Oaks Bottom, a rainbow, and a knitting update

December 16, 2019 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

12/8/2019 Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge

We went for a quick walk around the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge in Portland. The last time here I was in the slow walk mode, recovering from my pituitary surgery. Today we walked briskly along – not too many birds out, but a nice dryish respite from the rainy days behind and ahead. (Hike #56, 3.1 miles, 100 feet)

Oaks Bottom

Bald eagle on a perch in the Willamette River.

Neighborhood

Lots of rain, and a rainbow…I am looking forward to the solstice.

Knitting

I finished a foxy bib for a baby shower present,

I put the thumbs on the mitts,

and have finished the body and icord hem on the Meris cardigan; on to the button bands….

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

Two Columbia Gorge Hikes and more witches in PDX

October 30, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Tom McCall Point 10/21/2019

Beautiful fall colors on a trail we usually hike during spring wildflower season. Hike #48, 4 miles, 1050 feet. A few comparison photos:

We are going to the top of Tom McCall Point:

October 2019

May 2017

Looking west toward the Memaloose Hills from the trail:

October 2019

April 2016

Looking northeast across the Columbia River to the Lyle Cherry Orchard where we hiked last week:

October 2019

April 2019

Oak trees:

October 2019

April 2019

And a few lingering fall wildflowers:

golden weed

Angel’s Rest 10/24/2019

Another favorite hike with outstanding views! Hike #49, 5 miles, 1500 feet.

Coopey Falls

Fall reflections in Coopey Creek

Angel’s Rest – our destination.

Eastward view of the Columbia River; Mt Adams peeking above the Washington Gorge topography.

Closer view of Mt Adams.

Western view of the Columbia River.

Trees in the burn zone – 2017 Gorge Fire.

Heading down on a beautiful fall day.

Neighborhood walk and more witches!

First fall for this new black tupelo

Two wildlife refuges, Indian Heaven, and trying to keep up with fall colors, Sept-Oct 2019

October 13, 2019October 30, 2019 / margaretquilts

It has been a busy couple of weeks – a quilt show, a fiber festival, hikes at two wildlife refuges and Indian Heaven Wilderness. Meanwhile, the Mac hard drive is off at the Genius repair shop. I am learning blog work-arounds via iPad.

Friday, September 27 – I attended the Northwest Quilt Expo, admired all the quilts and photographed many. This vintage Tile Friendship Quilt (circa 1900, maker unknown) from the Latimer Quilt Museum, was very interesting. Seemingly random shapes are appliquéd to a plain background, each signed by a different maker in true Friendship Quilt style. It looks very modern, but it is old and entirely hand stitched!

I bought a few fat eighths to add to a batik quilt in my mental UFO list.

Sunday, September 29 -I visited the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival in Canby, Oregon, just long enough to buy a lighter weight spindle and more fiber to practice drop spinning.

Then we went to the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, our first visit there, and walked around the perimeter. Not many birds have arrived yet, but there are great overlooks and a nice winter trail for future visits. (Hike#44, 3.6 miles)

Great Blue Heron

Hawthorne berries

Looking across the refuge – soon this will be flooded with water and birds.

Great Blue Heron on the return trail.

Saturday, October 5 – We went to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in Washington during their season closing bird fest. We walked the Kiwa Trail and part of the newly opened Carty Lake trail, and also went inside the Chinook Plankhouse to look around. (Hike#45, 3.2 miles)

Turtles

Sand Hill Cranes

Sand Hill Cranes in flight.

Great Horned Owl

Carty Lake

Chinook plank house

Inside the plankhouse.

Chinook Salmon trap

Sunday, October 6 – We joined friends for a hike in Indian Heaven Wilderness – from the East Crater trailhead to Junction and Lemei Lakes. Late fall colors, thawed mushrooms and blueberries, very pretty. (Hike#46, 8.8 miles, 1000 feet)

East Crater beyond one of many small lakes along the trail.

Junction Lake

Lemei Rock

Lemei Lake

Neighborhood walks – Meanwhile, in Northeast Portland, the days grow shorter, the light angles lower, the leaves more colorful.

Katsura trees

Sumac

Neighborhood witches hunting…

More witches…

Ash trees reflected in nearby windows.

Rain chain shadows

Knitting – I am making progress on my Meris cardigan….

Return to Mirror Lake and beyond…

September 18, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

9/12/2019 Mirror Lake and Tom Dick and Harry Mountain, Mt Hood, Oregon

Our first time on the rerouted trail to Mirror Lake – the trail is slightly longer than before, but not as steep, and crosses several small streams on new bridges.

Mirror Lake was popular on this not quite fall day.

Tom Dick and Harry Mountain beyond Mirror Lake.

Mt Hood reflected in Mirror lake.

We continued to the top of Tom Dick and Harry Mountain, and enjoyed clear views of the Cascades north and south while eating our lunch.

Mt Hood and Mirror Lake from Tom Dick and Harry summit.

Mt Jefferson to the south.

Panorama – St Helens, Rainier and Adams to the left of Mt Hood.

Late summer glaciers of Mt Hood.

Mt Hood in view on the descent.

There were a few scrappy wildflower blooms hanging on to their petals, and tinges of autumn on the vine maples and huckleberries.

Fireweed

spirea

lupine

mushroom

yarrow

penstemon

pearly everlasting

bunch berries

pinedrops

paintbrush

water parsnip

vine maples

arnica

toilet roll

aster

thimble berry

huckle berry

mountain ash

Hike #43, 7.4 miles, 1600 feet.

Knitting

I pulled this sweater yarn out of the hibernating pile, measured and swatched a bit, and recast on….we’ll see how it goes.

Back to the sky/some sewing

September 5, 2019 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

8/31/2019 Cloud Cap/Timberline Trail High Point

We returned with friends to this same trail near Cooper Spur on Mt Hood that we hiked in July. Fewer flowers, less snow, still the sky, the swirling cloud cap, the views afar, the plans formulating to complete the Timberline Trail loop someday. Hike #42, 6 miles, 1650 feet.

Once attaining the crest of the East Eliot Moraine, the Washington Cascade Peaks are on view to the north,

and Mt Hood is ahead to the west.

Low growing buckwheat, lupine and yarrow.

Later in the day, clouds forming on the mountain, knotweed in the foreground showing fall colors already.

My hiking companions resting near the Timberline Trail high point.

And, almost back to the trailhead, high desert beyond.

Lookback: A couple of photos comparing snow levels with mid-July:

View up the Eliot today, 8/31/2019.

View up the Eliot seven weeks ago, July 12, 2019

View to the south, toward Lamberson Butte and the Timberline Trail crossings, today.

Similar view seven weeks ago.

Some sewing

Two pairs of sleep shorts.

And a random Portlandia street art scene:

Late summer Gentians at Chinidere Mountain, Oregon

August 29, 2019August 26, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

8/23/2019 Chinidere Mountain hike

The trail leads down to Wahtum Lake,

Chinidere Mountain, our destination, on the skyline.

Endemic cutleaf bugbane blooming along the lake trail.

After crossing the log bridge at the lake outlet, our trail leads steeply up hill, eventually reaching the top of Chinidere Mountain, with views of five Cascade volcanoes.

Mt Hood to the south,

and Mt Jefferson on the horizon just to the right.

Mt St Helens, Mt Rainier, and Mt Adams to the north.

The burned drainage of Eagle Creek, with Mt St Helens on the far right.

Wahtum Lake below us to the east.

I was pleased to find many patches of Explorer’s gentian blooming along the trail and at the top of the mountain.

Explorer’s gentian

Previous hikes here earlier in the season had a different suite of flowers. Today we saw the later season flowers and berries:

Other new and notable flowers:

Fringed grass of Parnassas

hare bell

Scouler’s bluebell

cutleaf bugbane

angelica

Berries of late summer:

Sitka mountain ash

Devil’s Club

fungus?

thimbleberry

juniper berry

pinesap

solomon seal

salmon berry

Huckleberries!

We found plenty of ripe huckleberries to supplement our lunch. We saw a few north and south bound PCT through-hikers, but not many other people on the trail today. It was a fairly perfect late summer hike.

Hike #41, 5 miles, 1200 feet

Spinning

I finished plying the last of my Tour de Fleece yarn. I am planning to try Easter Egg dye on this yarn – stay tuned for updates.

Signs of Fall in the neighborhood

Finally some knitting! And two new hikes…

August 24, 2019August 24, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Flyway Twist Shawl

This shawl has been delivered to it’s recipient, so I am happy to share the pictures! The solid yarn is Malabrigo Sock in the Reflecting Pool colorway. The real star of the show is the Fully Spun colorful gradient called ‘Voices in My Head’. It was fascinating to knit with the gradient, watching the colors emerge and play against the teal backdrop. The brioche section in the middle adds variety to both the look and the knitting experience. The pattern is by Veera Valimaki, and is easily obtained on Ravelry.

Salmon River Trail 8/12/2019

We hiked with friends on a flat easy trail where we could enjoy a shady beautiful setting with lots of time to chat. This was my first time hiking this trail, near Welches on Mt Hood, and I can see why it is often recommended.

Salmon River from the trail.

Hike #39 – 4 miles/200 feet

Cheater hike on the Timberline Trail, Mt Hood Meadows 8/15/2019

I would like to walk all of the 40 mile Timberline Trail around Mt Hood. This is a section I hadn’t done yet. We rode the Mt Hood Meadows chair lift up 700 feet of elevation (thus, cheating) then began walking north along the trail, as far as Clark Creek. Beautiful flowers, creek crossings and wildflower meadows along the way.

Our cheating enabler – the Stadium Lift

Looking back as we silently rise – Mt Jefferson and a hint of the Sisters.

Aster and goldenrod meadows along the Timberline Trail.

Several small, easily crossed creeks along the trail.

We eventually reached views of ‘Pea Gravel Ridge’, a glacial moraine just beyond Clark Creek.

Pea Gravel Ridge

Downstream view of a branch of Clark Creek.

Upstream view toward a waterfall on Clark Creek.

Mt Hood, summer view

Glaciers

We then retraced our steps and walked south along the Timberline Trail until it began to descend through the woods to the White River crossing – we’ll save that for another day. We passed through beautiful meadows, under ever-present ski infrastructure and views of the mountain. We walked the mile and a half and 700 feet down to the trailhead instead of going back to the chairlift, so we only ‘cheated’ one way.

Clark Creek

Asters, paintbrush, goldenrod, false hellebore, with ski lift.

Mt Jefferson, and a very hazy view of the Three Sisters from the trail.

Tall cotton grass, aptly named, in this moist meadow.

The Timberline Trail continues down through the forest to White River, but we turned back.

GPS track (with some wandering points). Hike #40, 6 miles/1000 feet.

New or notable flowers:

buckwheat

salsify?

wintergreen

gentian

goldenrod

mariposa lily

tall cotton grass

lupine, paintbrush, aster

pearly everlasting

View from the Sternwheeler Columbia Gorge

August 5, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

8/4/2019 A two hour cruise

With the Friends of the Gorge, from Cascade Locks, east to Wind River, then west to Bonneville Dam.

Our vessel

Hot day, river surface like glass – not enough wind for the kiters and surfers this morning, but enough of a breeze to enjoy the wide views from the top deck of the boat.