New Years Eve hike at Cape Horn, Washington; and Farewell 2018 (18-60)

January 1, 2019January 1, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Cape Horn, Washington 12/31/2018 (Hike #66 for 2018)

We started in the middle, hiked down to the Nancy Russell Overlook and a little beyond, then hiked back up and to the top viewpoints on Cape Horn. It was cold and a bit windy, but nice to be out in the bright sun as we bid farewell to 2018. 4miles, 500 feet.

Trail to the Nancy Russell Overlook

View from the Fallen Tree Overlook to the eastern gorge.

Silverstar Mountain to the north.

Quilting-

I finished three quilts this year.

Jane Austen Reproduction

Welcome Blanket

Baby Pinwheel

Knitting-

I knit 4005 yards in 10 projects according to my Ravelry project pages.

Hiking –

I completed 66 hikes/adventures for a total mileage of 310 miles, and 47,315 feet elevation gained. The longest hike, the 12 mile Obsidian Trail in the Three Sisters Wilderness in Central Oregon was also my favorite hike of the year. The steepest hike was Phlox Point on Hardy Ridge in the Columbia River Gorge, Washington – 2200 feet elevation gain over the 8.2 mile trail. The hardest walk was my first lap around the neurosurgery ward at OHSU after my pituitary surgery. And my favorite of our hikes in the UK was The Lizard in Cornwall.

Books Read in 2018 –

93 total, which I keep track of on Goodreads. My favorite fiction book was Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, and my favorite nonfiction book of the year was Becoming by Michele Obama.

Blog –

This is the 60th post for the year. I am glad I am keeping it up, but I may do something different with the format next year – still thinking about it. And I still owe three posts from our trip to southern England.

Poem –

from a poetry post in my neighborhood – a hope for the future….

Memaloose Hills Hike, and Christmas (18-59)

December 31, 2018 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Memaloose Hills Hike, Oregon 12/27/2018

We went east through the gorge again to the sunny Memaloose Hills, and walked 3.2 miles, 600 feet, through the dormant winter landscape. (Hike #65 for 2018). This area is known for abundant wildflowers in spring.

View north, with a peak at Mt Adams, from the upper trailhead on old highway 30.

Ponderosa bark

Trail up to the lower viewpoint.

Chatfield Hill – our upper destination

Dan heading up Chatfield Hill in the dormant winter.

Same view in springtime….

View to the east and lower viewpoint.

View to the west from the top

Northern view toward Mt Adams

Mt Adams

Mt Hood

An apple tree and Mt Adams, on the return hike.

Apple tree

Dalles Dam

Another hiker reported seeing bald eagles at the Dalles Dam, so we drove to the Visitor Center to see them. We walked some of the paths in that area and saw interesting views of the infrastructure, but no bald eagles.

Under the freeway bridge

Looking toward the dam

A dusting of snow in the hills

Mt Hood in the distance

Zooming in – Mt Hood and The Dalles.

Bald eagles should be here

Fishing platforms

Another westward view in the low winter light.

Driving Landscape Views

I snapped photos from the freeway as we drove back through the gorge. There are great views of our hiking spots on the Washington side of the Columbia River, and I thought I did fairly well at freeway-speed photography!

Lyle Cherry Orchard

Lyle, Washington

Catherine Creek

Rowland Wall

The slope above Coyote Wall

Coyote Wall

Snow dusting the black-fringed cliffs above Cascade Locks

Corbett Point

Closer view of Vista House

Knitting

I knit a star ornament for my friend who has made the costumes for a local production of Mary Poppins, I finally finished seaming the Ivy Cardigan, and I finished another round washcloth.

Mary Poppins Star

Ivy Cardigan

Wash cloth

Christmas

Lovely quiet Christmas with family and friends.

Our tree.

My only new ornament – from the Jane Austen Museum in Bath, England.

Viburnum in my garden

Lyle Cherry Orchard, Washington (18-58)

December 18, 2018December 18, 2018 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

December 15, 2018

Once again we escape east of the Cascades to dry skies, a bit of sun, no wind, at Lyle Cherry Orchard. Quiet on the trail today. (5.2 miles/1250 feet, hike #64 for 2018)

Approach trail, up the first set of cliffs.

View from the Convict Road to the east

View from the Convict Road north – we are going up those cliffs to the top!

Hiking up to the second tier..

We could see the new trail reroute partially cut by WTA workers that will make the upper cliff ascent farther from the cliff edge and less steep in gradient. And lots of native plant seedlings in place.

Those lines in the slope ahead are the new trail, in progress, with a gentler gradient than the steep track we will climb today.

Looking back at the flagged new trail, not cut yet.

Lunch stop near the top…

The trail continues in and out of the woods along the top of the cliffs to the remnants of a cherry orchard…

View to the east from the grasslands near the cherry orchard.

One of the old cherry trees

Cherry tree in foreground, Lyle Peak above – our trail doesn’t go there.

We head back down…

View west toward Lyle

Closer view of the terrane we hiked, and the Convict Road Viewpoint on the lower left.

Convict Road viewpoint – where we stood looking up this morning. The grey background is the Columbia River, not the sky!

A spot of sun on the way down.

GPS track

Crafting

Another knit dishcloth,

and I’m now adding backstitch detail to Jane Austen’s cross stitched house….

Rowland Basin from Catherine Creek, Washington (18-51)

November 20, 2018 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

Trails of Rowland Basin and Rowland Wall, 11/17/2018

We decided to explore some new to us trails below Rowland Wall. From the Catherine Creek trail head, we walked west to the lower part of the wall, then took a side trail that drops over the cliffs, down the scree slope, and then winds uphill in the valley above Rowland Lake. We traversed oak woodlands, grassy slopes and lava fields. There are historic ‘Indian pits’, associated with native peoples, in this area. We found a spot on the upper grassy slopes for lunch, then continued upward on the looping switchbacks of the ‘Shoestring’ trail, hoping to find the connecting trail to upper Rowland Wall. The trails in this area are not marked, and switch back and forth in tight loops that are a bit confusing – constructed for cyclists. We decided to turn back the way we came for a 5 mile, 1000 foot day, a beautiful day on the trail. (#61)

Looking back at the trailhead, and eastward up the Columbia River.

Bitterroot foliage on a rocky outcrop where there will be lovely flowers in spring.

Looking over Rowland Wall into Rowland Basin, where our hike will take us.

Looking west toward Rowland Lake and the Columbia River.

Our trail below the cliff,

Continuing down the scree slope,

Through the oak woodland in the low angle November light.

Hiking up the basin beneath Rowland Wall.

Looking back down the trail.

Continuing up – looking west toward the Labyrinth.

An ‘Indian pit’ in the lava field.

Continuing upward.

Rowland Wall

Another view east before we hike through more woods.

Then out of the woods, onto the high grassy slope where we would stop for lunch.

Traversing the bike loops on the grassy slope – Mt Hood is a faint shadow above the two oak trees on the horizon.

Eastward view from our lunch stop.

Closer view of Mt Hood beyond the oak trees.

Rowland Basin on the way down in afternoon light.

Rowland Wall

The orchards east of Mosier, Oregon, and oil train waiting near Rowland Lake.

Last look over the wall before returning to the trail head. Our lunch stop was on the bare gold slope in the middle of the picture.

Knitting

I finished two more round cloths in the last couple of weeks.

Coyote Wall, WA (18-49)

November 7, 2018 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

As we drove toward Hood River to cross the bridge to the Washington side of the gorge, we noticed fire burning high on the slopes above White Salmon. We realized it must be a controlled/slash burn, not a wildfire, thankfully.

Little Moab and Old Ranch Road Trails, November 3, 2018 (#60)

We walked up Coyote Wall about half way on an overcast day.

Walking along Old Highway 8 to the trail up Coyote Wall.

First view to the east – a different perspective on the fruit orchards east of Mosier from our Catherine Creek hike last week.

Approaching one of the viewpoints over Coyote Wall on the Little Moab Trail.

Looking over the wall and up. The sky is a bit smoky from the fire above White Salmon, just over the hill.

We begin to see the shoulders of Mt Hood under clouds to the south.

Junction of Little Moab and Old Ranch Road trails. We are headed up.

Lunchtime view to the east

Lunchtime view to the south

Lunchtime view up Coyote Wall

We decided to head down, as the wind was picking up and blowing more smoke toward us. 4.3 miles, 1000 feet for the day.

Looking back up to where we had been on Coyote Wall from the trail head.

Lookback:

Comparing fall and spring views:

View to the east, October 2018

April 2017

View toward Mt Hood, October 2018

April 2017

Knitting

I am blocking the Ivy Cardigan, and I finished another round dishcloth.

Neighborhood

The fall colors have been a pleasure to walk through – my camera can’t quite catch them and yet I try.

A Crisp Fall Day at Catherine Creek, WA (18-48)

November 1, 2018 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Catherine Creek Arch Trail, October 27, 2018 (#59)

We walked a loop above the arch and part way up Tracy Hill, then dropped down into the oak and big leaf maple-lined canyon in front of the arch. Windless day, river like glass, slanting sun through the clouds enhancing the fall colors.

First stop near the trail head – looking across the Columbia River to the fruit orchards east of Mosier, Oregon.

Our path along the far side of the canyon.

Walking upward toward Tracy Hill.

Looking over dry flower heads back to the river.

Lunch view from the knob just north of the arch.

Lunch view to the eastern gorge, Rowena Plateau and Memaloose Island.

From our high point on Tracy Hill the lowest shoulders of Mt Hood can be seen under the clouds.

Heading down to Catherine Creek.

Orange oak trees, yellow big leaf maple trees.

The pinnacles of Catherine Creek.

We walk by the Arch….

And continue our way back to the trail head, feeling refreshed, before heading back to the rest of our rainy weekend in Portland. 3 miles, 600 feet.

On our way to the hike today, we stopped at the Women’s Forum Viewpoint on the Historical Columbia River Highway to look at the view of Vista House, Beacon Rock and beyond.

Knitting

The back and one and a half front panels of the Ivy Cardigan.

Fall Colors at Home

Trapper Creek Wilderness, WA (18-46)

October 23, 2018 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

October 20, 2018 – Observation Peak and Sister Rocks

We hiked up and down this roller coaster trail, through autumn light and sun, to viewpoints of the surrounding Cascade mountain peaks rising above a bluish haze.

7 miles, 1575 feet (#58)

Driving to the trailhead on Dry Creek Road we passed through a tunnel of yellow trees.

View through the front windshield…

Bunchberry and huckleberry along the trail provided some color.

At the top of the first ridge, the views from the rocky outcrop are to Mt Rainier and Mt Adams.

Mt Rainier

We then took the side trail to Sister Rocks, with a great view of Mt St Helens and Mt Hood. Lunch stop.

Dan atop Sister Rock; Soda Peaks on the left.

My shadow and Mt St Helens

Closer view

Mt Hood

The intermediate high point on the Sister Rocks spur provides an excellent view of Mt Adams.

Mt Adams

Returning to the main trail, we headed down hill, then back up to the views from Observation Peak of four tall volcanoes rising above the forested landscape.

Mt St Helens, Mt Rainier, and Mt Adams from Observation Peak.

Mt St Helens and the Mt Margaret backcountry

Mt Rainier

Mt Adams

Mt Hood

As we departed Observation Peak I spotted what may be the last blooming aster of the year.

Mirror Lake

The lake is at the base of Vista Point in Rooster Rock State Park. As we drive through the Columbia River Gorge on I-84 we sometimes see swans here in winter. This morning, no swans, but the fog was lifting poetically, so we stopped to look at the light.

Knitting

Another dishcloth finished, and I frogged and am reknitting the front of the Ivy Lace Cardigan.

Steigerwald Lake, WA (18-44)

October 10, 2018 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Steigerwald National Wildlife Refuge 10-7-2018

Rainy weekend. We were too early for the migrating birds, but saw foggy cliffs across the Columbia River, a few waterbirds and reflections in Gibbons Creek and Redtail Lake, late season flowers, berries and a few fall colors. (hike#55) 4.4 miles

Late lupine, berries, fog on the cliffs across the river.

I always appreciate the welcoming path entrance.

Teasel, blackberry

Water birds on Gibbons Creek

Evening Primrose

Chicory

Fuzzy lettuce lines the path

Views of Vancouver Point and Reed Island from the dike path.

The door to the art trail is closed for winter nesting season. Time for the birds to come home.

Fish ladder

We walked to the end of the refuge.

Sand bars between Reed Island and the Washington shore.

Vista House under the fog on the Oregon cliffs.

On our return walk we saw a few more birds.

Snowy egret across the channel

We learned from a trail steward that the refuge is planning to breach the dikes to the Columbia River to reestablish the natural flood plains and wildlife habitat, beginning sometime next year.

Knitting

I finished another round dish cloth.

I started knitting a Fiore washcloth. I learned the picot cast on, and I am relearning stranded knitting and catching floats for this project.

Garden

Zinnias and peppers

Sumac

NE Portland changing colors. View from a walk up Alameda Ridge.

Falls Creek Falls (18-42)

October 3, 2018 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Falls Creek Falls Trail, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, WA 9/29/2018 (#54)

This trail provides fall foliage along Falls Creek, and an impressive waterfall at the terminus.

Colorful vine maples at the trailhead

Into the woods

Over the first bridge

Along the creek

Over the upper bridge

Around this turn we hear the falls

Then look up and see the upper falls

Middle and lower tiers (about 225 feet high) of Falls Creek Falls viewed from the end of the trail.

Lower plunge pool

Downstream view

After eating our lunch, we returned back down the trail,

Through the vine maple corridor

Under the big leaf maple canopy

With a pause by the stream

And another pause near the trailhead to play with the impressionistic reflections…

We saw a variety of leaf displays…

Vine maple – green

Vine maple – turning orange

Vine maple – orange

Solomon seal, with berries

Vine maple – red

My new identification for the day was Pacific dogwood without the distinctive white flowers. In the fall it has red leaves and red seed pod clusters.

About 4 miles round trip and 800 feet.

CRAFTING

I have made knitting progress on my Ivy Lace Cardigan and a round dishcloth.

Fall Equinox, Indian Heaven, WA (18-41)

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

East Crater Trail, 9/23/18 (Hike #53)

Indian Heaven is a landscape of lakes, cinder cones, forests and meadows in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest southwest of Mt Adams. The Pacific Crest Trail runs right through the center of the Wilderness on its northward path through southern Washington state. There are abundant wild huckleberries in late summer. By fall, the huckleberry and other foliage display a vibrant spectrum of bright colors – reds, oranges, fuchsias, magentas, yellows, yellow oranges and yellow greens that stand out in sharp contrast to the forest and lake greens and browns, and the sky blue.

Last fall the Indian Heaven Wilderness was closed due to the East Crater Fire that occurred at the same time as the Eagle Creek Fire, so we are back this year after a 2 year absence.

Today we hiked the East Crater Trail to Junction Lake in the center of the wilderness area, then completed a loop that passed several lakes and followed the Pacific Crest Trail back south to Junction Lake.

Red huckleberry bushes in the forest

Layers of color

Unnamed lake just east of East Crater – the burn from last year seen beyond and above.

Top of East Crater

Junction Lake

So much color in the meadows!

Ripe huckleberries

Amanita

Dropping down to Lemei Lake where we had our lunch:

Lunch view

The southbound section of the Pacific Crest trail was more forested, with views through the trees of a couple of bigger lakes.

Bear Lake

We passed Junction Lake again, then hiked back to the trailhead.

Huckleberry and spirea

Mountain Ash

Huckleberry stump

The last little lake on the trail out.

Our total for the day: 9.6 miles/1000 feet elevation.

Panther Creek Falls

We made a quick stop on our drive home at this massive waterfall complex – there are three creeks that tumble together into the main branch of Panther Creek.

Quilting

I went to the Northwest Quilt Expo in Portland and purchased some fabric for my next quilt project: