Ski Hooky

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

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

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

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

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!

:)