September, 2025

October 17, 2025 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

In September we visited an art festival, and went on two hikes in the mountains, and one at the beach. I took my usual neighborhood walks, read a few books, and made very little notable progress on my ongoing knitting projects. At the end of the month, we flew to the east coast to visit family there (next post).

9/1 – Art in the Pearl

Some of my favorite artwork in this year’s show:

9/2 – Crescent and Cannon Beaches, OR

A hot day in Portland. We drove to the coast for a short hike to Crescent Beach in Ecola State Park, then went to Cannon Beach to walk near Haystack Rock at low tide.

View to Crescent Beach and Cannon Beach from Ecola Point.

Trail through the forest, about 3 miles round trip.

Descending to Crescent Beach, looking south.

We walked down the beach and found a spot to eat lunch.

Zooming in on Ecola Point, where we began our hike. We hiked back up after lunch.

After an ice cream break in Cannon Beach, we walked toward Haystack Rock. It wasn’t a particularly low low tide today. My husband took a much longer walk, while I found a good perch right in front of the Needles, and watched several pods of pelicans fly north along the breaker zone.

Zooming in on The Needles, with pelican.

9/10 – June Lake, Mt St Helens, WA

Another hot day. Another relatively easy hike, first to June Lake, then up onto some of the lava flows (Worm Flows) on the south side of the mountain (4 miles, 800 feet).

Some of the late wildflowers along the way:

June lake is calm, reflecting the waterfall coming out of the lava flow above.

Then we went up a fairly steep trail, and onto the Loowit Trail, and the lava flows:

A glimpse of the top of Mt St Helens beyond the clouds.

We went just high enough to get the full mountain view.

Zooming in on a glacier near the summit ridge.

The trail not taken ahead – our knees and balance had enough for the day.

We descended, with another stop at the beautifully reflective June Lake…

9/16 – Little Crater Lake, Mt Hood, OR

And yet another hot day! Another easy hike, first to Little Crater Lake, then to the eastern edge of Timothy Lake along the Pacific Crest Trail (3.5 miles, 50 feet).

This small artesian spring-fed lake is always a treat, with its deep turquoise color, reflections and transparency. An indulgent photo stop.

We walked to the eastern edge of Timothy Lake, then retraced our steps.

Pacific Crest Trail – nice and shady on a hot day.

We were told we could see Mt Hood from the Timothy Lake Dam, so we drove around the lake to see the view – it was just a glimpse over a ridge.

Neighborhood walks

Flowers and landscape elements I noticed in September:

I haven’t done much quilting lately, so I composed a concrete quilt from some of my favorite sidewalk cracks.

September books

I finished six books in September. The most inspiring was the biography of Robert Louis and Fanny Stevenson – A Wilder Shore, by Camille Peri. They were a very unusual couple for their time. He chose writing instead of the family business of lighthouse engineering. She grew up in rural Indiana, spent time with her first husband in the mining camps of Nevada, then in bohemian San Francisco, before going to France with her children to study art. They traveled all over the world, by horse carriage, train and ship, eventually settling in Samoa. It seems amazing to me that they were so widely travelled, and that she lived her own style, ignoring much of the expected behavior of a proper Victorian lady. I was inspired to reread my childhood copy of his poem, The Land of Counterpane, from A Child’s Garden of Verses, with illustration by Garth Williams – this is one of the definitive visual memories from my childhood – the quilt, and the imaginary play it inspired.

Also in Portland…

Things started to heat up. Deliberate misinformation reported a ‘war zone’ throughout the city. The only actual activity is near the Federal ICE facility in southwest Portland, where the true spirit of Portland is on display in peaceful protests that defend free speech and due process. I am writing this in October, when things have gotten crazier but in September, we were just getting ready for threatened invasion! I’m sure I will be adding something about the frogs next month.

The rest of August, 2025

September 24, 2025 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

August began with a birthday week stay in Bandon on the southern Oregon coast. The rest of the month went by with the usual home activities, in Portland, Oregon, which, contrary to some news reports, is a very pleasant place to live.

Around the neighborhood –

Lots to look at this month while walking – gardens…

Sidewalk art, architecture, and more Portland quirkiness…

Yard creatures…

Homegrown treats…

Asters that survived the roofing, painting and tuck pointing.

Our neighbors shared their abundant tomatoes.

Knitting –

I made progress on my cardigan and a pair of socks. Our local coffee shop, KISS Coffee, has taken to reserving our Friday morning knitting table.

Reading –

Of the eight books I finished in August, my favorite was There Are Rivers In The Sky, by Elif Shafak. It is set in Victorian and modern London, and ancient and modern Mesopotamia, and links several character’s lives through water and literature. There is a hopeful conclusion, despite the hardships endured. I also enjoyed rereading the Elizabeth Von Amin books set in her German garden.

8/19 – A walk in the Wildwood Recreation Area –

This was the only hike for me in August, after our trip to Bandon. Usually August is a prime hiking month for us, but I had to address some health issues. There were many appointments, including PT for my wonky hip. Everything seems to be getting better, so I hope to have many more challenging hikes in the future. But one hot day, we drove up Mt Hood to the Wildwood Recreation Area, which we had not visited before. This is a BLM site, at about 1200 feet elevation, on the Salmon River. There are several miles of mostly flat trails through shady forest, and along the Salmon River. I imagine many school field trips come here because of the easy access, and abundance of educational signage and picnic tables.

Trailhead sign… we walked trails on both sides of the Salmon River.

In the parking lot, I watched a Big Leaf Maple leaf slowly float to the ground.

View to the nearby ridge across a marsh on one of the nature trails.

We saw a few very small fish in the viewing window. Salmon pass through here in spawning season.

The Wildwood Recreation Area was a great spot for some easy forest bathing on a hot summer day.

And lastly –

A few birthday gifts and cards…

An aspirational window sticker seen in the neighborhood…

There is so much going on that I am constantly whiplashing between system overload and full ostrich. It is a challenging time, and yet we will continue to do what we can to be hopeful and helpful.

Hiking, July 2025, Mt Hood, OR

August 23, 2025 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Of our five hikes in July, three were on or near Mt Hood.

7/3 – Picnic Rock and Umbrella Falls

This hike begins at the Elk Meadows trailhead. We walked uphill along flower-filled ski runs of Mt Hood Meadows, and across to the knob called Picnic Rock. We visited Umbrella Falls, then circled downhill through flower-filled forest to complete the loop.

Trail map, about 6 miles, 1000 feet elevation.

Flowers along the uphill trail…

This was a blooming bear grass year in the ski run slopes, with a view of Mt Hood

At Picnic Rock we had great views…

Ascending Picnic Rock – Mt Jefferson off to the right.

Closer look at Mt Jefferson and more Cascade Peaks to the south.

Looking east toward Bluegrass Ridge (burned in 2006), above Elk Meadows.

Penstemon clinging to the face of Picnic Rock.

We passed back through the bear grass meadows on our way to Umbrella Falls.

On the downhill trail, we passed through meadows full of sitka valerian, and swampy areas full of shooting stars and buttercups. Once in the forest, the Oregon anemones were sparkling up in abundance.

This was only my second time doing this hike, but it has become a favorite! Especially at this particular time in the bloom season. I hope to be back to explore some of the other trails in the Mt Hood Meadows area.

7/10 – Lookout Mountain

The next week, we hiked the short, sweet (3 miles, 550 feet) loop to Lookout Mountain from High Prairie trailhead. We have done this one many times, and it never gets old! The lower part of the trail crosses a couple of large meadows.

Shooting stars, buttercups and bistort at the High Prairie Trailhead.

Eventually, we ascended to the ridge where views opened up…

Mt Hood ahead, with paintbrush, scarlet gillia, and lupine.

Close up of the southern flank, where we were hiking last week near Mt Hood Meadows.

Cooper Spur, and the Eliot Glacier, near where we will hike at the end of the month.

Mt Hood from the top of Lookout Mountain.

Mt Jefferson and the other Cascade Mountains to the south, with ground squirrel.

Lots of wildflowers to look at here, as well…

The summit slope has tufts of wildflowers.

Sulphurous buckwheat, transitioning from red-orange to yellow.

More views on the return trail…

The iconic volcanic spire, with Mt Hood beyond,

The main challenge for this hike is the slow bumpy road up to the 6000 foot trailhead.

7/10 – Cloud Cap Shelter and Timberline Trail High Point via the East Eliot Moraine.

This long favorite hike also begins with a long bumpy drive up gravel switchbacks, and through a burned ghost forest. From the Cloud Cap Saddle Campground we hiked about up along the crest of the East Eliot Moraine to the Cloud Cap Shelter for lunch. Then we continued south along the Timberline Trail, the high point, about 7300′, for a total of about 5 miles, 1500 feet.

From the crest of East Eliot Moraine, our trail goes up hill toward the Eliot Glacier.

We crossed south toward the Cloud Cap Shelter for our lunch break.

Lunch view of Mt St Helens through the haze.

Also, Mt Adams to the north, beyond the Hood River Valley; and Cloud Cap Inn, near our trailhead, on lower near right.

Cloud Cap Shelter; Cooper Spur and Mt Hood beyond.

After enjoying a good rest rest in the shade at the shelter, as it was a hot day, and I was having trouble with the uphillness of it all, we decided to continue on to the trail high point.

We crossed a few snow banks in the shaded wrinkles of the mountain.

Then we retraced our steps, back along the seemingly barren slopes, with lots of subalpine flowers blooming amid the rocks.

Our trail carved out of the edge of the sky.

Tufts of yarrow and buckwheat on the slopes.

As we walked the Timberline Trail beneath the Eliot Moraine, I spotted the giant teetering boulder that I have noticed in previous years. It’s still there…

Teetering boulder on the edge of the Eliot Moraine

Lewis monkey flowers, asters, and lupine in Tilly Jane Creek, almost back to the trailhead.

Another enjoyable day on Mt Hood. I was really out of shape this year – life circumstances have interrupted my spring hike season. This hike, which I have done easily before, was hard! I hope I will be in better shape for the next time!

Next..

Our other July hikes were on Mt Adams, and at the Oregon Coast – to be reported in the next posts.

August 2024 Hiking

September 7, 2024 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

I went on four hiking adventures in August – two to the coast on very hot days, and two to the slopes of Mt Hood.

August 5 – Ecola State Park and Hug Point, Oregon Coast

I like to spend my birthday in nature. It was too hot for hiking inland, so we headed to the coast for the day. We started at Ecola State Park, had a picnic lunch with a view, and took a 3 mile hike down to Crescent Beach and back.

View south from Ecola Point

Looking north from Crescent Beach toward Ecola Point

High tide was in the middle of the afternoon, so we wandered around Cannon Beach for a bit. I treated myself to a few quilting fabrics at Center Diamond, then we had an early dinner in town.

Birthday fabric, including puffins that remind me of Iceland.

Next, we went to one of our favorite beaches – Hug Point. First we walked south, looking at all the landmarks from the summers we spent entire weeks here with our kids.

View south from Hug Point

I was pleased to see pods of pelicans flying along the surf line.

The Cave

Big Barnacle Rock and Castle Rock

The little blue cottage on the bluff where we spent many a happy summer week

Farther south, more pelicans on a sand bar

Pelicans!

Then we walked north, up over Hug Point.

Walking toward Hug Point,

as the tide is going out.

View north from Hug Point

and looking toward the beach just on the other side

Oyster catcher among the mussels, barnacles and anemones on the Hug Point road bed

The Waterfall

Goodbye for now…

It was a beautiful evening – not too crowded, hot, or windy. As we drove home, I was completely satisfied with my birthday adventure.

August 8 – Sitka Sedge State Park, Oregon Coast

Another hot day inland, we decided to investigate this relatively new State Park near Pacific City, a little farther down the coast from our usual spots.

Our trail through Sitka Sedge Natural Area, about 4 miles.

The entry trail along a dike separates the Sand Lake Estuary from a wetland to the south. Then the trail goes through a vegetated dune that runs parallel to the coast. We walked through the forest for a bit, and ate lunch looking back toward the estuary wetlands.

Sand Lake Estuary

Sandy trail over the dunes

Heron and gulls from our lunch stop

After lunch we emerged onto the foggy beach, and walked south for a ways, before circling back up and over the dune, completing the loop to the entry trail.

Emerging onto the beach

Looking north, beach off limits for now, as it is sand plover nesting season.

Looking south – lots of jellyfish in the flotsam

And back over the dunes…

It was a good place for a walk on a hot day – we saw a few birds and a hang glider, but not many other people.

Wetland south of the dike, with sand pipers

Sand pipers

Yellow legs

Cedar waxwing

August 14 – Umbrella Falls, Mt Hood

Another hot day, and an easier trail on Mt Hood. I still feel like I am getting my hiking legs back. I had never been to Umbrella Falls, always opting for the harder hikes in the area that go up higher on Mt Hood. Also, one can practically drive to Umbrella Falls from the Mt Hood Meadows parking area, but we wanted to hike. This trail offered a fair amount of shade, some wildflower meadows, a peek at the mountain and two waterfalls.

Mt Hood, from Hwy 35

Shady trail junction from the Elk Meadows Trail

Views across the ski runs of Mt Hood Meadows

We could see the top of the mountain from our shady lunch spot

Mt Hood, Sitka Mountain Ash berries

Umbrella Falls

Umbrella Falls

Fireweed

Meadows of pearly everlasting

Pearly everlasting

This tree spoke to me on the way down

Trail junction

It turns out that the trail viewpoint of Sahalie Falls requires scrambling down a steep cliff, but I could see from the map that we could drive to a better view point along the frontage road.

Sahalie Falls, from the old road

Trail Map – 4.3 miles, 700 feet elevation gain.

August 20 – Cloud Cap Shelter and TImberline Trail High Point, Mt Hood

One of my favorite spaces on the edge of the sky…requiring a long drive up a deteriorating road to the trailhead at the Cloud Cap Campground (elev. 5800 feet). Then up the rocky and sandy East Eliot Moraine trail, a few close ups of the Eliot Glacier during our lunch stop, a visit to the Cloud Cap Shelter, then a gradually rising track across the alpine slopes to the 7300 foot high point on the Timberline Trail. The mountain was mostly under the cloud cap today, but I still and always enjoy the elevation and the views!

Looking northeast from the East Eliot Moraine – Mt Adams peeking through the clouds, and our starting point from the Cloud Cap Campground. The Cloud Cap Inn/Crag Rats Headquarters has a new roof!

Zooming in on Mt Adams

Looking along our trail up the moraine toward the Eliot Glacier

The Cloud Cap Shelter on the skyline

Zoom view

The mountain is trying to come out!

Eliot Glacier close ups…

Elliot Glacier

Eliot Glacier

Sun break

Crossing south to the Cloud Cap Shelter

No one else here, though we did pass a few groups of backpackers today.

Lupine and buckwheat

Southbound along the cairn-posted Timberline Trail

And looking back northeast – the Hood River Valley beyond.

Asters

Partridge foot

A few short snow crossings

Approaching the high point of the Timberline Trail

My husband took this photo of me walking along the high point ridge to our usual rest stop.

The other side of the ridge – Mt Jefferson on the horizon. The Timberline Trail continues down to Gnarl Ridge.

Mini lupine

Heading back to the Timberline Trail high point saddle – We can see Cooper Spur, but the top of Mt Hood is still hiding under the cloud.

We walk back along the edge of the sky.

We take the main Timberline Trail below East Eliot Moraine on the way down, and I look for the giant boulder that has been teetering on the edge the last few times we have hiked here.

It is still here!

Monkey flowers and lupine in Tilly Jane Creek

And this little ground squirrel, wishing us farewell until next time…

Later in the month, my husband had a surgery on his hand, so we will be curtailing our hikes for a few weeks. But there will be more adventures soon!

Hiking in August 2023…

September 14, 2023 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

We had five outdoor adventures in August.

August 1 – Bird Creek Meadows, Mount Adams, WA

The hiking trails in the Yakama Nation Track D were opened earlier this year, in good time to see the lush wildflower meadows the area is famous for. We repeated the loop we hiked in September last year, this time seeing the full midsummer display.

We began again at Bird Lake:

Mt Adams and Bird Lake

Bird Creek Meadows hike track

We started uphill through the burn zone toward Bluff Lake, lush flowers along the trail:

Bluff Lake

We continued upward toward the Trail of Flowers, passing Staircase Falls on the way.

Wildflower meadows all the way up.

Staircase Falls

Remnants of the picnic area along the Trail of Flowers

We continued upward, along trails through dryer slopes, also lined with flowers, to the Mt Hood viewpoint.

Mount Hood to the south

Continuing upward, through more wildflower meadows, to the Hellroaring Viewpoint…

Elephanthead lousewort in the meadows on the way to Hellroaring Viewpoint

Mt Adams from Hellroaring Viewpoint

Hellroaring Falls

Top of Mt Adams, with glaciers

We returned down, then west along the Round the Mountain Trail, then down to Crooked Creek Falls, through wildflower meadows all the way…

Crooked Creek

Approaching Crooked Creek Falls

Crooked Creek Falls

We completed the 6 mile/1000 foot loop, hiking back down through the burn zone, and back to Bird Lake.

These meadows were beautiful in their fall colors last year, but I am glad I got to see them in full summer wildflower bloom again!

August 8 – Vista Ridge, Mt Hood, OR

Another trip up to Wy’east Basin from the Vista Ridge Trailhead, one of my favorite hikes on Mt Hood.

Hiking up Vista Ridge through the burn zone, trail lined with pearly everlasting.

Panorama view of Mt Hood, the Pinnacle, the Dollar Lake Fire burn zone

Coe Glacier, Mt Hood summit

At about 5600 feet, we came across patches of avalanche lilies and beargrass, and the beginning of the alpine flowers.

Beargrass

Avalanche lilies

Heather and beargrass

More alpine flowers:

avalanche lilies

lupine

paintbrush

pasque flowers

We reached the Timberline Trail, then continued a little further uphill into Wy’east Basin, admiring the flowers.

Looking north from the Timberline Trail towards Mt Adams

Looking up toward Mt Hood and Barrett Spur

Shooting stars

Partridge foot, paintbrush and heather

Eventually we returned down Vista Ridge. The fireweed was just beginning to bloom, and we noticed lots of new fir trees in the burn zone.

Vista Ridge

Fireweed buds

Tiny fir tree

Golden rod and fireweed

Mountain ash berries and fireweed – I love the color contrast!

And of course I greeted my favorite haunted trees!

August 16-18 – Beach Walks, Cannon Beach, OR

A HOT week in town! On fairly short notice, we were able to book a room for two nights in the Tolvana area of Cannon Beach. The room was expensive, even though the view was to the backside of Mo’s Restaurant. However, it was within a short walk or drive to some of our favorite beaches. Our timing for low tide wasn’t great – around sunrise and sunset, but we made the most of our three days on the coast.

Our first afternoon, sunny and beautiful, we walked south from Tolvana Beach:

Our first pod of pelicans

sand plovers

Our favorite pizza restaurant. We bought a pie big enough to feed us for two dinners!

South Cannon Beach

After dinner, we walked north to Haystack Rock as the tide ebbed.

Haystack Rock

anemones

sea stars

The Needles, photobombed by a sea gull!

We saw more pelicans and a lovely sunset:

Pelicans again!

The next day, during high tide, we hiked at Oswald West State Park, out to Cape Falcon…

Into the woods toward Cape Falcon

Looking south from Cape Falcon

Zooming in to the southern headlands

Pelicans on the headlands

Looking down to surfers at Short Sand Beach on the return hike…

The trail is a bit rooty…

Then we drove south to the Neahkahnie Lookout above Manzanita, and as always, paused to say, “Thank You!” to Oswald West, for preserving access to our beaches!

Then we took the short walk to Devil’s Cauldron Overlook, and looked back north to Cape Falcon.

Devil’s Cauldron and Cape Falcon

More pelicans on the headlands near Devil’s Cauldron.

After a second pizza dinner, we took a long evening walk to the south toward Silver Point.

Silver Point in the distance

The kids always called it “Big Starfish Rock” because we found so many sea stars the first time we went there.

Low tide

Oyster catchers

The Sphinx of Arcadia

The next morning, after packing up, we visited another favorite beach, Hug Point, even though the tide was coming in.

Hug Point Beach

We could see the tide coming in at the foot of the road that is carved into Hug Point.

My husband opted to wade through, and visit the point.

I visited the nearby waterfall, still a favorite spot for children…

Hug Point stream meets the sea…

We turned and walked south toward Arch Cape, along the lovely wide beaches where we spent many family holidays.

South toward Arch Cape

Big Barnacle Rock and Castle Rock

The Cave

Before driving inland, we stopped for a picnic lunch at Ecola Point, and for a last look at the beaches we had visited. We had walked almost 20 miles on the beaches and headlands within this view, and enjoyed our time on the edge of the continent.

August 22 – Wildwood Trail, Portland, OR

On a hot day we hiked a three mile loop on the Wildwood Trail in Hoyt Arboretum.

Into the woods, looking for shade.

Found some on the Redwood Trail

Vine maples

Took a rest on the Redwood Deck.

Tupelo trees beginning to turn near the archery grounds

No view of Mt Hood from the Viewpoint

Asters

Beech seedpods

Beech trees in the Winter Garden

August 31 – Coyote Wall, WA/Multnomah Falls, OR, in the rain

Our son visited from Philadelphia, and brought a friend. She had never been here before, and as luck would have it, her week coincided with a spell of old school Portland summer – lots of overcast and/or drizzly days, which seem to be more of an anomaly in recent years. She didn’t even see Mt Hood until the day she flew home. We drove to the eastern Columbia River Gorge to look for sun, and took a slightly rainy hike at Coyote Wall.

Coyote Wall – not crowded today!

Looking east across the golden grasslands

Looking down over the wall at our trailhead

Turnaround point – we went about 2.5 miles, round trip.

Silvery buckwheat among the golden grasses

We made the mandatory stop at Multnomah Falls on the way home; still a bit rainy, but also, relatively uncrowded as a result.

Multnomah Falls

The rest of July 2023 in Portland

August 10, 2023 / margaretquilts / 2 Comments

We arrived back in Portland (from our Italian Dolomites hiking trip), on July 13th after about 23 hours of travel. The next few days were a mush of early bedtimes and wee hours wakefulness.

Our front garden bed was bursting with blooming zinnias and snap dragons when we returned.

On July 16th, we visited with family in Eugene, and had an al fresco lunch in one of my favorite gardens:

One of my sisters returned with us for a long delayed visit. We enjoyed walks in my neighborhood and other neighborhoods in Portland, as well as a visit to Powells City of Books.

dahlias

roses

lavender

lilies

nicotiana

Wishes

Cosmos

painted garage

rudbeckia

sidewalk quilt pattern

handmade flowers

sunflower

hydrangea

floral bouquet

Hikes

We hiked to two areas east of Mt Hood with blooming wildflower meadows:

Location of trails hiked in July east of Mt Hood

Cook Meadows, July 18th – We wanted to take my sister for an easy, beautiful wildflower/forest hike, so we tried to go to Lookout Mountain, just east of Mt Hood. Unfortunately, it was closed due to recent fire activity, but some Forest Service workers pointed us to the nearby Cook Meadows Trail. While we didn’t reach a high point, we walked along the shoulder of the ridge, through both shady forest and sunny wildflower meadows, with views to Mt Hood. The meadows were red, with more scarlet gilia in bloom than I have ever seen before. I also saw catchfly and horkelia, two new-to-me flowers, though I have known they were out there for the spotting.

Scarlet gilia and Mount Hood

Red meadows of scarlet gilia

Scarlet gilia

Dusky horkelia

Oregon catchfly

The trail passed through patches of meadow and forest, with so many wildflowers!

Heading into the forest

Buckwheat and butterfly

Arrowleaf groundsel, butterfly

Emerging sugar stick

Columbine and mountain bluebells

penstemon

asters and Sitka valerian

Scarlet gilia and horkelia

Scarlet gilia, penstemon, buckwheat

Zoomed in views of Mt Hood:

Close up of the giant boulder on Cooper Spur, and the Eliot Glacier beyond

Elk Meadows, July 25th – Later in the month we returned to Elk Meadows on the east side of Mt Hood, a few weeks earlier than last summer, so saw an earlier suite of wildflowers.

Approaching the trailhead – though cloudy from the Portland side, the mountain was out to the east!

The switchback hanging gardens were mostly past bloom, with sparse sections of flowers, including these lovely Cascade lilies.

Columbine, groundsel and bugbane on the switchbacks

The famous crosshatch tree

Once in the meadows, there were plenty of flowers, especially compared to last year.

7/25/2023 Bog orchids and Gray’s lovage, Elk Meadows

8/30/2022 Purple gentians in the mostly dry meadows

Some of the flowers we saw this year:

Bog orchid

Swales of bog orchids, also some yellow orchids

Lovage and lupine

Rosy spiraea

Comparison photos from last year, looking toward Mt Hood from near the Elk Meadows Shelter

7/25/2023 Lots of lovage

8/30/2022 Goldenrod

Looking back toward the shelter and burned Bluegrass Ridge:

7/25/23

8/30/2022

Today’s close up of Mt Hood, and the Cooper Spur boulder, also seen on our Cook Meadow hike:

The cloud stayed near the top of the mountain most of the day,

but we could see Cooper Spur and the boulder…

Returning down the trail…the Newton Creek crossing can be difficult, but this year, two logs over the deepest part made the crossing easy.

Looking back upstream at Mt Hood after crossing Newton Creek

Downsteam view of Newton Creek

Crafting – I did not get much knitting done on our travels, but continued working on my ongoing knitting and quilting projects at home.

The Meadowlands blanket

The first set of blocks for the Modern Quilt Studio Summer Camp Mystery Quilt

On to August, and to more posts about our hiking trip to the Dolomite Mountains of Italy.

June 2023 – so far…

July 14, 2023June 19, 2023 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Hikes

June 1st- Tom Dick and Harry Mountain on Mt Hood – I hadn’t been up here in a while – there was still a bit of snow, mostly on the lower trail through the forest, and around the far side of the lake.

Skunk cabbage and snow on the lower trail

Camp Creek

Mirror Lake

Trillium just blooming

Mt Jefferson from the upper trail

Mt Hood and Mt Adams from the summit

Mirror Lake and Mt Hood on view during lunch, which I did not share with this persistent ground squirrel

Last view of Mt Hood as we descend.

June 6th – Hardy Ridge, WA – We started this 2000 foot hike in the cool of the morning, and there is a lot of shade along the way, but it got up to 90 degrees by the time we finished. Too hot to go all the way to Phlox Point. We had lunch in the one shady spot near the first viewpoint above the ridge crest.

Anemones were among the many flowers blooming in the shady forest.

Mariposa lilies and paintbrush on the sunny ridgecrest

Mt Adams on view just beyond our lunch stop/turnaround point

Splendid view from the ridge crest: Mt Adams, Table Mountain, Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River, Hamilton Mountain (which we climbed last week) on the near right, and Mt Hood on the far right between the two trees.

June 12th – Wahkeena – Multnomah Loop, Oregon – Another trail I hadn’t been on for a while. Plenty of water in the falls, abundant greenery and wildflowers blooming, and lots of people near Multnomah Falls .

Entering the Multnomah Falls viewing zone. We turned right, and started walking the loop counterclockwise.

First stop – Wahkeena Falls.

Up to Lemmons Viewpoint, with a panoramic view across the Columbia River to Washington.

Continuing up Wahkeena Creek – lots of monkey flowers.

Fairy Falls in the bright sun.

Foot of Fairy Falls.

Salmon berries near the trail junction/lunch stop.

Cool waters near Wahkeena Spring

The next section of trail follows a nearly level contour through the forest high above the river. I have always experienced a great sense of peace walking through here.

Eastward between the two creeks

Columbine

Tiger lilies and peas

Iris

Even with burned trees I find this trail section so peaceful.

Next, the trail leads down Multnomah Creek, passing three other waterfalls before Multnomah Falls…

Top of Ecola Falls

Wiesendanger Falls, with a few people enjoying the beach

Dutchman Falls

Almost to Multnomah Falls – mock orange and a view to to the Columbia River

Lower Multnomah Falls and Benson Bridge – the top destination for many visitors.

Upper Multnomah Falls, in bright sun, from Benson Bridge.

Bottom of the Upper Falls

Multnomah Falls from the viewing plaza.

I always enjoy this hike – not too hard, and lots of peaceful forest above the waterfalls.

In town…

Summery things – roses blooming, farmer’s market salads, shadows and quirky neighborhood adornments…

Our roses all bloomed at once!

First summer tomato salad

Summer sky

Summer shadows

Whimsical garden post

June 4th – Peninsula Park Rose Garden, NE Portland – I have wanted to see this garden in full bloom, and since our roses had burst out, it seemed a good time…

Plenty of people enjoying the sunshine and roses!

Knitting

Starting things – A new pair of traveling socks, a new donation blanket, and a new shawl…

Socks

Meadowland blanket

Shawl

Quilting

Not starting things…I was planning to start the next Modern Quilt Studio Mystery Quilt, but life got busy. I have fabric, and hope to start in July.

Batik fat quarters for my next quilt…

June 7th – Portland Modern Quilt Guild Rainbow Quilt Show at Powell’s Books – I just happened to come across this colorful and inspirational show on my first visit to Powell’s in a very long time.

A few of the quilts on show…

And since it is Pride month, I will end with this heartbreakingly aspirational meme.

The rest of my June adventures will be in the next post.

October 2022 – Hiking

November 30, 2022 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Three mostly repeat hikes in October: Vista Ridge on Mt Hood, Indian Heaven Wilderness in Washington, and Oaks Bottom in Portland.

10/3 – Vista Ridge, Mt Hood

This is one of my favorite hikes on Mt Hood – especially during wildflower season. Today we enjoyed the fall colors in the burn zone – bright red huckleberries, white pearly everlasting, pink fireweed; and greeted a few of my haunted tree friends.

Huckleberries, pearly everlasting, and Mt Hood

Fireweed

We stopped in Wy’East basin (5800 feet) for lunch, then hiked a little higher, toward Barrett Spur.

Wy’East Basin above the Timberline Trail

Huckleberry foliage and faded wild flowers

Toward Barrett Spur and Mt Hood

North view, toward Mt Adams and Mt Rainier, behind the haze

We returned back down the Vista Ridge Trail, about 6.5 miles, 1500 feet for the day.

Pasque flowers

Huckleberry foliage

I stopped to look more closely at the fireweed – the four-petal flowers produce curly and fuzzy seedheads. On closer look, I noticed the seed casing split into four strands that curled away as the fuzzy seedheads emerged. I am not a botanist but found this fascinating.

Very few fireweed flowers still on view.

This four-part split seed caught my eye as I walked by. That is when I noticed this pattern on all the plants, though most were more fuzzy or curly, and less noticeable.

Fuzzier seeds, ready to fly.

We took a moment to look out east from Vista Ridge, toward The Pinnacle and Mt Hood, and the remains of the Dollar Lake Fire of 2011.

Farewell for the year to the haunted trees, by now knee deep in snow….

10/11 – Thomas Lake to Rock Lake to the Old Cascade Crest Trail, Indian Heaven Wilderness

A beautiful fall day. We found the huckleberry foliage still changing – some bright red, some still green, in the faded summer meadows, and no mosquitos!

Thomas Lake – Rock Lakes – Old Cascade Crest Trail Loop. About 7 miles, 800 feet.

Beautiful reflections in Heather Lake.

We continued past the first lakes on the trail, up hill, to the viewpoint of Mt St Helens,

and a glimpse of Mt Rainier.

Rock Lakes lunch stop

After lunch, we continued east beyond Rock Lakes, toward East Crater, to the junction with the Old Cascade Crest Trail. We had followed it north before, today we were trying the south trail.

There are many small lakes along this route.

The trail eventually crosses a large meadow, with a view of Gifford Peak beyond.

Looking back north toward East Crater, shortly before this trail intersects the Blue Lake Trail.

A shrinking lake near the trail junction.

At the trail junction, we headed north again to complete the loop. The Old Cascade Crest Trail is still used, and easy to walk, though it does not show up on recent trail maps.

Another peek at Mt St Helens beyond Eunice Lake on our return hike.

10/17 – Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, Portland

The standard 3 mile loop around the Wildlife Refuge, partly on the bike path, partly on dirt trails around the wetlands.

Wetlands and mausoleum mural from the bike path

Cooper’s hawk

Wood ducks

Oaks Amusement Park across the wetlands

Reflections

Hint of fall…

Later in the month we went to Washington, DC, where there were some long city/mall/museum walks, and to Shenandoah National Park, VA, where there were three other hikes, described in the next post.

Four views of Wy’east, August, 2022

September 7, 2022December 15, 2022 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Our four August hikes all had views to Mt Hood and to some of the other Cascade volcanoes.

from Lookout Mountain

Mts Hood and Jefferson from Three Corner Rock, WA

from Elk Meadows

from the East Eliot Moraine near Cooper Spur Shelter

Location Map

August 4 – Lookout Mountain

We took this short hike with our daughter on a hot day. There were late season wildflowers, views from Mt Rainier to the Three Sisters, and a head on view of the east side of Mt Hood.

High Prairie Trailhead

Paintbrush, Sitka valerian, and asters in the meadows

Mt Hood from the trail pinnacle. Elk Meadows are on the other side of the ridge in the middle distance.

Mt Jefferson and the Sisters to the south

Scarlet gillia, Oregon sunshine, buckwheat and penstemon on the upper slopes

August 16 – Three Corner Rock, WA

Another hot day with a slow pace. Again we could see three Cascade volcanoes to the north, and Mts Hood and Jefferson to the south beyond the telecommunication towers. Most of the way we were on the Pacific Crest Trail. We were passed by about twenty north bound hikers on their first Washington trail section.

Approaching Three Corner Rock

View south to Mts Hood and Jefferson

View north to Mt St Helens, Mt Rainier and Mt Adams

August 22 – Cloud Cap to the Timberline Trail High Point

A favorite walk, up the glacier moraine, toward the Eliot Glacier, then along the edge of the sky to the High Point on the Timberline Trail. Every year I that am lucky enough to hike here I take the same pictures, but they are always meaningful to me!

Mt Hood comes into view after a short, steep hike up to the crest of the East Eliot Moraine.

Mt Hood, Eliot Glacier

Washington Cascade Peaks to the north – St Helens, Rainier and Adams.

This year I noticed a humongous boulder perched on the edge of the moraine…

We continued up the moraine, taking in the Eliot Glacier views before turning south toward the Cooper Spur Shelter.

Foot of the Eliot Glacier in the valley

Foot of the mountain glacier

crevasses

a waterfall

more crevasses

Peak up close

From the Shelter we walked south on the Timberline Trail, up to the high point at about 7400 feet.

Cooper Spur Shelter

Not much snow left on the trail

Looking up about 4000 feet to the top of the mountain

Penstemon

Ground squirrel

View south from our rest stop on the ridge near the trail high point. The Timberline Trail goes down toward Gnarl Ridge. Mt Jefferson and the Three Sisters are on the horizon.

While looking back up at Mt Hood from the high point I could hear water flowing out from the snow banks.

Melting snow on this hot day.

We made our way back along the edge of the sky…

We continued down the Timberline Trail below the shelter instead of going up to the moraine.

Long slope between the peak and Cooper Spur Shelter.

Our down trail goes below the shelter,

toward the Cloud Cap campground.

Near Tilly Jane Creek, I looked up at the East Eliot Moraine and saw the precarious boulder I had noticed on the way up.

Precarious boulder perched on the edge of the East Eliot Moraine

Will it still be here next year?

Late season gentian and monkey flowers in Tilly Jane Creek

August 30 – Elk Meadows

Our first time to this location in a while. Most of the meadows were beyond bloom, except for late season gentians, fireweed, and goldenrod.

Clark Creek, with a beautiful bridge.

Newton Creek is more difficult to cross.

This log was fairly easy to cross, but more difficult if one has fear of heights or balance problems. One of the reasons we haven’t been here for a while.

The seven to nine switchbacks after Newton Creek can be a shady hanging garden. On this hot day, most of the flowers were past bloom, but we did appreciate the shade.

Third switchback viewpoint

Nearby crosshatch tree

Fringed grass of Parnassus and aster

Dried out cow parsley, aster and goldenrod

Lunch view from the first meadow opening – plenty of gentian in the mostly dry meadows.

A scrub jay watched us eat lunch.

After lunch we circled round the perimeter trail, then went to the shelter in the middle of Elk Meadows. We saw plenty of aster seed heads, some arnica in the shady areas,

also fireweed,

and false hellebore.

Wide meadows near the shelter had swaths of goldenrod.

View back to the shelter, and to the burned forest atop Blue Grass Ridge.

Mt Hood close up!

We returned the way we came, back down the switchbacks, over the log bridge, planning to return sometime soon to see fall colors, and maybe to extend our hike up to Gnarl Ridge and the Timberline Trail.