Hiking in December, 2020

December 30, 2020January 3, 2021 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Another gathering of late reports…

Friday, December 4th, Tracy Hill, WA

The fog never lifted, and was sometimes frozen, as we hiked past the Catherine Creek Arch, all the way up Tracy Hill, and then down again. (Hike #72, 5 miles, 1100 feet)

Looking toward our destination from the Hood River Bridge.

Passing the Arch on the way up,

and into the fog.

The frozen grasses and seed heads are pretty.

Lunch stop with no view, near the top of Tracy Hill.

On our way down – eventually below the fog again.

Frozen vernal pond.

Hiking above the Arch on the return.

Our first time crossing the new trail bridge over Catherine Creek – we used to walk back along the highway.

We always see something new here – this time, frozen grasses and a new trail bridge.

Wednesday, December 9th, Hardy Ridge and Nancy Russell Overlook, WA

The rain was supposed to stop midmorning but didn’t, so we turned back about half way. We stopped for a quick view from Nancy Russell Overlook on the way home. (Hike #73, 6.2 miles, 1200 feet)

Soggy trail to Hardy Ridge.

Soggy lichen

Nancy Russell Overlook

Columbia River Gorge, looking east.

Puddles in the trail.

Monday, December 14th, Catherine Creek, WA

We finally found the path through the inside out switchbacks on the Shoestring Trail beneath Rowland Wall, as we hiked through fog, snow, and then a surreal landscape between fog and sun. (Hike #74, 4 miles, 850 feet)

Fog ahead – we began with hopes that the fog would lift.

Looking to the east – it is sunny out there.

By the time we reached the pylons, we were in the fog.

When we dropped over Rowland Wall, we were walking through oak groves with patchy snow along our trail.

I saw a ruby crowned kinglet in the bushes.

The snow helped define the place in the path where we have lost the trail on previous occasions. Also, by hiking down instead of up, I thought we could make the connection, and we did!

Our GPS track for the day: the red circle is the place of the inside out switchbacks, developed by mountain bikers, where we have lost the trail in the past.

After lunch, we continued down, and looked behind us to see blue sky!

Continuing down toward Rowland Wall, below the fog.

We emerged out onto the grassy slopes, fog above, sun somewhere shining on the Columbia River.

Heading toward Rowland Wall.

The leaning tree and the Pinnacle.

Our path back up the wall.

Once above Rowland Wall, we could see more blue sky to the east.

Vernal pool near the trail head.

Catherine Creek Arch in the low sun.

Foliage of the bitterroot flowers of April!

Looking back up to where we have been.

Wednesday, December 23rd, Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge, WA

Swans from a distance, and an excellent view of moonrise. (Hike #75, 2.7 miles, 100 feet)

The best view of the swans in Carty Lake was from the entry bridge.

Upside down trees out in their full glory.

Moon rising…

Moon, photobombed by airplane, as we approach the bridge at the end of our hike.

Monday, December 28th, 2020, Powell Butte, Portland, OR

Cold and windy, with clear views of the surrounding Cascade Mountains. (Hike #76, 4.3 miles, 500 feet)

Mt Hood from the top of Powell Butte

Mt Jefferson

Mt Adams

Mt St Helens

Ramona, Henry, and Ribsy celebrate the winter solstice

December 26, 2020 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

December 21st, 2020:

Just about noon, during a sun break between storms, in Grant Park, Northeast Portland, Oregon.

After a long walk up to Alameda Ridge, and along Klickitat Street, I passed through the park on my way home.

And to think that I saw it on Klickitat Street:

Low winter sun lighting up trees against the dark clouds.

Rose hips

Lemons

Christmas tree in the clouds.

These are the droids, and pig, you are looking for.

Knitting/quilting update and some holiday cheer.

December 11, 2020 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

December 10, 2020 – I have been both knitting and quilting away, as the days get shorter, the evenings longer. We usually watch one program in the evenings, and have made our way through the latest seasons of The Crown, The Great British Baking Show (including the holiday edition with the Derry Girls), and The Queen’s Gambit. Some of these require full attention, but the Baking show is pretty relaxed, so I can get a lot of knitting in.

I finished my Dissent Socks and another Ridge Washcloth.

Dissent Socks, pattern by Tiina Kuu

Ridge Washcloth, pattern by Hannah Maier

I joined the AdventureGnome Mystery KnitALong, and am also making one of her earlier released gnome patterns, just a little knitting on these every day.

Adventure Gnome, pattern by Sarah Schira

Here We Gnome Again, pattern by Sarah Schira

I am making good progress on socks and a hat that are holiday gifts.

Rafa’s Hat, pattern by Joji Locatelli; Artists Garden Socks, pattern by Tif Neilan

And I finished the quilting on the Plaid Rectangles Charm Quilt. I just need to add the binding.

Holiday Cheer – My knitting group, which has become an online knitting group during the pandemic, cleverly set up a holiday exchange, beginning last summer. Three of the 15 members collected twenty 10 gram mini-skeins of leftover fingering weight yarn from each member, and set up what were were promised as a Solstice Surprise, Advent Calendar, Hanukkah Miracles, or Pagan Pockets (to be ecumenical about it). They really outdid themselves, and we have been assured that they had a lot of fun doing it – despite having to collaborate remotely. I was expecting a bag with twenty balls of yarn, but instead was presented with this magnificent gift -bearing banner. Gifts in pockets, and ribbons with tied-on but hidden yarn balls. It has been so much fun to open one every day and see what my surprise is. I believe the plan is to save the banner and fabric squares for reuse in future years – so it is also a wonderful, reusable item. I am so grateful to these knitters, who I get to see twice a week on knit chat meetups, for helping to pass the pandemic time so productively and supportively.

My yarn “Solstice Surprise” banner.

10 days of surprises, so far!

I have noticed lots of cheerful decorations around the neighborhood on my walks. We lit candles for the first night of Hanukkah tonite, joining our son remotely. Our Christmas tree is up and lighted – I have yet to unpack the ornaments – that will be next.

Giant ornaments

Lawn reindeer

Roof reindeer

Star Wars heroes

Porch nutcrackers

A beautiful sunset –

reflected in the window.

Menorah

Today, the first Covid vaccine was approved – we can begin to hope for the end of the pandemic – that is probably the most uplifting thought of all!

Thanksgiving approaches…

November 26, 2020 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Thanksgiving approaches and once again I am baking three kinds of pie, two kinds of cranberry sauce, and a turkey breast. There will be mashed potatoes and (store bought) gravy, roasted brussels sprouts, and veggie lasagna. For four people. We will be grateful for abundance and eat all the leftovers for days. We will be grateful for all the years we could share the meal with a larger group of family and friends. I will even make just a little bit of whipped cream for the pies, to keep with tradition, this year when we struggle to keep the traditions afloat. We won’t be using the good china, the antique gravy boat, or grandma’s silver. We won’t be lighting candles or lingering over the table. We will be in the backyard, grateful that it is not raining. Grateful that after a negative covid test and continued social distancing, we can set up a separate table for our son to join us, and we can sit together for as long as the weather holds. We will be grateful to have lots of warm clothes, hand knitted socks, scarves and sweaters to keep us warm while we celebrate our first, and hopefully our last, Covid Thanksgiving. November 25, 2020

Pumpkin and chocolate pies ready, apple to be baked tomorrow.

Turkey collection.

Thanksgiving card collection

Breathing (and quilting!) again…

November 13, 2020 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

November 11th, 2020 – Well yeah!!! Biden and Harris won the election! We will have a new administration in January! Action will be taken on the pandemic, on climate change, on humanitarian treatment of every person, with intelligent, informed, common sense in decision making.

And, our new vice president Kamala Harris represents the breaking of the glass ceiling for so many underrepresented and often abused populations of people! What joy!

Halloween was celebrated in a subdued way.

My neighborhood trees have gone through their beautiful color change cycle. Just today I walked through red, yellow and orange paved sidewalks. Rain is turning leaf piles to mush. The city clean up trucks are coming tomorrow.

Tupelo

For me, now that I know that our current president will be replaced by someone with decency, I can feel my stress levels decreasing. So many events this year involving breath – the coronavirus, the smoke from wildfires, the political morass…I am beginning to breathe more freely again!

Another thing I can do again has to do with my crafting. I love quilting and sewing, but for me it is a different sort of creativity than knitting. And for me, all the stress of the past four years has found its best relief in knitting. I am grateful, and I will keep on knitting. But on Friday night, when my son told me I really did have reason to be optimistic, I got the notion to pull out a languishing quilt top. Quilting is a different creation process to knitting, and not nearly as immediately satisfying as picking up needles and frantically knitting until I calm down a bit. I have already basted the quilt, and am making decisions about thread and pattern, so soon will be stitching.

Plaid Rectangle Charms quilt

I finished my Rio Calina scarf (Cat Bordhi).

I made a tiny Mochimochi Gnome.

I have no delusions that our national way forward will be easy. Almost half of the nation voted for our country to stay on the same path. I believe that people are allowed to believe whatever they want, but there should be a wall that separates church and state. White supremacy is wrong. I and more than 75 million other Americans, not to mention millions of global citizens, have been holding our breath these four years, knitting frenetically in my case, waiting to be able to breathe again. When all the law suits and the recounts and the lame attempts at coup are done, we will all be inhaling deeply, exhaling freely, back on the path of decency, with many long hills still to climb, but a worst scenario overcome.

Knitting update, neighborhood walks, an art exhibit, and waterfalls…October 2020

October 24, 2020 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Knitting

My fingers have been busy:

Stripey socks – finished!

Rio Calina Cowl – getting longer, and I might just make it into a long scarf instead of a cowl.

Dissent Socks, in honor of Ruth Bader Ginsberg – I’ve finished the ankles – on to the heels!

Walks around the neighborhood,

New signs, whimsy, architectural elements:

Mural

Gnome and spaceman

Rain chain and shadow

New sign

Window critters

New signs

Eave pig

Garden gate

Winding stairs with turret

Fall colors evolving…

I have been hunting witches and other Halloween displays, to be shared in a later post.

Portland Textile Month, Tiny Pricks Art Installation

We visited the exhibition window to see the stitchery, made by artists who embroider a quote onto a vintage textile as a form of protest. It is not how I want to spend my crafting time – but I was glad to get a chance to see a small sampling of the thousands of pieces that have been contributed to this crowd-sourced artwork.

Silver Falls State Park

October 19th – We hiked the 5 mile waterfall loop. It was hard to relax and enjoy the scenery – there were a fair number unmasked, seemingly Covid-protocol-oblivious hikers. We cut our day shorter than usual. The waterfalls are always beautiful, and the light streaming through the yellow big leaf maples enchanting.

South Falls

Lower South Falls

Double Falls

Middle North Falls

Rim trail.

Another couple of pandemic weeks with a birthday, two hikes on Mt Hood, and knitting…

August 19, 2020 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

8/17/2020 – I’ve had a birthday, which we celebrated with a hike and a socially distanced takeout Thai dinner with our two sons. Despite the palpable pandemic/political chaos tension in the world I have much to be grateful for. Although I am missing having our usual summer get togethers with extended family, so is everyone in the world right now. I am especially grateful that we saw almost every relation last year, between two weddings and a graduation trip to the east coast. My latest acromegaly lab tests all look good, and, we are eating homegrown tomatoes and basil almost every day.

Birthday cake, flowers from my daughter,

I have been knitting, knitting, knitting away on a few projects, fingers keeping the anxiety away.

Rio Calina Cowl, by Cat Bordhi, in Malabrigo Rios.

My neighborhood walks continue to reveal signs of encouragement and solidarity.

Also in the neighborhood, late summer flowers, shadow play, interesting architectural elements, and tinges of the autumn ahead….

Two hikes on opposite sides of Mt Hood –

Burnt Lake August 5, 2020

My birthday hike on the west side of Mt Hood was mostly through shady forest, on a hot day, with a few stream crossings, and late season flowers. The other time we hiked here the mountain was under a cloud, so today we were very glad to see the beautiful reflections of Mt Hood in the lake. Hike #55, 8.5 miles, 1500 feet.

The shady forest

Tree scorched in the early 1900’s.

Mt Hood, Burnt Lake

Mountain close up

Reflection

Notable flowers and plants:

pinesap

rattlesnake plantain

fireweed

devil’s club

yellow pond lily

Newton Creek to Timberline Trail, August 10, 2020

We started from the Elk Meadows trailhead, then walked uphill along the Newton Creek Trail, stopping for lunch near the Timberline Trail junction where we enjoyed lovely views of Mt Hood and Gnarl Ridge. We then walked south on the Timberline Trail toward Mt Hood Meadows for a short distance before turning back. Hike #56, 7.7 miles, 1600 feet.

Moon over Clark Creek

Newton Creek trail

Ghost tree in the forest

Gnarl Ridge beyond Newton Creek

Upstream

Downstream, fireweed

Mt Hood ahead

Lunch view of Gnarl Ridge

Gnarl Ridge closeup

We saw a few tiny hikers crossing Newton Creek on the Timberline Trail.

Glacier closeup

The peak

Backside of pea gravel ridge, which we walked along as far as the descent into Clark Creek.

Return hike down Newton Creek.

Editing note – This is my first post with the New WordPress Editor, so there are lots of formatting inconsistencies. Not loving it, but I suppose I will get used to it as I continue hurling forward into the future, keeping my synapses sharp by constant novelty….

Posting from my peaceful Portland neighborhood –

July 30, 2020July 30, 2020 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

A trifecta of crises descends on my town –

I have been distracted from posting by current events. All I have been able to think about is how my community has been attacked by our own government. Federal gestapo-like forces have invaded Portland’s mostly peaceful Black Lives Matter protests and demonstrations, and created a war zone in the four downtown blocks around the federal building. Click-bait and spot news entertainment have focused on the four square blocks of federally-incited violence that occurs after most demonstrators have gone home. The leadership void in DC is trying to distract from inept pandemic management and interrupt local progress toward ending white supremacy. The ‘stormtroopers’ sent by a failed president are causing the violence. Today there is an announcement of an agreement to withdraw the troops. Our state and city have serious antiracist/police reform legislation proposals underway. I am cautiously optimistic.

I am speaking from a condition of white, middle class privilege. I myself have not been downtown, although I know people who have. I am of an age and health situation that I think the best thing I can do to help is to stay home, not contribute to spreading Covid-19. I stay aware of what is going on, donate money, and hope that the trifecta of political, economic, and public health crises our country is experiencing will begin to resolve after November elections.

I honor the Black Lives Matter protesters. I appreciate the wall of moms, the dads with leaf (teargas) blowers, the wall of vets, the volunteer medics, street cleaners, and cooks, all the folks who have put themselves on the line to keep the conversation about systemic racism and police reform going.

Meanwhile, in my neighborhood…

The quiet and calm in my neighborhood are uninterrupted. I see signs of support and blooming flowers on my walks.

masked statue

We have been eating sungold tomatoes and basil from our garden, and we’ve celebrated another family birthday.

Berries from the Farmer’s Market

Blueberry muffins

Another birthday cake

Black cherry tomatoes

I seem to be obsessed with knitting dishcloths and have also cast on a new sweater.

We have been out hiking in the past two weeks to places we have been before.

Lookout Mountain, July 22, 2020

Wildflower meadows and views of nine Cascade volcanoes, from Mt Rainier to Broken Top. Hike #53, 3.5 miles, 650 feet.

Mt Adams beyond the wildflower meadows of High Prairie.

Mt Hood from the volcanic spire overlook.

Glacier close up.

Mt Adams from the summit approach trail.

Mt Hood from the summit approach trail.

Washington Cascades from the summit.

Oregon Cascades from the summit.

Notable wildflowers:

heather

Douglas dustymaiden and penstemon

penstemon and scarlet gillia

orange agerosis

shooting stars

penstemon and aster

lousewort

Salmon River, July 28, 2020

A mostly shaded trail on a hot day along the Wild and Scenic Salmon River through old growth forest on the slopes of Mt Hood. Hike #54, 4.5 miles, 300 feet.

Peaceful lunch spot along the river…

arnica

monkey flower

Notable flowers…

Ghost pipe

Clarkia and blue gillia on a sunny cliff

Finding some peace in the old growth forest…

I’ve learned a lot about racism this week…

June 8, 2020June 9, 2020 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

June 6, 2020 – Black Lives Matter – A disturbing and contemplative week following the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. While continuing Pandemic sheltering, I spent a lot of time reading, listening, learning, and reframing some of my thinking, and I plan to do more in the future. I have had conversations with friends and watched videos. We have made donations to the NAACP and the Southern Poverty Law Center. I have a lot of questions, and I continue to listen and learn. There have already been some positive steps going forward toward resetting how community safety is practiced.

Some images and words from this week that I want to remember: all from social media or newspapers, attributed as best as I could.

In Portland:

In Washington DC:

Aspirational:

Two hikes as our trails reopen…

May 31, 2020May 31, 2020 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Boundary Trail, Mt St Helens, Washington –

May 27, 2020 – Trails and parks in Oregon and Washington are slowly reopening for careful, “social distance” hiking. We chose a sunny Wednesday to hike at Mt St Helens. The road to the Visitor Center is still closed, so we began our hike on the Hummocks Trail, and continued on to the Boundary Trail. (Hike #42, 8 miles, 1625 feet)

Red marks our route.

The trail crosses through the hummocks, which are debris avalanche and landslide deposits from the violent May 18, 1980 eruption. Though once a barren moonscape, the hummocks are now lush and green, covered with plants and shady alder groves, and surrounded by ponds and wetlands.

Alder groves and ponds near the trailhead.

The trail comes out into open landscape at the junction with the Boundary Trail, then heads off into lowlands along the Toutle River, before climbing steeply up the flanks of Johnston Ridge. From here on we almost always had a full on view of the mountain.

Boundary Trail Junction

Zooming in…

Crossing the Toutle River lowlands.

Heading up, Indian paintbrush and Mt St Helens.

Once high enough, we can see north to the west end of Coldwater Lake, and back to the ponds in the hummocks, our starting point.

Closer view of Coldwater Lake.

Lovely view from our lunch stop.

Red current in bloom as we continue eastward.

We reached our farthest view point, not quite to the Loowit Turnout on the road.

Coldwater Peak

Mt Adams and a glimpse of Spirit Lake

Mt St Helens

I felt a bit out of shape on this hike, so we only went as far as a viewpoint where Mt Adams comes into view, before we reached the Loowit Viewpoint. It was fairly hot, and once out of the hummock zone, there is no shade. What is amazing is how much shade there is in the hummocks area, because everything in sight has regrown since the eruption 40 years ago.

A last look back at the mountain on our return hike:

40 year old stumps, with younger trees in the foreground.

Sheep sorrel, Toutle River

Wildflowers are beginning to bloom – in a couple of weeks it will be very colorful here.

paintbrush

penstemon

lupine

woodland strawberry

miniature lupine

little leaf miner’s lettuce

We stopped at the Castle Lake Viewpoint on our drive home for a last look today, with plans to return in the not too distant future.

Castle Lake Viewpoint

Wildwood Trail Hike 4

Friday, May 29, 2020 – In continuation of a pandemic goal to hike all of the 30 mile Wildwood Trail in Forest Park, we walked another section, from Springville Road to the Wildwood Trail, to the Trillium Trail and back to our trailhead on Fire Road 7. This section of the Wildwood Trail is cut into the sides of steep forested slopes. It was dry and warm today, but well shaded. We saw a few flowers, a few birds, a lot of trail runners, and a few hiking groups. Most of the hikers pulled masks up when passing. Trail runners mostly did not. We did our best to give them a wide space. We all need the fresh air! (Hike #43, 5.2 miles, 460 feet)

Trailhead

Springville Road

The first wild roses I have seen this year.

Fern shadows

Ferns

Our return trail is all uphill!

Knitting

I am getting ready to start new projects, so I have been hand winding yarn, knitting a gauge swatch, and spending lots of time searching the glorious Ravelry pattern library, which in my opinion is the very best place in all of the internet. I also cast on a gift knit – fingerless mitts.

A note on the times we are living in – I support the Black Lives Matter protests going on this weekend. It may be a long time before the “all are created equal” spirit of our nation is realized, but I try to live my life in support of it. On a more positive note, I was happy to see the successful SpaceX launch this weekend, furthering work my father participated in as rocket scientist.

Margaret Quilts

Quilting, Knitting, Hiking

Portland

Hiking in December, 2020

Friday, December 4th, Tracy Hill, WA

Wednesday, December 9th, Hardy Ridge and Nancy Russell Overlook, WA

Monday, December 14th, Catherine Creek, WA

Wednesday, December 23rd, Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge, WA

Monday, December 28th, 2020, Powell Butte, Portland, OR

Ramona, Henry, and Ribsy celebrate the winter solstice

Knitting/quilting update and some holiday cheer.

Thanksgiving approaches…

Breathing (and quilting!) again…

Knitting update, neighborhood walks, an art exhibit, and waterfalls…October 2020

Knitting

Walks around the neighborhood,

Fall colors evolving…

Portland Textile Month, Tiny Pricks Art Installation

Silver Falls State Park

Another couple of pandemic weeks with a birthday, two hikes on Mt Hood, and knitting…

My neighborhood walks continue to reveal signs of encouragement and solidarity.

Two hikes on opposite sides of Mt Hood –

Burnt Lake August 5, 2020

Newton Creek to Timberline Trail, August 10, 2020

Posting from my peaceful Portland neighborhood –

A trifecta of crises descends on my town –

Lookout Mountain, July 22, 2020

Salmon River, July 28, 2020

I’ve learned a lot about racism this week…

In Portland:

In Washington DC:

Aspirational:

Two hikes as our trails reopen…

Boundary Trail, Mt St Helens, Washington –

Wildwood Trail Hike 4

Knitting