Pond Skim!

Last year I skied Mt Bachelor on its final day of the season.  The place knows how to close in style, boasting a huge beer garden, live music, and the staple of spring skiing everywhere - a pond skim competition (check out photos here).  It was so much fun, my friend Kim and I vowed to return the following year.

Spring skiing on the "White Ribbon of Death"

Fast forward to Memorial Day weekend 2018.  Kim and I journeyed to Mt Bachelor to once again partake in season-ending festivities .  Unlike the snowy winter-spring of 2017, we discovered the warm, dry weather of April and May had nearly decimated the mountain's snowpack.  Instead of massive mounds of the white stuff, we found a narrow band of snow covering most of the higher runs.  It was just barely enough to ski on.  Talk about the "white ribbon of death!"  (I thought that only happened in early season)

We ran into Dolly Parton!

Nonetheless, Kim and I were here to celebrate the end of another fine ski season, and we weren't about to let lack of snow stop us.  We rode the lift up, and began sliding down a slope of slushy spring corn, already warmed by the morning sun.  It's a tradition for some folks to dress in crazy costumes on the last day, and right away we ran into a man dressed as Dolly Parton.  (His boobs were bigger than most women's!  Ha!)

Kim enjoying the snow

Despite the narrow snowfields, slushy conditions, and crazily-dressed people, Kim and I got in a solid dozen runs before another activity stole our attention......

Time to watch the pond skim!

It was time to watch the pond skim!

View from above

For those of you new to my blog, a pond skim is a contest where skiers and snowboarders slide down a steep slope into a large body of water.  The object is to hit the water at the proper angle and velocity so that the skis (or snowboard) skim across the entire pond. 

Wipeout!

Easier said than done!  From our vantage point, we witnessed many wipeouts.

Contestants walking back up to try again

Of course the crashes were the best part!  That and the crazy costumes most of the contestants we wearing.

This guy made it

A  panel of judges sat on the sidelines.  Contestants were evaluated on their performance (but I've yet to figure out how the scoring system worked).

Scottish skimmer

I think wearing a creative costume garnered a few bonus points.  I liked this Scottish skimmer.

Wild costumes!

Of course, contestants weren't the only ones who dressed up for the occasion.  We ran into quite a few folks who used the last day of the season as an excuse to don crazy outfits.

We found Waldo!

We even found Waldo!

Leprechaun rider

After watching the show from high above, Kim and I ditched our ski gear at the car and found a place poolside.  A much better location to view the action.

This doesn't look good

And a great place to capture the daring (or crazy) riders with my camera.

Tandem skimmers

These two young guys rode on one pair of skis - and they made it all the way across!

The superhero makes it

Here's a guy dressed as a superhero (not sure which one).  His superpowers must have been working because he successfully crossed the pond.

A new way to waterski

There were lots of young kids partaking in the skimming.  I was a little surprised their mothers allowed them to participate.  One young lady, after being fished out of the water, remarked to the audience "Don't tell my mom!"

Backwards??

And if screaming full speed down a steep slope into a pond wasn't crazy enough - a couple of guys did it backwards!

One of the better wipeouts

Not all were successful.  This was one of the best crashes caught with my camera.

Crazy spectators

In between riders, the spectators provided great entertainment.

Parting the water

This lady was squirting the spectators

One lady came roaring down on a snowboard brandishing a huge squirt gun.  As her board hit the water, she let loose and drenched the audience.

But she ended up on the sidelines

She didn't quite make it across, landing on the sidelines.

Still smiling

But as you can tell by her smile, she still had a good time.

A jump at the end

This was a very unusual sight - a contestant in normal ski wear!  This guy did a little jump as he exited the pond.

Unicorn man

Here comes Unicorn man.  His friend was sliding behind, filming him as he hit the water.  Unfortunately, both guys sank.  The cameraman threw his camera onto the shore at the last minute.  It might have saved the camera from water damage, but I don't know if it survived the impact.

Fishing out a lost ski...

Of course, Mt Bachelor provided several guys with long poles to fish people and lost skis out of the drink.

And an unsuccessful skimmer

This guy looks like a drowned rat!  The crazy thing is, a lot of these people headed back up the hill, wet costume and all, to try again.

The abominable snowman!

One of my favorite costumes from last year, the abominable snowman, was back again for another try.  Sadly he sank again....

So ends another ski season.  Goodbye, Mt Bachelor!  See you next winter.  And see you next spring for another thrilling pond skim.

Balsamroot Paradise

After enduring a rainy April weekend, I was more than ready to get my spring wildflower fix.  Rumor had it the balsamroot were in top form east of Mosier.

Good morning from Rowena Crest!

If there's wildflowers to be photographed, I'm there!  Early that next Saturday morning I packed my camera and headed east.  I didn't quite make the sunrise at Rowena Crest, but as a consolation prize, the early morning light wasn't too shabby.

Balsamroot twins

And the balsamroot were in full bloom.  The just-risen sun illuminated their cheery yellow petals nicely.

The blue Columbia River

Aside from a few photographers parked along the roadway, there weren't many people around yet.  And only one vehicle was parked at the Rowena Plateau trailhead.  Getting up early has it's advantages!

Layered hills line the river

I wandered out onto the plateau, following it's well-worn trail.  Clumps of balsamroot filled the adjacent fields, providing a nice foreground to the layered Gorge cliffs and Columbia River below.

Desert Parsley

Lots of yellow blooming here!  Along with the balsamroot, Desert parley added to the spring color.

Old barn perched atop a steep cliff

Orchards and farms dotted the adjacent hills.  Across a steep valley, I admired an old barn and farmhouse perched atop one of the basalt cliffs.  What a fantastic place to live!

Lupine just getting started

Although lupine is one of the prolific spring wildflowers here, it was just getting started.  I only found a few tiny blooms on the entire plateau.

More steep basalt walls

It was about a mile ramble to trail's end at a steep cliff showcasing a most excellent Gorge panorama looking westward.  The mighty Columbia gleamed a sparkling blue.  It was wonderful to take in this lovely scene, especially since I had it all to myself.

Gorge panorama at trail's end

Although I'd met only one person on my way out to the overlook, I encountered many folks on my return trip.  The rest of the world had finally woke up, and they were converging on the plateau trail.

Backlit blooms

Time to head back and find another area to explore.  And I knew just the place.

Sunny yellow flower

Last year I discovered the Memaloose Hills.  An area of rolling hills and meadows east of Mosier, the variety and number of flowers blooming blew me away.  It was hands-down one of the best spring wildflower displays I'd seen - ever.

Flowers line the Memaloose Hills trail

Lucky for me, the Memaloose Hills trailhead was just down the road.  Although I worried about securing a spot in the tiny gravel parking area, my good fortune continued as I got the last space. (I should've bought a lottery ticket!)

Mt Hood view from Marsh Hill

The trail system here is very informal.  No signs direct hikers to viewpoints.  Last year, I found Marsh Hill by accident.  Although I didn't make it to nearby Chatfield Hill, I decided this time I'd be sure and visit both places.

Flower-covered Chatfield Hill

Balsamroot, lupine, larkspur, chocolate tiger lilies, and many other wildflower varieties lined the path through an old oak forest.

Chatfield Hill had most balsamroot I'd seen this year!

I met a man hiking back towards the trailhead who gave me directions to Chatfield Hill.  He highly recommended I visit, commenting he'd never seen so many flowers in bloom.

More Hood views here too

First I hiked what I knew, following a large group of people up the side of Marsh Hill.  The balsamroot bloom was as good as I'd remembered from last year, and I also got great bonus views of Mt Hood.  But the large group of noisy hikers kind of ruined the vibe (and they all sat right down in the middle of the trail) so I didn't stay long.

Flowers carpeted the forest floor

Back down Marsh Hill, I looked for a side path leading to Chatfield Hill.  The man's directions were spot on, and soon had me wandering through a field full of tiny yellow buttercups.  Then I began to switchback upwards through another oak woods.

Lone tree on Chatfield Hill

And then the trees parted to reveal a wide open hillside.  To my delight it was carpeted yellow with balsamroot petals.  Just as the man described, it was indeed the best wildflower bloom I'd seen so far this year.

More lovely Gorge views

It took me quite some time to climb the final distance to Chatfield Hill's summit.  There were too many lovely scenes to capture.  Mixed in with the balsamroot were purple lupine and orange Indian paintbrush.

Indian Paintbrush

Once on top I admired the amazing view westward of the Columbia River and dramatic Gorge hills rising steeply up.  The adjacent property owner had sited a bench atop this knoll and tempted as I was to go sit upon it, a barbed wire fence with stern warning signs against trespassing kept me on the correct side.

Tip of Mt Adams

Off to the north, Mt Adams' white tip peeped above the foothills.

Chocolate tiger lily

Although the views were grand, it was very windy and cold atop Chatfield Hill.  That, and a conga-line of people continuously arriving made it a very busy place.  Not one for crowds, I cut my visit short.  Back down through the woods I trekked, snapping a few final photos.

One more balsamroot pic!

It was a successful morning's outing capturing wildflowers in the eastern Gorge.  I caught peak balsamroot bloom in both places and returned home with a full memory card and happy heart.