Rowland Wall, WA, and a Darning Pile

November 27, 2019November 25, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

November 16, 2019

We left Portland’s dense fog behind as we drove through the Columbia River Gorge to Catherine Creek Recreation Area east of White Salmon, WA. The fog was lifting to the east. I saw the wintering swans in Mirror Lake below Crown Point as we drove past.

Driving east on I-84 toward Crown Point.

Those tiny white dots are swans at freeway speed.

The upper reaches of the Catherine Creek area were still under fog as we hiked upward on the Rowland Wall trail.

Fog above us.

Orange oak trees, black volcanic rocks, golden grasses, Ponderosa pines, Rowland Lake.

Rowland Pinnacle

The clouds rose higher as we zigzagged up the trail.

Mt Hood in view as the clouds lift.

A relic apple tree from some past life.

Apples

Blue sky!

We lost the trail when hiking here last year and returned the way we came. Today we lost the trail again, but we were close enough to the top to bushwhack our way up to Atwood Road.

Lunch view – toward our starting point just beyond the Rowland Wall cliff.

After eating lunch with a stunning view of the land rolling away beneath us – river, cliffs, orchards of Mosier, we hiked down Sunflower Hill. At the edge of Rowland Wall, we saw the other end of the connecting trail we missed – we will find it next time! A story in every trail. Not many other people here today. We returned to Portland which was reported to be under cloud all day.

Walking down Sunflower Hill,

to the edge of Rowland Wall – reflections in Rowland Lake.

Orchards of Mosier across the Columbia River.

Mt Hood

Another train

Pre wildflower bonus shot:

Bitteroot foliage.

Hike #53, 5.1 miles, 1100 feet.

Knitting

I continue to make progress on my Meris Cardigan – but at three or four 300 stitch rows a day, it is slow going. That includes a little extra knitting when I have to find a dropped yarn over in the lace repeats. Meanwhile, I have isolated my Darning Pile – I hope I can show it finished by next week.

Three pairs of sock toes, and a sweater with a few holes.

Tamawanas Falls, OR

November 20, 2019November 19, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

November 10, 2019

I returned to this popular trail on the east side of Mt Hood with some trepidation, and conquered my fear. The last time I was here, in January of 2016, on snowshoes, my husband slipped over a cornice edge on the trail. He was rescued by some passing snowshoers, but then one of the rescuers slipped all the way down to the riverbank, and had to be rescued by Search and Rescue. I have avoided the trail ever since, even though it is not hazardous when snow free. I do love this trail – I saw my first Columbia Windflowers here one spring, and have enjoyed the hike many times. This day we were late for full fall colors, but saw yellow larches amid the evergreens. (Hike#52, 5 miles, 800 feet)

East Fork of Hood River, near the trailhead.

First view of Tamanawas Falls.

Lunch view, from the island in Cold Spring Creek at the base of the falls.

We explored a bit higher on side trail to Elk Meadows, and have plans to go farther in the future.

Yellow larches.

Mt Hood from Highway 35 in the afternoon.

Knitting

I finished the Spiral Cowl, and this biography of Edith Nesbit, a favorite children’s author.

Silver Falls again, knitting update, and the last of the Halloween witches

November 13, 2019November 13, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Silver Falls Loop Trail, November 1, 2019

Some fall colors still about, some frost in the canyon. Always lovely at Silver Fall State Park, Oregon. (Hike #51, 5 miles, 700 feet)

South Falls

Lower South Falls

View from behind Lower South Falls

Double Falls

Middle North Falls

Winter Falls

Frost

Knitting

I have knit past the joining on the Meris Cardigan, and the fit is good. The rows are long, so I will be at this for a while, knitting down the body.

I also finished a striped dish cloth,

and made progress on the Spiral Cowl.

The last witches of Halloween

Hiking to St Helens Lake / A Peek at Beatlemania and Halloween in Portland

November 5, 2019November 5, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

St Helen’s Lake, Sunday, October 27, 2019

We hiked from Johnson Ridge Observatory in Mt St Helens National Volcanic Monument to the St Helens Lake overlook for stunning 360 degree views. It was cold, but not too windy.

From the trailhead, Coldwater Peak is the highest point in view. St Helens Lake is tucked behind the ridgeline on the right, behind the arch.

Frost along the trail,

and Mt St Helens, herself.

Nearing our destination, nice view of Mt Adams and Spirit Lake.

One last ridge to traverse.

Lunch view and turnaround point – St Helens Lake. Mt Rainier, about 40 miles away, peeking over the ridgeline of the Mt Margaret backcountry.

Zooming in on Mt Rainier,

the Goat Rocks,

Spirit Lake, the silhouette of Mt Hood, and Mt St Helens, with Harry’s Ridge in the foreground.

One last look at St Helens Lake before heading down.

This entire area is off limits to off trail exploring, so there is no trail to the lakeshore. Before the 1980 eruption, the bare slopes were covered with soil and forest. New plants are growing, but the relic tree stumps and log rafts remain as they were after the blast.

Closer view of the 39.5 year old log rafts.

Zooming in on the dome and glacier in Mt St Helen’s crater.

We hiked partway up Harry’s Ridge on the return.

Another view of Spirit Lake and Mt Adams from Harry’s Ridge.

And a last look at Mt St Helens in afternoon light.

Some details:

We met a birder on the return trip who was very excited to have spotted this Northern Pygmy Owl on a fir tree. Nice display of tree stumps and blast-oriented logs in the background.

Northern pygmy owl.

A few very late wild strawberry blooms along the trail, nestled into the pumice..

(Hike #50, 10 miles, 2300 feet)

Downtown Portland

I met a friend at the Portland Historical Society Museum to see a photo exhibit about the making of flax into linen in the 1930s. It was fascinating, but not photogenic. I popped in to see an exhibit celebrating The Beatles’ 1965 concert in Portland. I was a preteen when the Beatles invaded, but my older sister swept us into fandom with her enthusiasm, and their music is timeless. My own children have had their Beatle years. We visited Abbey Road in London, and then went on the Magical Mystery Tour and to the Beatles Museum in Liverpool during our UK trip in 2011. It was fun to see a little slice of Beatlemania in PDX.

We had plenty of Beatle magazines and trading cards at my house, but not this game. It’s funny now to think how shockingly long their hair was considered- it looks pretty clean cut by today’s standards.

It was a gorgeous fall day in downtown Portland.

Oregon Historical Society Museum

First Congregational Church

Central Library

Neighborhood Witches and more:

There are many elaborate halloween decorations in my neighborhood to enjoy while out walking and admiring the beautiful fall colors on the day before Halloween.