Dog Mountain Annual Flower Show

Dog Mountain is a humble green hump that rises from the Washington side of the Gorge.  Most of the year it is just a steep hike up to a summit through nondescript woods and meadows.  But during the end of May, its meadows explode into a dazzling floral display.

View ahead to our goal

It's an annual tradition of mine to hike Dog Mountain when the flowers are in bloom.  Of course, that's when everyone else hikes Dog too.  Late spring weekends the parking lot overflows into the road and there is a conga-line of people trudging up the trail.  If you're looking for solitude, you won't find it then!

Your choices?  Steep or steeper

But to me the incredible flower show is worth dealing with the crowds.  I missed hiking Dog last year, so I was bound and determined to get up there this spring.

Balsamroot blooms greet the hikers

But there's a high price of admission to this flowery wonderland.  Dog Mountain is a notorious quad-buster.  The trail begins climbing from the get-go and ascends almost 2900 feet in only three miles.  It is not a hike for the faint of heart or weak of legs.  But for those of us who thrive on climbing up steep mountains, it's a great conditioning hike.

I got to hike with Cody again!

Cody joined me for this year's annual Dog Mtn trek.  I have good memories of Cody and I on this trail.  Cody first did this hike back when he was about 10 years old.  He's always been fascinated with plants, trees and flowers, and I remember Cody having fun trying to identify all the different flora.  I have a favorite old photo of Cody at the viewpoint below the summit.  It's a cloudy, gray day and he's bundled up in an oversized fleece jacket with the hood almost covering his face.  Wind Mountain is shrouded in fog below, and you can tell the wind is blowing hard.  But there's big grin on my son's face and you can tell he's having a great time. 

The view from "Puppy Point"

A week ago, I had a Friday off from work, and the forecast was finally calling for sunny skies.  It seemed like a perfect opportunity to hike Dog Mtn.  I recruited Cody and the always-willing Bear, and headed for the Gorge.

Flowers and mountains

We arrived about mid-day and the parking lot was only half full.  I was glad to be able to hike on a weekday, because I knew come the weekend, this lot would be packed.

Chocolate tiger lilies

Cody, Bear and I headed up the steep trail.  The climbing starts immediately, and rarely gives hikers a break.  I thought after all the marathon training I did last winter/spring I'd be in better shape for hiking.  But no - I chugged and puffed up the mountain.  Guess hiking up hills with a loaded pack requires an entirely different set of muscles and conditioning!

Wind Mountain and the Columbia River

The first mile and a half of the trail takes you through the forest.  Then the forest opens up to the lower viewpoint, which some hikers have affectionately named "Puppy Point."  There's a nice view of the Columbia River in both directions and Wind Mountain dominates the western view.

Phlox blooms

And the flowers were out in force!  The entire hillside above Puppy Point was covered with bright yellow balsamroot.  This was the floral show I had hoped for.

A balsamroot flower reaches for the sky

After spending more than a few Kodak moments at Puppy Point, Cody and I continued our trek to the top.  The trail ducks back into the forest, and in some place steepens so much that you feel like you are hardly moving.  In the shaded areas, the snow had recently melted and produced a large hatch of gnats and small flies.  The bugs swarmed us whenever we stopped, and gave me a couple itchy bites.  I was hoping for a breeze at the summit to keep the bugs at bay.

Looking down the summit trail

Then we came to the second viewpoint, this one 1000 feet higher than Puppy Point.  The surrounding hillsides were covered with flowers, mostly balsamroot, but we saw a bunch of other varieties too.  Cody spotted a couple of beautiful chocolate tiger lilies.  Unlike the balsamroot, these flowers are not as common and it's indeed special to spot one.  I used my camera to document our find.

My reward

From the second viewpoint, it was a half mile and 400 feet of climbing to the summit.  The trail snakes through a grassy meadow that is usually yellow with balsamroot by late May.  But not this year.  Above the viewpoint, the balsamroot began to peter out.  Seems our cold and wet spring affected the timing of the bloom.  Luckily, there were other flowers in the meadow that made up for the lack of balsamroot.  So I had something to photograph!

Bear and I relax on the summit

I also had the wonderful sweeping views to focus my camera lens on. The lack of trees and the elevation of the meadow make for some grand vistas.  The Columbia River spread out before me, with Wind Mountain appearing far below.  Mt. Defiance, and a couple other Gorge high points were visible across the river.  I even spotted the tip of Mt. Hood and the top of Mt. St. Helens peeping over the hills.

Mt. St. Helens rises above the hills

I finally arrived at the summit, where Cody was waiting.  We grabbed a spot in the meadow and enjoyed lunch with a view.  Ahhh...... this was our reward for such a strenuous climb!

Another great hike with my son

After enjoying a wonderful lunch (PB &J never tasted so good!) and resting my tired legs, it was time to head back down.  After climbing all morning, hiking downhill felt heavenly.  Of course, after three miles of downhill I was ready again for flat land. 

I'm glad I was able to get up to Dog Mtn for this year's show, even if the flowers weren't up to their usual standards.  We had perfect weather, and smaller crowds.  And it was great to hike this trail with Cody again after so many years. 


:)

Urban Camping

For the past four Memorial Day weekends, we've had a standing tradition of camping with my brother Dale and his family at Lake Billy Chinook.  However, this past Memorial Day holiday, we broke that streak.  The weekend's weather forecast called for rain and very cold temps in central Oregon.  The mountains were supposed to get snow down to 4000 feet!  Tent camping in the rain and cold is not my idea of fun, so Roger cancelled our reservation and invited Dale to come visit us.

Max and astronaut JJ

Dale's two boys, Max and JJ, really love to visit OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry).  So after they arrived on Saturday, we went to check it out.

Nancy, Max and JJ trying to use a slide rule

It's been many years since I've been to OMSI.  I'd forgotten what a fun place it is.  Of course, for two young boys it is perfect.  The guys got right to work building earthquake-resistant structures, paper airplanes, and paddlewheel boats.  And it took a long time to get them out of the chemistry and physics labs.

Cody helps JJ with his boat

Cody was still home, and was happy for an excuse to join us at OMSI.  I think he had just as much fun as the younger boys.

Cody and I try to build an arch bridge

I even got in on some of the creative fun.  Cody and I attempted to build an arch bridge.  OMSI had a exhibit that consisted of a bunch of soft, numbered blocks.  Supposedly if you put the blocks together in the right order, they would form an arch bridge that could stand up on its own.  Well, we tried three times to assemble the arch, but the blocks always came tumbling down!

Roger's catch of the day

While the rest of us were having fun at OMSI, Roger was out on the Columbia River salmon fishing.  Luck was with Roger that day, because he came home with two salmon!  It's difficult enough to catch one salmon, let alone two.  So Roger was super-happy with his fishing trip.

Max and JJ show their enthusiasm for salmon

And our group was happy too, because we got to have fresh salmon for dinner!  Roger put the fish on the grill, and we had ourselves a cookout.  It was just like camping - except we had all the comforts of home.

Happy family photo

The next morning, the boys wanted to visit Oaks Amusement Park.  We had a little time to kill before the park opened, so I took everyone to Portland's Rose Garden at Washington Park.  The skies were cloudy, so we missed seeing the iconic view of Mt. Hood.  But the park was green and lush, and the rhodies were blooming.

No roses yet

However, the roses were NOT blooming!  Usually they are in full flower mode by the end of May, but our cold and wet spring has delayed everything.  But the park was still a beautiful place to be, and the boys had fun exploring and performing on the amphitheater stage.

Max and JJ have their ride bracelets and are ready for action!

Then it was off to the place Max and JJ were dying to see - Oaks Park!  Oaks Park is a small amusement park located on the east banks of the Willamette River.  As with OMSI, it had been several years since I'd been here.  It was great to have the excuse to visit again.  Dale got the boys their ride wristbands, and Max immediately headed to the roller coaster.

Max having fun on the roller coaster

Max loves wild rides and jumped right on the "Looping Thunder" roller coaster.  He came off the ride laughing, ready to do it again.  Cody and I followed the boys around and had fun watching them experience the rides.  But it was a really cold day and I was starting to get chilled walking around outside.  It sure didn't feel like Memorial Day weekend weather

Everyone watching Max on another wild ride

Oaks Park also has a very cool old-fashioned roller rink.  It has a original wooden floor, and a beautiful restored organ that sits on a platform above the rink.  The boy's ride wristbands included a free session of skating, so they decided to try it out.  I was more than happy to go inside and escape the cold weather!

Even though I didn't skate, it was fun to sit on the sidelines and watch.  Nancy and the boys donned roller skates and hit the floor.  It took a little bit before Max was able to move without clinging to the side, but JJ enjoyed the security of the wall.  Dale, Cody and I had fun watching the man operating the organ.  He sat in an enclosed booth with a viewing window.  It was amazing to watch this guy!  He was surrounded by three tiers of keys.  Both of his hands (and probably his feet too but we couldn't tell) flew across the keyboards, playing all the old favorites.

The boys ride the "Frog Hopper"

Sadly, time flew by way too fast, and soon it was time for Dale's family to head back home.  But it sure was a fun weekend.  My nephews gave me the excuse to visit a couple of places I haven't been to since my kids were young.  Although we didn't "camp" in the conventional manner, our families got together and had fun in the urban campground of Portland.  Sometimes traditions are meant to be broken!

:)

Hood to Coast Application (Dear Nuun - Pick Me!)

(Note to my readers - Nuun hydration products is sponsoring a contest for the 2011 Hood to Coast Relay.  Nuun is putting together a H2C team consisting entirely of female bloggers.  To enter, one must submit a "creative application."  The following blog post is my application.  Enjoy reading and wish me luck!)

The following is an excerpt of an interview by Runner's World Magazine with a representative of Nuun following the 2011 Hood to Coast Relay:

Runner's World:  Sounds like your Hood to Coast women blogger team was a rousing success.

Nuun:  Yes, we had a great time with a wonderful group of 12 outstanding ladies. 

Runner's World:  Were there any women on your team that stood out from the rest?

Nuun:  We really enjoyed Linda, a blogger who was coincidentally from the Portland area.  She's an avid photographer who keeps a great blog titled "Linda's Lens."  Linda loves the outdoors and runs, hikes, camps, and skis.  She brings her camera with her where ever she goes to chronicle her adventures for Linda's Lens.  Each post includes lots of great photographs, as well as entertaining stories behind the images.

Linda before the 2011 Eugene Marathon

Runners' World:  Hmmm....a running photographer?
Nuun:  Yes, Linda brings her camera with her everywhere, even when she runs races.  She takes photos on the run.  She brought her camera for the H2C relay, and captured tons of images of the entire event.  She was gracious enough to share her photos with both her teammates and us.  Linda said she can't wait to post photos and recap her H2C experiences on "Linda's Lens."




Photo from this year's Race for the Roses in Portland


Runner's World:   Linda sounds like an interesting woman. What did she contribute to your H2C team?
Nuun:   We really appreciated Linda's local knowledge. It came in handy quite a few times, keeping our vans from getting lost! Linda also gave her team the use of her home mid-race as a place to shower and catch a quick nap.

Linda was also a very fun-loving person. Her motto is that many runners are way too serious and we should have fun at races. She has a tradition of doing "the wave" and yelling "woo-hoo" at every mile marker in the races she runs. It wasn't long before she had everyone on our team repeating her mile marker celebrations. If there's music playing along a race course, Linda has been known to break into an impromptu dance mid-stride. She's not afraid to get wacky to provide motivation. She kept her teammates entertained and in good spirits the entire weekend.

From last year's Mickelson Trail Half Marathon in South Dakota

Runner's World:  What were Linda's running credentials?
Nuun:   Linda took up running two and a half years ago. Since that time she's run two full marathons, seven half marathons, and several other shorter distance races. She's lived in Portland over 20 years, and is very familiar with the H2C relay. She's always wanted to run this race, but didn't know anyone who had a team she could join. Winning this contest was a dream come true!

From the 2010 Nike Women's Marathon

Runner's World:   So what "creative" way did Linda capture your attention and win a spot on this team?
Nuun:   She posted this great mock-interview between us and Runner's World Magazine on her blog.  This post described herself and the contributions she could make to our team.  Linda also included several images that showcased photos she'd taken from past races. 

Self portrait on the run

Runner's World:  So you were pleased with your selection of Linda for your H2C team?
Nuun:  Oh yes!  Linda was a lot of fun to be around.  We enjoyed her energy, enthusiasm, and our team all loved her.  We appreciated Linda sharing her photographs and offering her help with logistics.  She was a great inspiration to the team.  We hope Linda can join us again next year!


So Nuun.... Aren't you glad that you chose me?

 :)

World of Waterfalls

The Eagle Creek Trail is my most favorite hike in the Columbia River Gorge.  Unfortunately, it's a lot of other people's favorite too.  On sunny summer weekends, Eagle Creek attracts huge amounts of visitors.  It's so popular the parking lot can fill up by 10 am, and the path is so jammed you feel like you're on a freeway.   That's why even though I love this trail, I don't hike it all that much.

Eagle Creek, near the trailhead

But last Friday, I had the day off.  I'd taken a vacation day in anticipation of a Memorial Day weekend camping trip.  A cold and rainy weather forecast forced Roger and I to cancel our plans.  Not wanting to waste a vacation day, I decided to go hiking.  Since it was a Friday, and the weather was kind of rainy, I decided to try the Eagle Creek trail.  I was hoping the wet weather, and the fact it was a weekday would keep people away.

Cool ferns in the forest

I decided it would be fun to try and get some good waterfall photos. So I packed up my camera gear and tripod. I also grabbed a pair of sandals. Spring means lots of high water, and I wanted to be prepared in case I had to wade into the creek to get some of my shots. Of course Bear saw me getting out my backpack, and stuck by my side like glue. There was no way he was letting me leave without him!

Fabulous trailside flowers

The wonderful thing about the Eagle Creek trail is the waterfalls. There are four major waterfalls, and in the spring, several other minor falls that thunder down the steep walls of this canyon. A short two-mile hike is all that is necessary to view Metlako and Punchbowl Falls. At mile four, Loowit Falls is visible. And if one follows the path six miles, they'll be rewarded with a grand view of Tunnel Falls - the best waterfall of them all.

There are cable handrails along the trail

The Eagle Creek Trail was constructed in 1910 to coincide with the opening of the Columbia River Highway.  The trail is something of an engineering marvel.  To keep a fairly flat grade through the steep canyon, the builders blasted ledges into the sides of sheer cliffs.  They bridged a deep narrow gorge, and chipped a tunnel behind Tunnel Falls (hence the waterfall's name!)  The parts of the path along the cliff have steep dropoffs, so cables were installed as handrails.

To protect you from dropoffs like this

There are times as I'm crossing these cliffy areas, I grab onto those cables and am very glad to have them.  Some parts of the trail have steep dropoffs, and if you fall, it wouldn't be pretty!

And this

Bear and I started out from the trailhead, and didn't get very far, when I became distracted by the beautiful trailside wildflowers.  Well, I'd brought my camera for a reason, and wasn't going to waste all this nice scenery without capturing it! 

Bear is posing for me

Progress was slow, as per usual, with me clicking away at the wonderful sights.  It had been a couple of years since I'd hiked this trail, and I remembered why I love this place so much.  Eagle Creek is jaw-dropping-ly beautiful.  There are huge lichen-draped old-growth trees hugging the sides of the trail, steep mossy cliffs, many sporting small impromptu waterfalls, and this time of the year, lots of colorful wildflowers.  Eagle Creek roared in the gorge below, sometimes very far down.

The creek is waay down there

I ran into a nice couple visiting from Florida who were just blown away by the scenery.  I got to play tour guide and gave them lots of info about the great places to visit in the area.  We leapfrogged by each other several times on the trail, usually when I stopped for a Kodak moment.

Metlako Falls

I finally arrived at Metlako Falls, the first waterfall on the trail.  The recent rains had this falls gushing mightily. You can't get real close to Metlako Falls.  It's only visible from a viewing area that juts out over the side of the canyon wall.  I straddled my tripod over a cable fence on the edge of the drop off.  There were some pretty pink flowers in the foreground I was trying to include in my shots, and this position was the only way I could capture them.  I didn't get too daring, but did succeed in getting some images I liked.

Bear patiently waits for me to finish my photos

As I was finishing up my photo session at Metlako Falls, a couple of young men came down the trail armed with cameras and tripods.  We exchanged hellos, and I found out one of the men is a prolific photographer and poster on Flickr.  I've seen lots of his work, and it is excellent.  It's always nice to run into fellow photographers who are as excited about shooting images as I am.

Punchbowl Falls

After Metlako Falls, it was only a short distance to reach the turn off for Punchbowl Falls.  A short, steep path takes one down the canyon to the rocky bank of Eagle Creek.  From there, it's a short walk to the viewpoint.  Or, at least during low water there's a dry viewpoint.  Today the water was so high that the only way to see the falls was to wade out into the creek.  Good thing I brought my sandals!

Punchbowl Falls in its green mossy grotto

Punchbowl Falls is a cute little waterfall situated in a round mossy grotto that resembles a punchbowl (another original name!).  The waterfall is in such a pretty setting, it's popular with photographers, and many images of this waterfall appear in calendars and books.

I changed into my sandals, and waded into the creek to capture my own images.  The water was freezing cold, and the rocks really slippery.  I almost went down once (which would have been really bad, because not only myself but my camera would have gotten wet).  I waded out as deep as I dared and set up my tripod.  I fired away, trying to collect as many shots as I could before my feet went totally numb.

I had to wade out into the creek like these guys to get my shots

When I couldn't stand the cold water any longer, I slowly waded back to shore.  As I was making my way out of the creek, I noticed the two young men I'd met at Metlako Falls on the river bank.  They were preparing to enter the water.  As I splashed out of the creek, I told them "It's all yours!"

Small creeklet

Not long after I was back on shore, the skies opened up and it began to pour.  Luckily, I had most of my camera gear packed away before it got too wet.  I was glad to be out of the water.  I wouldn't want to be stuck out in the middle of that creek in a downpour!  I left the guys in the water, their cameras clicking away.  I'm curious what kind of photos the guys captured, so I'll have to check the Flickr site and compare.  Despite the rain, I'm sure they got some really good ones.

Round a bend in the trail

I continued down the trail, planning to reach the next waterfall.  But the rain continued, and I began to get really wet and cold.  I decided to turn around at high bridge, about mile 3.5. 

Wildlife sighting near the trailhead

As I retraced my steps back to the trailhead, the rain began to subside and I enjoyed my return trip.  This is one trail I don't mind hiking twice.  Just as I was nearing the end, I looked across the creek and there on the opposite bank was a doe.  She was munching away on vegetation, totally oblivious to Bear and I.  I took out my camera.  That must've got the doe's attention, because she turned around and looked straight at me.  It was as if she struck a pose solely for my camera.  I fired off a few shots, but my autofocus didn't want to cooperate, so this was the best I was able to do.

Bear and I toweled off at the car, and I got to experience the wonderful aroma of wet dog all the way back to Portland.  Although the rain forced me to turn around prematurely, I still had a great day.  I got to visit some lovely waterfalls and hike one of my favorite trails.  Next time, I'm going all the way to Tunnel Falls and beyond.  I've got the waterfall bug now!

Return to Angel's Rest

Since I didn't do any "real" hiking during last weekend's coast exploration, I was more than ready to climb up some trail in the Gorge.  I wanted to choose a hike that had lots of wildflowers. This time last year the Angel's Rest Trail was sporting a beautiful bloom of larkspur flowers.  I decided to go check out this year's crop.

 

Little purple larkspur

The wildflowers of Angel's Rest did not disappoint.  I got my first larkspur sighting next to the trailhead sign.  From there, it just kept getting better. 

My happy pup!

Not too far down the trail, I ran into a huge purple mass of larkspur blooms lining both sides of the trail.  Forward progress ground to a halt, as my camera came out.  I spent at least 20 minutes shooting photos of the beautiful flowers. 

The flowers look like little purple birds

Bear started getting antsy, so I finally turned off my camera and continued the hike.  But we hadn't gone much farther when I encountered another huge mass of trailside flowers, this one even better than the first.

Gobs of purple flowers brighten the forest

I had no choice but to stop and take more photos.  There was so much larkspur blooming that it colored the sides of the trail purple.  I think this display was even better than last year's bloom!

Purple spot

I spent way too much time photographing at the second spot, and finally had to tear myself away.  If I kept this up, I was never going to get my hike in!

Looking west down the Gorge

I huffed and puffed up the steep trail, occasionally stopping for a water or photo break.  I began to get glimpses of the Columbia River through the trees.  Then I crossed a rockslide, and knew I was getting close.

Gnarled tree at the top

I've hiked Angel's Rest many times, and know where the good view spots are located.  When I reached the top, I bypassed the large rocks where most people stop, and headed for the bench.

Bear and I taking a breather on Angel's Rest

There's a sturdy wood park bench that sits near the edge of the Angel's Rest cliffs.  This bench is located in a very scenic place.  You can look east and west down the Gorge for fabulous views of the Columbia River.  I was lucky and found the bench unoccupied.  I claimed my spot, dug out some snacks, and had myself a nice break.  Although the skies were overcast, the Gorge panorama before me a was mighty fine sight.

Time to check out Devil's Rest

The Angel's Rest trail is a nice hike, but for me it's too short.  Whenever I'm hiking this trail, I always try to tack on a few additional miles.  Today I decided to try and hit Devil's Rest, and to make a loop, return on the Wahkeena Trail.  I've hiked to Devil's Rest a few times, but I've always approached from the Wahkeena Trail.  This time I'd be hiking to Devil's Rest from the opposite direction.

Pink flowers brighten the forest

I followed signs and trails, almost got lost once (and was saved by my gps) but finally arrived at the large rockpile in the forest that is Devil's Rest.  It's kind of a disappointing place - no views, just a bunch of huge, mossy boulders.  But it was past lunchtime, and I was hungry, so it looked like a great place to stop and nosh.

Lots of trilliums in the higher elevations

When I arrived, there was a couple already sitting amongst the rocks of Devil's rest.  We said our hellos, and I then busied myself with recharging my body's energy supply.  When I looked over at my neighbors again, they were deep in a long kiss.  Embarrassed, I turned away from their private moment.  Many minutes passed, and when I dared to look again, they were still smooching away.  The couple stayed lip-locked for at least ten minutes longer.  Uncomfortable to be intruding on such an intimate moment, I scarfed my lunch down, and headed back to the trail.

The cliffs of Angel's Rest

I headed down the Wahkeena Trail.  After climbing for most of the day, it was nice to let gravity do some of the work.  But sadly, what comes down must go back up, and to get back to Angel's Rest, I had to do more climbing!  Luckily, there were lots of pretty wildflowers to distract me from my slog.  And occasional photo breaks to give me some quick rest!

The trail home!

Finally the steep cliffs of Angel's Rest came back into view.  It was all downhill from here!  I was getting tired and footsore, so it was a welcome sight.  As I traveled back down the trail, I met tons of people hiking up.  Angel's Rest is a very popular hike, and on nice weekends attracts lots of people.  I was glad to have started early and avoided the crowds.

Although I didn't get any sun today, I also didn't get any rain.  The way this spring's going, I'll take the dry day!  Total stats for this hike:  10 miles, at least 2400' elevation gain to Devil's rest, and probably another 500' on the Wahkeena Trail.  Enough to get me tired and sore, satisfy my yearning for a hike, and give me lots of wildflower photos.