2018 Trips To Date
Bluegrass Ridge bike shuttle
1 miles of hiking • 3500' elevation gain •
Can't recommend this trail. So much blowdown from 2009 fire. We started at Tamanawas and took it to Polallie to the Bluegrass Ridge trail. Took it south for the long slog over a million logs. At Elk Mtn,, we dived down 2000 feet of crazy bushwhacking,which would have been fun if we handt been crawling through blowdown for the previous 3 hours. The best part of the trip was walking out through the closed Robin hood campground, totally wiped out by a major flood of Newton Creek. That place is worth returning to for further exploration.
June 19, 2018
Forest Park
9 miles of hiking • 2000' elevation gain •
Cool, early morning wanderings. The understory is SO BUSHED OUT right now.
June 16, 2018
June 13, 2018
1
June 12, 2018
Douglas Trail
8.5 miles of hiking • 1250' elevation gain •
Started at the Eagle Creek end and went up to Wildcat. First two miles of trail are overgrown, wearing shorts, shins pulped.
June 6, 2018
South Sister
15.5 miles of hiking • 5250' elevation gain • 1 night
Did S Sister on a Mazama Climb. Gorgeous day. Also included in the mileage is the little hike I did the night before around Devil's Lake to Devil's Garden which is a magical area with pictographs, marmots and pikas!
June 3 – June 4, 2018
May 24, 2018
Mt Hood Campout
7.5 miles of hiking • 1750' elevation gain • 1 night
Took the kids camping. The Clear Creek campground is a gem, just 7 well spaced spots, very quiet. Although I usually avoid campgrounds like the plague, this is where the trailhead is, and it was so inviting, we decided to stay! Did the Camas Prairie Loop hike, and the next day we visited Mill Creek Buttes, east of Surveyor's Ridge.
May 19 – May 20, 2018
Cooper Spur
10.2 miles of hiking • 3250' elevation gain •
Gorgeous day, we were the only ones up there! Road to Cloud Cap still gated. Snow appeared around the Tilly Jane Campground ~5700 ft.
May 16, 2018
Apron Falls
8 miles of hiking • 2000' elevation gain •
Had fun in the magical forest around Duncan Creek. I continued upstream beyond RailcarFalls and found myself in a maze of Weyerhauser logging roads.Tedious wandering through clearcuts and monoculture reprod, what a sad juxtaposition to the fairyland I had departed! Ended up on the backside of Archer and came down the powerline.
May 11, 2018
Coldwater Peak
16 miles of hiking • 4500' elevation gain •
Long day but conditions were perfect. Last time we were stymied by the snowfield above St Helens Lake. This time we brought Ice axe and crampons. Only used the former. Snow very soft.
May 8, 2018
May 6, 2018
Forest Park-Maple Trail Loop
8 miles of hiking • 1000' elevation gain •
New bridge in Saltzman Canyon!
April 26, 2018
Clackamas River-bike shuttle
8 miles of hiking • 1750' elevation gain •
Beautiful day. This is the perfect bike shuttle, uphill on foot via trail, downstream along the road by bike.
April 24, 2018
April 23, 2018
April 18, 2018
Lyle Cherry Orchard and Rattlesnake Falls
8.5 miles of hiking • 2000' elevation gain •
Escaped the rain. Flowers coming on strong!
April 10, 2018
April 7, 2018
Spring Break in Joshua Tree
20 miles of hiking • 2500' elevation gain •
Family Trip to LA and our first time to Joshua Tree NP. Had fun climbing, hiking and running in the desert.
March 30, 2018
March 20, 2018
March 15, 2018
March 14, 2018
1
Cat Creek meander
6.5 miles of hiking • 2250' elevation gain •
Quiet day up there, flowers emerging, ticks are jumping, and poison oak is waking up!
March 7, 2018
February 21, 2018
2
Sisters Backcountry
18 miles of hiking • 2000' elevation gain •
We attempted to do the traverse from Dutchman Flat to Three Creeks, but had to start in a snow storm, temp in the low teens, visibility poor. After 3 miles and 3 hours of breaking trail in knee deep powder, we knew we were not going to make the first hut before nightfall. We turned back and regrouped at a hotel.
The next day the hut owners gave us a snowmobile ride up to Three Creek Lake and we got to spend the night at the second hut. Fun skiing around that area, and the ski out the next day was mighty fine!
February 19, 2018
MSH
9 miles of hiking • 4500' elevation gain •
Gorgeous day, tons of people on the mountain, including many skiers, snowboarders and dogs! Seemed like a tourist trail and quite a few plodders not very well prepared. Above 6000 feet the temp dropped and snow was very icy, crampons needed.
At 7000 ft we saw a scary accident. A fellow tried to glissade a very steep and icy section, he quickly lost control and made no attempt to self arrest. He hit the rocks, ice axe flying through the air, and tumbled down into the adjacent gully. He raised his hand after a minute, and a group went to his rescue, I don't know what kind of injuries he sustained. We were all shaken witnessing this. Had two folks who had no previous crampon/ice axe experience. We decided to turn around and make our leisurely way down the mountain. Got quite a few good glissades in the softer snow at lower elevation.
February 10, 2018
Archer
3.5 miles of hiking • 1000' elevation gain •
We have an exchange student from Germany who recently joined our family. I wanted to show him the gorge.
January 28, 2018
2
Fish Lake Guard Station
8 miles of hiking • 1500' elevation gain •
We rented some Forest Service cabins at this historic site on the Santiam Wagon Road. Has been around for 100 years as a waypoint for pack trains. Really delightful cabin with a great porch overlooking the lake. First two days were rainy, had to drive further up to Santiam Pass to get some snow action. On the third day we woke to a magical new layer of snow all around us flocking the forest and muffling the air. Fish Lake sits on a holey lava bed and drains in the summer to become a meadow. Hiked and skiied all around the area, complete solitude.
January 25, 2018
1
Sedum Ridge via PCT
12 miles of hiking • 2250' elevation gain •
Trying to reach the special spot. Haven't made it yet.
January 16, 2018
January 14, 2018
Sedum Ridge Trail
8 miles of hiking • 1750' elevation gain •
First hike of the year! Did not hit persistent snow until 2600 ft.
January 8, 2018
