basalt cliffs and waterfalls... I just have to see them! You have a beautiful blog site, and your photographs are spectacular. I'm looking forward to your travels in 2015.

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  35. What a great year for you! So many fun adventures and awesome photos to remember them by. The Eds Trail one is my personal favorite, with those low clouds and plentiful flowers. Happy 2015 to you!

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  36. I love how diverse your trips are! I'm starting to really love the Cascades in Oregon too. Beautiful photos as always! I'm excited to see what you can do with the GoPro!

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