Groovin' in the Gorge

I love live music.  It's always fun to see and hear your favorite band in the flesh.  And during the summertime there's no better concert venue than the great outdoors.

Let the show begin!

Back in 2011, I won tickets to see Styx perform at the Maryhill Winery.  Located on the Washington side of the eastern gorge, the winery constructed an amphitheater on the banks of the Columbia River overlooking vineyards, steep bluffs, and wind turbines.  It was such a perfect place to view a concert, I'd been wanting to come back ever since.

Maryhill amphitheater

When Maryhill announced their 2014 concert schedule, I was thrilled to see Styx on the list.  Even better - they were paired up with Foreigner.  Two favorite bands from my high school days! (Yes, I realize I'm dating myself)  I bought tickets the minute they were available.

Golden hills of the eastern Gorge

Concert day was the first Saturday of August.  Blazingly hot in Portland, temps only rose higher as Roger and I headed east.  But once we we arrived at the winery, and settled in to a spot on the lawn, a thin cloud layer slipped over the sun.  Ahhh....not having the sun's hot glare beating down upon us helped so much.

The local vino

The venue allows concert-goers to bring in outside food and sealed, non-alcoholic drinks.  But if you wish to imbibe, one must purchase wine from the winery.  And it isn't cheap!

Of course we had to try some!

But this was a special event, so we decided to spring for a bottle.  Gotta sample the local vino!

Foreigner takes the stage

Waiting for the concert to start, we lazed around in the grass, sipping our wine, eating our sandwiches and cheese, and watching the crowd around us.  It was people-watching at it's finest.

This guy's t-shirt made us laugh

There were lots of gray-haired people in the crowd.  Roger and I laughed about all the "old farts" sitting around until we realized most of them were probably the same age as us!  But it was fun to see so many folks having a good time.  Everyone reliving their younger years - remembering the first time they'd seen these bands.  We even noticed a lady, well into her 70s, who stood along the sidelines dancing away.

Colorful crowd

Foreigner took the stage first.  Although we were told by the people sitting next to us that the original band members no longer tour, the new "Foreigner" sounded just like I remembered from high school days.  They put on a great show and had the crowd rockin'.

Time for Styx

Then after a brief intermission, Styx took the stage.  As with Foreigner, there's only one original member of Styx that still tours with the band, guitarist Tommy Shaw.  Sadly, the man who replaced their lead singer (the amazing Dennis DeYoung) was nowhere near as good.

No more flicking your Bic - now everyone turns on their cell phones

At one point in the show, the audience was encouraged to turn on their cell phone screens and hold them high.  A 21st century equivalent of "flicking your Bic" before the concert (anyone remember doing that??)

Confetti finale

Styx only played a little more than one hour, before ending their show in a rain of confetti.  The sparkling paper bits twinkling in the stage lights made for a great photo op (except that someone walked into my frame....)

End of the show

Although Styx was a bit disappointing, it was still fun to be outside enjoying music and wine in a beautiful setting.  I'm ready to do it again next year.  Wonder when Maryhill's 2015 concert schedule comes out?


Sharing with:  Our World Tuesday

Summer Rose

Here in Portland we've been having an unseasonably warm summer.  Temps have soared into the 90s for days on end, and we've hardly had a drop of rain since late June.  Although dry summer months are common here in the PNW (our reward for enduring the fall/winter/spring rains) the hot temperatures are not.

Portlanders don't know what to with so much sunshine.  We're used to cool, rainy, cloudy days.  Local lawns and flowers are taking a beating.  Nearly all our flowers have dried up (well.....forgetting to water them doesn't help....but normally we don't have to water very much!)

Luckily we have a few hardy rose bushes in our front yard that are still producing some lovely blooms.  My hubby discovered this gorgeous rose the other day.  Not only a creamy white, it's petals are tipped in a delicate shade of pink.  Nice to have something to brighten up our fried front yard!


Linking to:  Our World Tuesday.

McNeil Point Revisited

 If you wanna see wildflowers, there's usually no better place to find them than McNeil Point.

Last of the Cascade Lilies

A trip up McNeil Point has become an annual tradition.  Of all the places I visit, this trail takes top honors as most-hiked.  Located on Mt. Hood's northwest shoulder, this ridge packs lots of high alpine scenery and incredible wildflowers.

Climbing the steep trail to McNeil Pt

I joined up again with my friend John and his hiking buddies.  He gathered a group of seven happy trekkers, and we set out from the Top Spur trailhead one sunny July morning.

View break!

The route up to McNeil Point is always the same.  A half mile climb up the Top Spur Trail to it's junction with the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) and Timberline Trail.  From there, our group contoured around Bald Mountain, to take in the amazing views of Mt. Hood's craggy west face.  Then, back to the Timberline Trail, for a nearly two mile trek before reaching the unofficial "scramble" trail up McNeil Point.

Resting in the meadow by McNeil Pt shelter

Hidden in the thick vegetation is a route directly up a steep, rocky cliff.  Only a half mile in length, it's a great shortcut to the McNeil Point shelter.  But hikers beware - it's a leg-burning, lung-busting doozy of a climb!

Mt Hood towers above the meadow

When hiking a steep trail, I find taking photos as I go is the perfect way to sneak in rest breaks.  I hung at the back of the pack so I could stop and snap whenever a lovely scene inspired me. 

All paths lead to the shelter

Panting, sweating, sometimes grabbing rocks to pull myself up, I slowly made progress.  Good thing the views were so wonderful, otherwise I wouldn't put myself through such a tough slog!  As I got higher, the horizon broadened, until the entire Sandy River Valley lay before me.  White-topped peaks of Mt. Adams, Rainer, and St. Helens began to appear on the northern skyline.

Shelter backside

After what seemed an eternity, the cliff finally topped out, and I glimpsed the roof of the McNeil Point stone shelter.  I had arrived!  My friends were already relaxing in the nearby meadow.

Red paintbrush blooms

Three of the guys, John, Steve and Randy wanted to continue higher up the ridge another mile to a killer view of Mt. Hood.  Normally, I would've joined them, but today I just wanted to hang out in the meadow with my camera.  So I stayed put with the other members of our party.  We had a nice leisurely lunch, soaking in the wonderful alpine panorama.

More Hippies!

Adjacent to the stone shelter, the meadows here are known for their prolific wildflower displays.  Past years, I've seen the entire slope covered in a colorful kaleidoscope of lupine, paintbrush, heather, and Western Pasque flowers.  However, it appeared this year wasn't a banner one for flowers.  Only a few lupine and paintbrush blooms straggled above the greenery.

Dueling photographers

But luckily there were plenty of my favorite - Western Pasque flowers, or as I like to call them, "Hippy on a Stick."  I think their fluffy seed pods are really cute.

Making a snow angel

And there was also a snowfield nearby.   Perfect for cooling off with snowball fights, or making a snow angel!

Crossing a snowfield

After a wonderful relaxing hour, the men returned to the meadow.  Together once again, our group headed back down via the "official" trail.  Much gentler than the ridge scramble, this path traverses a stunning alpine meadow before heading down a high rocky ridge to rejoin the Timberline Trail.

But first we had to cross a snowfield.

Top of the world views

Down in the valley below, I spied two small ponds (or "tarns" as they are called).  Our return path would  pass by both these tiny water bodies.  But right now they looked so far away!

The incredible meadow wasn't as colorful this year

My group traversed a lovely green alpine meadow.  In years past, this area had been dazzling with an abundance of paintbrush and heather (check out last year's post).  But this year's flower show was disappointing.  Only a few meager patches of paintbrush, and even less heather, bothered to show their colors.  I guess you can't expect every year to be a banner bloom.   

Another snowfield crossing

But it was still a lovely place, and I enjoyed the wide-open views from on high.  And we got to cross another snowfield.

Avalanche lily

On the other side, was an enormous field of avalanche lilies.  These were almost as good as paintbrush and heather.

Traversing a talus slope

The group traversed a couple of rocky talus slopes that offered great views of the nearby mountains (although somewhat hidden behind clouds).

Flower-lined trails

And we passed by an area thick with lupine and orange paintbrush lining our trail.  (By then Terri realized sticking with me meant she'd be in lots of pictures!)

Mt. Hood watching over us hikers

Connecting with a rocky ridge, we began to climb downward, all the while paralleling lovely glacial-fed Ladd Creek.  Mt. Hood rose behind us, looking quite magnificent in the afternoon sun.

Ridgetop panorama

It was an amazing parade of forested ridgetops, mountain lakes, and blue skies that we enjoyed all the way down to the Timberline Trail.  A feast for the eyes!

Perfect Mt Hood reflection in a small pond

But the best was yet to come.  Remember those tarns I'd spotted high above?  Arriving at the first of the tiny ponds, I walked around to the very end.  From last year's visit, I remembered there was a perfect view of Mt. Hood reflected in the tarn's waters.  Today's reflection was absolutely terrific.  Seeing what I was up to, my friends wandered over and joined in the photo session.

Hiking buddies make good reflections too!

These still waters were not only good for mountain reflections.  I also caught a nice shot of my companions returning to the trail.

Beargrass and bug

Although it didn't have the wonderful reflections, the second tarn sported a nice field of beargrass.  The only blooms I'd seen all day, it warranted a quick photo break.  I was lucky enough to catch a small bee gathering pollen in one of the plumes.

Afternoon sun looks good on Hood

Then, it was a long trudge through the forest.  But before putting my camera away for the day, I made one final stop at the last clearing.  Afternoon sun lit Mt. Hood, her glaciers illuminated gleaming white.  A fine view of my favorite mountain, and a great way to end another perfect trip to McNeil Point.

Although the flowers weren't up to their usual standards, the wonderful alpine views, sunny skies, and great company more than made up for the lack of blooms.  Any day spent on Mt Hood is a great day!

Stats:  8 miles, 2200' elevation gain.

 Sharing with:  Weekly Top Shot and Weekend Reflections.

Summitting Coldwater Peak

My summer wildflower tour wouldn't be complete without a visit to Mt. St. Helens.  Beginning in mid-July, colorful flowers carpet the barren landscape around this mountain.  Some of the best floral displays occur along the Boundary Trail from the Johnston Ridge Visitor Center to Coldwater Peak.

Dewdrop-spangled lupine

For the past three years, I've driven the long two hours to follow this trail.  One of my very favorites, it's a "must-do" on my summer hiking list.  But although coming close, I'd yet to summit Coldwater Peak.  A long hike, (nearly 13 miles) both prior visits I'd run out of time, and had to stop short of the goal.

The paintbrush are out in force!

Two weeks ago, I decided today was the day.  I rallied my friends Young and John, enticing them with glowing descriptions of the beautiful landscapes.  We arrived at the Johnston Ridge Visitor center to chilly temps and thick clouds.  Not exactly the conditions I'd hoped for, but at least it wasn't raining!

Furry friend

My friends and I started out on the Boundary Trail from the visitor center parking lot.  The parade of flowers began almost immediately.  Although there wasn't the large purple carpets of penstemon like last year, lupine and paintbrush almost made up for the deficit.  Plus, many of the lupine's petals were drenched in dew droplets, which made for some fine photo ops.

Entering Devil's Elbow

For the first two miles, our path ambled downhill across desolate plains scoured by Mt. St. Helen's 1980 eruption.  When the volcano exploded, this area took a direct hit.  But bright patches of vivid orange paintbrush and deep purple lupine brightened an otherwise stark landscape.

Young traverses Devil's Elbow

At the two mile mark, the trail abruptly changes direction and follows a ridge southward around a gravelly plateau.  The trail across this ridge is narrow, with steep slopes above and cliffs below.  Dubbed the "Devil's Elbow," it's not for the faint of heart.

But there is a reward for this treacherous traverse.  Reaching the plateau's point gives visitors wonderful up-close views into MSH's collapsed crater.  Sadly, there were no views today.  MSH decided to be shy, and hid behind thick clouds.

First glimpse of Spirit Lake

But this plateau offered other views, almost as nice.  Looking to the east, my friends and I glimpsed the southern end of Spirit Lake, and above it the treeless slopes of Windy Ridge.

Wildflower-lined trail

Then it was back on the trail, winding through a lovely flower-strewn gully.  This section had a small spring flowing through it's center, and all sorts of green vegetation had taken root here.  Some of the trees and brush were almost tall enough to offer a little shade (if there would've been sun!)

Heading up the ridge above Harry's Saddle

Then my friends and I climbed up a hot, dusty path to a low point between two ridges, named "Harry's Saddle."  This feature's namesake was none other than Harry Truman, a crotchety old man who ran a resort on Spirit Lake, and famously refused to evacuate before the 1980 eruption.  When the mountain blew, he and his 40 cats perished.

Incredible views of Spirit Lake

From Harry's Saddle our trail began to climb.  We trudged up a steep ridge, amongst more barren landscapes.  Weathered old logs and stumps littered the hillsides, ghostly remnants of a pre-eruption forest.

Although the scene in front was barren, all one had to do was glimpse behind for some amazing views of brilliant blue Spirit Lake.  The higher we climbed, the better the scenery.

Young finds some wild strawberries

Lots of low shrubs covered the hillsides.  Amongst the greenery, eagle-eye Young spotted a bunch of ripe wild strawberries.  Although smaller than their domesticated cousins, these tiny berries packed a huge punch of sweet flavor.

Yummy wild strawberries

Mmmmm good!  Young and I could've picked berries all day.  But John reminded us if we wanted to reach the top of Coldwater Peak, we needed to keep moving .

Dead trees from the eruption litter the slopes

More elevation gain, climbing the ridge through ghostly gray tree stumps.  Although the cloud layer lifted slightly, revealing more of the surrounding hills, MSH remained firmly hidden.

Walking through the ghost trees

Reaching the ridgetop, my friends and I were greeted with a new panorama.  Round, ultra-blue St. Helens Lake sat far below, while the peaks of Mt. Margaret wilderness popped above the eastern sky.  Flowers again began to line our path.  We dipped down a steep slope and walked through a unique rocky arch.

Photo op at rock arch

Looking at our watches, I was surprised to discover it was well past 1:30.  No wonder my stomach was grumbling!  Hoping we'd soon stop for lunch, I was a little disappointed when John suggested we push on to Coldwater Peak's summit and eat there.

Contouring around St. Helens Lake

Still over a mile from our day's goal, my enthusiasm for summitting began to wane.  Not only ready for some nourishment, I was also worried we'd end up finishing the hike at a really late hour.  But John and Young were set on reaching the peak's top, so I reluctantly followed their lead.

Coldwater Peak summit is in sight!

The trail contoured around the side of St. Helens Lake.  Lupine grew in great abundance, and before long we'd climbed high enough to get glimpses of Spirit Lake, over the ridge from St. Helens Lake.

We hit a junction, and then the climbing began in earnest.  Ascending 700 feet in a mere 0.6 of a mile, this was a sweaty slog.  And, looking towards the summit, I was disappointed to see it cloaked under a thick bank of fog.

Nice lunch spot

But, after what seemed an eternity, like ghosts out of a cloud, the summit's radio towers came into view.  Yahoo!  John found us a nice perch on the rocks, and we settled in to a well-earned lunch break.

Although there were no views to enjoy, I was still happy to be sitting on top of Coldwater Peak.  After two tries, I'd finally made it!  Now that the climbing was done, I was glad my friends had pushed me into completing this goal.

Flowers line the summit trail

But the afternoon was getting late.  Bellies full, and legs rested, it was time to head back.  The romp back down was a pure delight.  Numerous flowers bloomed thickly along Coldwater Peak's lush green slopes.  On the way up, I'd been too preoccupied with reaching the summit to stop and photograph anything.  But nothing was stopping me now.

Western Pasque Flowers (aka "Hippy on a Stick")

Some of my favorite blooms were the shaggy seed pods of the Western Pasque Flowers, or as I like to call them, "Hippy on a Stick."

Shades of pink and blue

These ultra-pink flowers (sorry, have no idea of the name) contrasted great with the bright blue waters of St. Helens Lake.  As I descended, the fog began to lift, offering tantalizing peeks of the landscape below.

Colorful lupine

The lupine here was gorgeous.  It came in several different shades of purple.  I've never seen different colors within the same plant.

Heading back to Harry's Saddle and Spirit Lake

After lots of camera clicks, we reached the main trail again.  From here, it was a quick romp back around St. Helens Lake, through the rock arch, and down the treeless slope back to Harry's Saddle.

Walking across a moonscape

Returning across the sandy plains, we again trekked around Devil's Elbow.  Only two miles left from here!  But I'd forgotten that the final stretch back to the visitor's center was uphill.  After nearly 11 miles, and over 2000 feet of climbing at that point, to our tired bodies this final leg seemed to go on forever.

Colorful flowers brighten the trailhead

After a long day's hike, there's no sweeter sight than glimpsing your vehicle in the trailhead parking lot.  (Especially if said vehicle contains post-hike goodies of microbrews and kettle chips!)  My friends and I cracked open some cold ones, and toasted to another successful hike - and now summit bragging rights!

Stats for the day:  13 miles traveled, 3000' total elevation gain.  Another year's visit checked off the list.

Sharing with:  Our World Tuesday and Wednesday Around the World