Weldon Wagon Road (18-12)

March 27, 2018March 27, 2018 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Weldon Wagon Road trail 3-25-2018 (#12)

Early flowers were out along this trail through the oak woodlands and open slopes in southwest Washington above the White Salmon River near Husum. This was my most elevation gained so far as I recover (4.5 miles/1300 foot rise), and I felt good. Progress!

Lower trail through oak woodlands

Views to the open slopes ahead.

A seat with a view at the halfway point

Last spring, the exposed upper slopes were a bright green and yellow balsam root meadow. Today we saw just one plant blooming along the trail,

and otherwise, the meadows and woodlands were still waking up, sprinkled with grass widows, buttercups, a few prairie stars, toothwort, yellow bells, blue eyed Mary, and Columbia Desert Parsley.

hound’s tongue

lupine foliage

blue-eyed Mary

yellow bells

grass widows and buttercups

yellow parsley

Columbia Desert Parsley

buttercups

Heading down in the afternoon

LOOKBACK: to May 2017 when the balsam root was in bloom-

May 2017

Knitting

Another scrappy tortilla washcloth for the 2018 stack:

I reknit the toes of the socks I finished last week so that the stripes would match.

The reknit toes

Elgol Cross Stitch update

I have been filling in the foreground with shadows and light – mostly pinks:

Cross stitch depicting the view from Elgol on the Isle of Skye.

Blooming in the garden

Tulips opening

Euphorbia

Shadows on a neighborhood stair

Rooster Rock and Memaloose Hills (18-11)

March 20, 2018April 9, 2018 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Rooster Rock 3/15/2018 (#10)

We took a short afternoon to explore the trails at Rooster Rock State Park. To the east, the beach trail gives views of Sand Island and the burned skylines in the gorge.

Looking east toward Sand Island and the beach trail

Sand Island

Burned Angel’s Rest and trees along the skyline

To the west we hiked to a close view of Rooster Rock. This park is very popular in the summer, but quiet today in the off season. (3 miles).

To the west

To the east

The waterfall above Hidden Lake

A robin

Looking east, Rooster Rock

Reflections

Rooster rock

Memaloose Hills 3/18/2017 (#11)

This is the earliest we have hiked this April-May wildflower eden between Mosier and Rowena in the eastern gorge.

Pinnacles along the lower trail between I-84 and Rt 30

Grass widows, gold stars, and a view across the Columbia River toward the labyrinth.

From the ledge above the lower trail one can look over to a cliff that hosts a great blue heron rookery. We only saw a few birds here today (grey spots), but in a previous year there were countless herons on this cliff.

Look for the grey blobs on the green slope near the top of the cliff

From the Hwy 30 Memaloose viewpoint one can look directly across the river at Catherine Creek in Washington.

It was interesting to see the early season flowers – gold stars, yellow bells, glacier lilies, early buttercups, Columbia desert parsley, and a few others.

Columbia Desert Parsley

Grass widows

Yellow bells and blue eyed Mary

Buttercup

Oaks toothwort

Yellow parsley

Glacier lilies

Fern

We hiked up a nearly barren Chatfield Hill, with extensive views at the top.

Hiking up

View to the west from the top

To the north and east

To the east, Tom McCall Point and Columbia desert parsley

Since the full flower bloom was not out, we returned by the loop through the oak woodlands on the north side of Chatfield Hill.

I hope the next time we take this hike it will be in full wildflower glory: a view from today compared with April 2015.

March 2018

April 2015

4 miles/800 feet.

Quilting

I spent a day photographing 13 of my quilts, and adding labels where omitted. I am getting closer to writing the stories of these quilts, which is why I actually started this blog!

Knitting

I finished the Strong Heel Socks, though I plan to reknit the toe where the knot in the yarn interupted the stripe sequence.

And in the garden:

Star magnolia

Spring creeping in…. (18-10)

March 12, 2018March 12, 2018 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Powell Butte Nature Park March 10, 2018 (#9)

Rainy week, sun on the weekend, warming trend. On Friday we hiked up this volcanic butte from the 148th Avenue trailhead. Excellent signage at the top explains the history and function of the butte as the main storage reservoirs of the entire Portland water system.

Water distribution schematic

Display of pipes that deliver our water, framing Silver Star Mountain

Cloudy skies so the Cascade peaks were not in view, but the sun was shining to the north on Silver Star Mountain and friends in Washington.

Silver Star Mountain

Old orchard on the top of Powell Butte

Crows in the orchard

We circled back through Douglas fir and cedar forests. A few early wildflowers were spotted.

Cedar forest

Toothwort

Indian plum

The Elderberry Trail stairs allow a quick descent.

A good close in walk, about 4.2 miles/500 feet.

Quilting:

The Jane Austen quilt is all done except the label and some good photos – hopefully by next week.

In my garden:

hyacinths

Crawford Oaks Trail (18-9)

March 5, 2018 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Columbia Hills State Park, WA, Vista Loop 3/3/2018 (#9)

We walked the lower loop from the Crawford Oaks trailhead, passing Eight Mile Falls.

Eight Mile Falls from the trailhead

Signs along the way document the depth of the Missoula floodwaters – always an exercise for the imagination that this landscape was scoured many times!

Eight Mile Falls from the trail

Back toward the river and Horse Thief Butte

Eight Mile Falls from the trail

The trail continues on a oak lined road along the creek, then crosses the creek.

Gold Stars and oak trees

We then headed south toward the river on the Vista Loop, along along the Missoula Flood scoured benches of volcanic rock, with views east and west in wide angle view.

View east along the Columbia River

West view back toward The Dalles; shoulders of Mt Hood behind the clouds on the right.

The trail crosses the power line corridor a couple of times.

Mt Hood is behind those clouds.

The crest of the Columbia Hills was draped with snow.

Dalles Mountain Ranch and Columbia Hills

Early spring blooms were sprinkled throughout the dried grasslands.

Gold Stars

gold stars

grass widows

parsley

fillaree, salt and pepper

yellow bells

A lovely 5 mile/1000foot hike – I had no problems, but I could feel my quads and triceps were a bit out of shape.

Quilting

I finished the crosshatch quilting in the center of the Jane Austen quilt, and made the binding. Still pondering center motifs.

Knitting

One sock done, another started. The strong heel fits fine – not sure why it isn’t more widely known, especially for people who don’t like to pick up stitches, and don’t like the wrap and turn short row heel.

Also, another scrappy tortilla is in the pile.

In my garden:

The first wind flower

In the meantime:

It has been almost two months since my surgery. I feel almost normal, but unfortunately, the growth hormone levels have not actually decreased as low as expected. It could still happen, but if not, then there will be trials of medication in store for me. I am visualizing a completely healthy and functional pituitary.

Margaret Quilts

Quilting, Knitting, Hiking

Month: March 2018

Weldon Wagon Road (18-12)

Weldon Wagon Road trail 3-25-2018 (#12)

Knitting

Elgol Cross Stitch update

Blooming in the garden

Rooster Rock and Memaloose Hills (18-11)

Rooster Rock 3/15/2018 (#10)

Memaloose Hills 3/18/2017 (#11)

Quilting

Knitting

And in the garden:

Spring creeping in…. (18-10)

Powell Butte Nature Park March 10, 2018 (#9)

Quilting:

In my garden:

Crawford Oaks Trail (18-9)

Columbia Hills State Park, WA, Vista Loop 3/3/2018 (#9)

Quilting

Knitting

In my garden:

In the meantime: