Olympic Peninsula, WA, late summer, 2021

September 25, 2021November 18, 2024 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

Aug 29 to Sept 3, 2021 – We scheduled a trip to the Olympic Mountains after our Iceland plans were cancelled due to increased spread of the Delta variant of Covid 19. We have been to the Olympics a few times, and have wanted to go back and explore more in the Hurricane Hill/Deer Park area where there are higher altitude hiking trails, the only ones that can be accessed without overnight backpacking. The weather was perfect, but a different sort of human pathology foiled our plans. The night we arrived in Port Angeles, the Olympic National Park website posted a closure alert due to police action. The closure continued for the three days we were in the area, so each day we found alternative hikes.

Driving north on 101 toward the Olympic Mountains – great weather ahead!

Port Angeles

Our hotel on the hill right above the center of town had an expansive view across the harbor, all the way to Victoria and the San Juan Islands. Port Angeles is home to the ferry to Victoria, BC. On previous visits, long lineups of vehicles filled the ferry loading zone at the dock, while people waiting to cross filled the town with activity. The ferry has been closed due to Covid since March of 2020. The town felt eerily quiet as we walked along the waterfront, admiring the beautiful setting and the shipping activity in the harbor.

View across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Mt Baker poking above the marine layer

Another view of Mt Baker beyond the ship

Hotel balcony view across Port Angeles Harbor to Vancouver Island

Stairs down to town

Evening lights

Sol Duc Falls

Monday, August 30th – A short trail leads to a beautiful triple falls.

Sol Duc Falls

We explored the river above the waterfall.

American dipper on the rocks.

Calmer water

We continued farther up the Sol Duc Trail to extend our hike.

Shelter near Sol Duc Falls

Trail beyond the waterfall…

Corydalis

The blue bead berries of the Queen’s cup or bead lily

Vanilla leaf

Ediz Hook

In the afternoon, we drove out onto Ediz Hook, the long jetty that shelters Port Angeles Harbor from the Salish Sea. There are beaches on both north and south sides of the jetty, and a Coast Guard Station at its far end.

Looking north toward Canada…

and westward from the north shore of the jetty.

A seal in the Salish Sea

We walked along the south shore of the jetty, looking back to land:

Southeast to the Coast Guard Station,

South to Port Angeles and the Olympic Mountains,

Southwest to the mountains and harbor industrial buildings.

Seagull on the north shore

Striped Peak

Tuesday, August 31 – We found an interesting hike at nearby Salt Creek Recreation Area on the Washington Trails Association website. This was a 7 mile hike through beautiful forest and not so beautiful clearcuts, with a visit to a lovely beach cove near the end of the loop.

Trail map

We began in the forest, hiking up almost 1000 feet to the top of Striped Peak.

We passed military bunkers from WW2 along the ridge, similar to bunkers we saw in Cornwall a few years ago.

A trail around the peak leads to views in all directions:

Crescent Beach to the west,

Olympic Mountains to the south,

Vancouver Island to the north,

Port Angeles, and our trail through the clearcuts to the east, taken from a bench near the top of Striped Peak.

As we walked more than a mile through the clearcut, we could look back and see the top of Striped Peak.

Eventually, the trail reentered the green forest, and we made our way back along the coastal cliffs .

A side trail leads down to Eagle’s Cove, with its surreal turquoise waters:

Eagle’s Cove, tide going out

We spotted a heron out in the cove.

Heron and sea gull

We think the heron is standing on a floating log.

Pebbly sand and shells on the beach

Pebble close up…

The hike out of the cove is steep.

Looking down at Eagle’s Cove

Wednesday, September 1 – We drove from Port Angeles to Lake Quinault, with stops along the way.

Bogachiel Rainforest

First stop, a three mile hike at the Bogachiel Rainforest. This is the dry season in the rainforest.

Large tree as bridge.

Plank boardwalks through what I presume can be a much wetter forest floor

Fallen tree to the right of the trail

Ruby Beach

After our rainforest hike, we stopped at Ruby Beach, the first of several beaches that can be visited while driving south along the coast.

Looking down at Ruby Beach from the overlook

Sculpted sea stack near the access trail

We walked north along the shore as the tide receded.

Wave sorted shingle

A flock of birds kept us company…

Walking south again…

Tide pools formed around the sea stacks …

Sea anemones

Sand, cobbles, clam

Back beach lagoon

We also walked a short distance south on Ruby Beach.

Destruction Island, with lighthouse, in the distance

Parting view of Ruby Beach

We stopped briefly at the at Kalaloch Beach 4 overlook.

View from above Kalaloch Beach 4

Cormorants

The sun is shining somewhere on this foggy day.

Roots around a nurse log

Lake Quinault

We stayed two nights at Quinault River Inn, a beautiful property with lovely views of the river and mountains.

View from our porch to the river and mountains

Thursday, September 2 – We explored the network of trails along Lake Quinault and nearby rainforest, then drove the loop road around the lake.

Trail sign

We began by walking east along the lake shore, mesmerized by the reflections in the glassy lake surface.

The spell was broken by a launch crossing the lake, casting wake ripples through the reflections.

We turned back west, passing by the historic Lake Quinault Lodge.

We crossed a bridge near Willaby Falls, then headed uphill to the rainforest trails.

Willaby Falls

I was continuously awed by the size of the trees in the rainforest.

Cedar swamp

Cascade Creek

After finishing our hike, we drove the roads around Lake Quinault, passing waterfalls and a view into the higher mountains.

Merriman Falls

Bunch Falls

Quinault River upstream (east) from the lake

We closed our last day back at the Quinault River Inn, watching reflections in the water as the shadows grew long.

Follow up to the Olympic National Park crime situation: We learned that a man under the influence of methamphetamine had wrought havoc on the area before disappearing into the wilderness with a long gun. Trails and campgrounds in the National Park were evacuated for three days, interrupting many people’s trips. The man was located, and the park reopened, about an hour after we departed. Allegations as of time of writing this, according to a news article in the Sequim Gazette (September 14, 2021): He assaulted his girlfriend, set a 1000 acre fire, cut down a tree to block the road, disabled a park service radio repeater, and tried to shoot down a surveillance drone. After a negotiated surrender, he was placed in custody. He had multiple weapons, ammunition, chain saws, survival gear, a letter announcing a revolution to begin soon, and a quantity of presumed methamphetamine in his possesion. He has many past domestic violence charges.

This crime event did not exactly ruin our trip, as we were able to find other options for hiking and seeing beautiful places, just not the places we had planned to see. We have become accomplished this year at making other plans, and making the best of unforeseen circumstances. We hope to return another year to see the high country.

More hiking in August, 2021: a witch’s castle, an artesian spring, and waterfalls

September 6, 2021 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

In addition to our walk at Nehalem Bay earlier in the month, we hiked three other days in August before going on our trip to the Olympic Mountains at the end of the month.

8-17-2021 – Wildwood Trail/Witches Castle

We added another 2 miles to our section hike of the Wildwood Trail.

A five mile loop – Wildwood Trail to Birch Trail to Holman Lane

The forest was dry and dusty today

Balch Creek

This segment of the Wildwood Trail passes by the “Witches Castle”, formerly a visitor center, now a destination for various graffiti artists and partiers, and a colorful landmark in the green forest.

Meanwhile, in the forest, harbingers of fall in the maple trees….

We only have 5 miles remaining in our pandemic thru hike.

8-22-2021 – Dry Creek Falls

We returned to this short hike in the gorge with our visiting daughter. And I noted that, while we were not in Iceland, we were looking at a waterfall and columnar basalts…

Dry Creek

Dry Creek Falls

Columnar basalts

Columnar basalts, vine maples and cedar branches

Bridge on the PCT over Dry Creek

There were a few colorful flowers and berries along the trail…

Fireweed

Penstemon

Solomon seal

And the evil poison oak, showing its fall colors

A ghost tree along the path.

8 26-2021 Little Zigzag Falls and Little Crater Lake, Mt Hood

We planned to hike up high on Mt Hood today, but the cloud cover directed us otherwise.

Little Zigzag Falls – We’ve never stopped here before because the hike is so short – less than a mile round trip. This trail through beautiful green forest along a mountain stream will be a good one to keep in mind for visitors on the grand round-the-mountain tour.

Remnants of the old Mt Hood Highway near the trailhead

The trail follows along the edge of Little Zigzag Creek

Little Zigzag Falls

Rock-hugging tree at the top of the falls

View upstream from the top of the falls

Another view of Little Zigzag Falls

Exposed tree roots near the falls

Little Crater Lake – This lake, south of Mt Hood, has long been on my ‘to visit’ list.

The lake is an easy walk from the trail head.

Little Crater Lake

The true blue color…

The lake is not actually a crater – it was formed by an artesian spring.

The blue clarity of the water is mesmerizing. I love the reflections. My little camera has a hard time catching the actually vibrancy of the turquoise blue, but none of the brighter blues here are exaggerated.

We continued to a section of the Pacific Crest Trail that follows the northern arm of Timothy Lake, where we found more lovely views and foliage.

PCT to Timothy Lake

Northern arm of Timothy Lake

More reflections…

We passed by Little Crater Lake again on our return hike – once again admiring the deep blue and the reflections.

Little Crater Lake again

Siltstone stratigraphy

Reflections and abstractions

I plan to return next spring when the wildflowers are blooming!

July 2021, a miscellany

August 4, 2021August 4, 2021 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

July has been low key, with an episode of busyness near the end, when we had house guests and a long awaited wedding celebration of a good friend. Otherwise, I have been knitting, hiking, walking the neighborhood, growing tomatoes, attending zoom and back yard knitting and book group meetings, and watching Le Tour de France and the Tokyo Olympics. And avoiding exposure to the Delta variant of Covid 19, so masking up in stores again, and keeping all contact with non household people as sanitary as possible. Sigh, but it must be done!

Knitting –

I finished a gnome, a charity hat and a pair of gift socks.

Gnot Just Another Gnome by Sarah Schira

Straight Up Reversible Striped Hat by Nicole Nehrig made from Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Superwash

Green Striped socks, Patons Kroy sock yarn

I finished the face embroidery on my albatross, and have another pile of works in progress:

Albatross by Rachel Borello Carrol

WIPS – Two hats, a pair of socks, a cardigan.

Neighborhood and Garden –

Hot dry days and colorful flowers.

sunflowers

rudbeckia

the path ahead

interactive succulent planter

fireweed and music boxes

farmer’s market fruit

Love

dahlias

old cement

homegrown tomatoes

sweetpeas, zinnias and coreopsis

Hikes –

Keeping pace with weekly hikes. Still avoiding weekends, and dodging heat.

July 6 – Lookout Mountain, east of Mt Hood. Always enjoyable for the flowers and the views this time of year.

Mt St Helens, from a blooming High Prairie, near the trailhead.

Mt Hood from the summit of Lookout Mountain.

July 20 – Larch Mountain Crater – north of Mt Hood, a 7 mile loop that circles the top of Larch Mountain through very quiet green forest. At the top there are views to all the Cascades north and south:

GPS track of Larch Mountain Crater hike, July 20, 2021

The quiet forest below the summit.

Some of the views from Sherrard Point:

Mt Hood

Close up of Mt Hood

Mt Jefferson through the haze.

Mt Adams to the north, beyond the burn zone

July 15 and 28 – Wildwood Trail, Forest Park – We hiked two sections from the NW 53rd trailhead, and now have only 7 miles to go to complete the entire Wildwood trail, a pandemic aspiration.

Dry and shady, Wildwood Trail near mile 10, July 15, 2021

Two July hikes on the Wildwood Trail.

Wildwood Trail near mile 8, July 28, 2021

A few of the flowers in the forest:

Chicory

Veronica

Solomon seal berries

Other events:

A wedding.

Emily returned to the east coast.

Trip planning with crossed fingers.

On to August….

Six Hikes in June, 2021

July 11, 2021 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

We had six hiking days in June, all repeat hikes, so I am showing just a few highlight photos, and linking past posts for trail details.

June 3 – Hamilton Mountain, WA, hike – I love this hike, however challenging (8 miles, 2200 feet), and always feel accomplished to have made the trek again, especially when I get to see the lovely Lewisia flowers on the upper switchbacks.

Trailhead

Waterfall area

Little Hamilton Mtn death camus meadows, Mt Hood

Bonneville Dam from Little Hamilton Mtn

Table Mtn and Mt Adams from the summit

Clarkia

Lewisia

Looking back at the summit from the saddle/plateau

Respite in Hamilton Creek

Where we have been…

2. June 10 – Grassy Knoll, WA, hike – Another well loved hike. A bit rainy today, and on the early side for flowers blooming, but so green and lush along the trail!

Beargrass in the forest

Cliff penstemon; Mt Adams behind the clouds today.

Onion and phlox on the mossy rocks

View to the summit

Switchback up the meadows

View from the summit

East to Indian Heaven

Paintbrush and lupine

Back to the trailhead, lower meadows in bloom

3. June 17 – Saddle Mountain, OR, hike – We were here last month before the full bloom of the upper meadows, so hiked again on our way to an overnight at the Oregon Coast.

Saddle and summit

monkey flowers, nodding onions

irises

lewisia, saxifrage

checkermallow, chickweed

fleabane

prairie smoke

blue-eyed grass

cutleaf anemone

Pacific Ocean from the summit

Washington peaks from the summit

4. June 18 – Oregon north coast beaches – We stayed overnight in the Tolvana area of Cannon Beach, with a lovely view of Haystack Rock beyond the parking lots.

The next day we walked from Arcadia Beach and around Hug Point at low tide, to Big Barnacle Rock. We visited all our favorite landmarks from 30 years of visiting this stretch of beach nearly every summer, often staying for a week when our kids were young. So beautiful!

The sphinx of Arcadia Beach guards the northern beaches,

but we are heading south, along these open sands as the tide recedes.

We saw some birds and tide pool creatures:

sea anemone

Caspian terns – we’ve never seen these before.

Caspian terns

A pod of pelicans flying north along the wave crests

Pelicans

Next we crossed over the old road carved out of Hug Point, passable at low tide.

Hug Point

South view from the Hug Point road

The Waterfall

The Cave

Big Barnacle Rock and Castle Rock from The Cave

Looking south toward Arch Cape from Big Barnacle Rock – our turnaround point.

North view, crossing back over Hug Point.

Walking into the wind, sand rivers pelting our legs.

5. June 22 – Three Corner Rock – Another repeat hike. We were the only ones on the trail today. It was just shady enough in the forest to be comfortable.

Our big surprise was the profuse bear grass bloom in the upper meadows below the rock. And almost no wind.

Three Corner Rock

Views from near the summit (we didn’t scramble to the upper platform):

Looking south – Mt Hood and the cell tower, and so much bear grass!

St Helens, Rainier, Goat Rocks and Adams

Mt Adams

Mt St Helens

And a few more flowery views before heading down:

6. June 30 – Thomas Lake to Rock Lake Mosquito chase – Indian Heaven Wilderness, WA – Why we thought we could out-smart the famous mosquitos of summer in Indian Heaven I do not know, except sometimes you have to find out for your self. Which we did.

There was plenty of water (mosquito breeding grounds) in Indian Heaven.

Thomas Lake

Dee Lake

Shooting stars, Heather Lake

Vernal Lake in one of the meadows.

The highest trail section had snow patches, with marsh marigolds and avalanche lilies blooming nearby.

avalanche lilies

marsh marigolds

snow

We made it to Rock Lakes, and sat long enough to devour our lunch as quickly as possible, while the mosquitos devoured us through our DEET sprayed clothing.

Rock Lake – no rock bridge today.

heather

huckleberries

We had reached our tolerance point, so rushed back down the trail, stopping just long enough to notice Mt St Helens through the trees.

We learned our lesson! There is not enough DEET in the world to make this a comfortable time in Indian Heaven. We will return in late summer or fall when the mosquitos are gone.

May 2021, part 3: Hiking

June 10, 2021June 10, 2021 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

Three significant hikes:

May 5 – Weldon Wagon Road, WA

We returned to this favorite trail while the balsamroot were fresh, and the later season flowers were just beginning to bloom.

Open slopes of balsamroot along the upper trail.

Mt Hood view from the open trail.

Late season flowers:

manroot tendrils

ookow, fringe pod, balsamroot

blue gilia, taper tip onion

clarkia; taper tip onion

white western groundsel, lupine

Old plow at the turnaround.

Second growth firs viewed through oak trees.

May 11 – Saddle Mountain, OR

Another favorite trail – this time we were early for the full bloom, and saw fawn lilies in the upper saddle.

The alder trees in the lower forest had not leafed out yet. We made our way up to the prominent knob, admiring lots of early flowers in the alternating woods and open slopes.

Alder trees

The knob, and first view to the ocean.

Some of the early flowers:

Chocolate lilies covered these steep slopes.

Sitka valerian

Meadow rue

Trillium

Lilies along the first summit before the saddle:

Glacier lilies

Pink fawn lilies

View to the saddle and summit.

Prairie fire in the upper meadows.

Lewisia foliage – too early for flowers.

View of three Cascade peaks from the summit.

May 28 – Ridge Trail, Forest Park, Portland

This was our first time hiking the Ridge Trail in Forest Park.

This trail has an excellent view of the iconic 1930’s St Johns Bridge, over the Willamette River.

The trail ascends 1000 feet from the start near the St Johns Bridge in North Portland, to the intersection with Firelane 7. We continued the loop on Firelane 7, the Wildwood Trail, and Leif Erickson Drive, before returning on the lower Ridge Trail for a total distance of 4.25 miles. Most of the time we were in the forest.

Through the woods…

Vine maples

Mushroom

Late trillium

We stopped to admire the bridge again on our return trip – sky a little bluer than when we began.

My next and last May 2021 post will be about our wonderful first post-Covid-vaccination trip to visit our daughter, in Washington DC.

The month of May, 2021, part 1

June 4, 2021 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Life is opening up again. We and most people we know are fully vaccinated, and thus we are beginning to live life out in the world again. In May I went to two museums; rode with non-“pod” members in the same car; dined at the homes of others, both inside and outside; shopped in a store for clothing; got my haircut in my stylist’s salon instead of on her back patio; and best of all, flew across country in an airplane to Washington DC, where I got to spend a few days with my daughter, and see her and other family members that I had not seen in 18 months. It has taken a bit of time to get reaccustomed to worldly life, in a cautious, Covid-safe manner. Yet I haven’t felt anxious about it – just taking the steps that seem safe at the time, and trusting all the good news about how great the vaccines are, THANK YOU, SCIENTISTS! But it means I have neglected the blog – too busy living life. So this is catch up time. This post will be about local activities, there will be other posts about hiking, crafting, and our DC trip. Onward!

Local Adventures:

May 3: South Waterfront Park – We took a walk along the river trail after I went to a health care appointment nearby. The former industrial area is slowly turning into a live-work-healthcare complex. The greenbelt along the river is being added to our urban trail system – though it is surrounded by construction in progress.

Tram tower; clouds reflected in the OHSU buildings.

We encountered a dead end at the south side of the trail.

We walked north, and looked at Portland from a new perspective.

Down the ramp to views along the Willamette River and under the Ross Island Bridge.

Tilikum Crossing Bridge beyond the Ross Island Bridge

The historic Queen Anne Poulson House at the end of the bridge.

It’s getting a new roof.

Up river view – Ross Island.

An art installation called ‘Cradle’ honors the indigenous people and natural world.

Cedar trees, oyster shells, cement, rebar.

Walking back upriver, we tried all the chairs in the greenbelt park.

The cement loungers were the most comfortable.

More flowers and reflections on this sunny/cloudy day. The residents of these apartments and condos have a lovely outdoor space. Someday I hope the path will connect farther north and south along the river.

May 7: Canemah Bluff Nature Park – This park is on a bluff above the Willamette River in Oregon City. I had heard that it is a great location to see native camas flowers in bloom, so we stopped by for a short walk when we were visiting Bosky Dell Native Plant nursery. We did see the last of the camas blooms.

From the bluff there are views downriver, toward Willamette Falls,

and upriver, across to West Linn.

Camas blooming on the rocky outcrops.

Camas, rosy plectritis and the nefarious poison oak!

May 9: Mother’s Day at home – My two sons joined us for an outdoor meal – our last “Covid” style meal before son #2 had completed his full two week vaccination window. My daughter joined us in spirit by having a decadent eclair delivered as I was speaking to her! It was delicious, shared four ways!

Eclaire from St Honore Bakery

May 13: Portland Art Museum – Friends had reserved tickets to the ‘newly reopened with limited entry’ Portland Art Museum. When their son couldn’t join them, we eagerly accepted a last minute invitation to see the new Ansel Adams Photography Exhibit. I have seen many Ansel Adams exhibits over the years. His name is almost synonymous with Yosemite National Park. As a child, my family camped in Yosemite every year, in the high alpine Tuolumne Meadows area. We hiked, fished and photographed the park. It is part of the lifeblood of my family. My father pursued photography with great passion, and followed Ansel Adams’ work. My husband and I used Ansel Adams Yosemite note cards as invitations to our very small home wedding in January of 1985, and spent our honeymoon at Yosemite Lodge. We purchased a print of an Ansel Adams Cathedral Lakes image with wedding gift money from my mother. I haven’t been back to Yosemite since 2006, but there is nothing like an Ansel Adams exhibit to fill me with that Yosemite feeling. How wonderful to walk among the large, beautiful images of his work, transported out of pandemic claustrophobia. Of course there were images of other places, and images by other artists, as part of the exhibit. This was one of those times when I marvel at the beauty and creativity of the human spirit.

Exhibit entrance

Lightening/shadow projected on the wall.

Sand dunes in the stair well.

May 30: Eugene, Oregon – Only two hours away, yet I had not seen my brother and his family since before the pandemic. We drove down, just for the day, had a lovely lunch in their garden, and took a walk through Hendricks Park, at the tail end of rhododendron season.

Sandy’s buddha

Astrantia

Primroses and rhodies

Stone wall

Of course we talked about old times, and my brother showed me our father’s slide rule, and some of his old campaign buttons.

May was a good month. Of course I know that not everyone is fortunate to be vaccinated yet. The pandemic and many other problems still/will always plague the world. We help where we can, but try to live as fully as possible, because that may not always be possible. The next post will include crafting in May 2021.

Late April 2021

May 8, 2021 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Continuing my neighborhood walks: After the cherry blossoms, the pink snow,

We go from pink trees

to pink sidewalks in a week’s time.

And find them all through the neighborhood.

Dogwood trees and other flowers bloom,

Dogwood

rhododendron

fothergilla

lewisia

Interestingly cracked concrete catches my eye…

We went on two more hikes with amazing wildflowers:

Tom McCall Trail, OR, April 23

When we hiked here on March 11th, the slopes were covered with purple grass widows. Today, the balsamroot is the star!

Starting up the trail with friends.

Lower cliffs, balsamroot and lupine in full bloom!

Eastward view.

Every blade abloom under the oak trees.

Open slopes of balsamroot and Mt Adams.

Continuing up.

Paintbrush in bloom on the upper slopes.

Views from the top:

West to Mt Hood.

North to Mt Adams.

Northeast, to the Cherry Orchard.

More views on the hike down:

Rowena Plateau.

Paintbrush! and the Memaloose Hills, with their yellow backs.

Parsley Alley….

And a few more flowers, for the day.

Chocolate lily and some of that sneaky poison oak creeping in.

Oaks toothwort

Miner’s lettuce

Waterleaf

Orobanche

Baby stars

Bitterroot Trail, Catherine Creek, WA April 26

Aptly lived up to its name – the earlier blooming flowers have faded, but the bitterroot is just getting started today!

We began near the fairy ponds – now filled with camas lilies; the adjacent rock outcrops hosting glorious bitterroot flowers.

Lewisia rediviva

Sprinkled across the basalt; bicolored cluster lilies speckle the meadow beyond.

We wind our way up the slope:

Eastward.

Camas lilies and shooting stars.

Death camas and purple camas lilies

Turn left at the balsamroot, while admiring the windswept views east,

and west…

We drop down the Rowland Wall trail,

One of the largest clusters of bitterroot buds I have seen…

buckwheat

A giant clump of cliff penstomen surprised us!

More bitterroot scattered across the rocky surface along our return trail.

This is their time to rise up!

Meanwhile…

We finally had a chance to see the heritage American Chestnut Tree in the Sellwood neighborhood. It dwarves the house, and there is an enormous stump of another chestnut tree behind it.

Rare American Chestnut, Sellwood, Oregon

Leaves just budding out.

Knitting

I finished a Scrappy Marl Hat for the guild project,

started another hat, and restarted my bamboo cardigan.

Quilting

I’m making progress on the baby quilt.

Repotted plant report from Washington DC:

Commentary on the verdict, and the path forward:

Eastern Gorge Trip, April 2021

May 1, 2021May 19, 2021 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

We spent a few days hiking east of the Cascade crest and the rain. We stayed in a small hotel in the small town of Moro, and explored two Oregon State Parks for the first time, then visited the Columbia Hills in Washington on our way home.

Driving south of the Columbia River to White River Falls State Park – low hills and agricultural buildings our new scenery.

April 13th, White River Falls State Park, Oregon

We admired the White River Falls from the overlook, then walked downstream to see the lower tiers of the falls. We were about 2 miles upstream from the confluence with the Deschutes River, and about 50 miles from the source, the White River Glacier on Mt Hood, near a favorite winter snowshoe location. Here, the White River tumbles over cliffs, past the ruins of a hydropower plant that was abandoned in 1963, when a giant dam on the nearby Columbia River was built.

White River Falls

Abandoned power plant.

This is a beautiful falls, though the surrounds are a bit of a wasteland – cement and disconnected pipes, wire grids, a broken building with roof gaps, graffiti, tumble weeds and leaves blown in, plants growing out of the cracks, moss in the crevices.

Bright yellow balsamroot and parsley were blooming around the canyon, and gold fiddle neck striped the edges of the rocky path.

Balsamroot, parsley

fiddleneck

Down by the river we had a bit of a wind shelter. Quiet today, but in summer people come to swim. We walked a ways down stream to see the third tier of the falls, the smoothed rocky shelves with potholes, now exposed, and smooth, sandy banks.

Sandy beach above the lower falls.

Lower falls; upper falls visible to the upper right.

Downstream along the White River.

We walked back up to the rim, past the ruins of the powerhouse and almost post-apocalyptic scenery.

Return hike.

More of the ruins of the old power plant.

From White River Falls, we drove east across the Deschutes River on our way to Moro, along a long, smoothly curved road on the Warm Springs Reservation. Balsamrooot blooms were sprinkled on cliffs above the canyon.

We passed sagebrush uplands and cultivated green fields, a 360 degree horizon punctuated by white windmills gleaming in the afternoon light.

Many white wind turbines on the horizon.

April 14th, Cottonwood Canyon State Park, Oregon

We drove across the uplands between the John Day and Deschutes Rivers on a beautiful clear blue morning. Mt Hood, Mt Adams and Mt Rainier were on the horizon, and more windmills.

Mt Hood

Mt Adams and Mt Rainier

Mt Adams, windmills

Mt Rainier and the Goat Rocks, windmills

The Lost Coral Trail in Cottonwood Canyon State Park is 9.6 miles out and back. The trail follows an old road along the John Day River, sometimes beneath river-cut cliffs, sometimes across the point bars, as the wide blue river sweeps down stream.

Trailhead

Under the cliffs

Balsamroot above

Bicolored cluster lilies

Desert parsley and lichen

Balsamroot and parsley

milk vetch

Cottonwood Canyon campground across the river.

Continuing along the river, the slopes were speckled with wildflowers; willows on the bars and a few trees were beginning to leaf out.

Flowering alluvial fan across the river.

Cliffs and reflections, serviceberry in bloom.

Sagebrush

A welcome bench for rest and contemplation.

Lovely desert colors in the rocks, river, plantlife.

At our turnaround point, we found a phlox-covered slope and beautiful views of the river. We saw three equestrians – our only other people on the trail today.

Three equestrians in our downstream lunch view

Upstream lunch view.

phlox

We retraced our steps upstream after lunch, admiring the views along the river in the changing light.

Walking upstream.

Many colors along the river.

Grassy tufts in the river.

Larkspur

Back under the cliffs near the trailhead.

Parsley

I don’t know if I still love the desert as much as I used to. The rocky, prickly, isolation of it has caught up with my age. Dust and wind, and there must be snakes around somewhere …I just don’t know…

April 15th, Dalles Mountain Ranch, Columbia Hills State Park, WA

We drove back across the windmilled uplands, in view of the three mountains on the skyline, all the while watching the painted slopes of the cliffs and hills on the north side of the Columbia River. Distinct patches of yellow, white, and purple across the green and brown indicate the slopes are blooming with the wildflowers that we are going to see.

Looking at the Columbia Hills in Washington from Oregon.

We hiked the Ranch Loop clockwise from the Dalles Mountain Ranch Trailhead – we have been here before, most recently in February, when only the early flowers were on view. Today there were so many flowers out – gold balsamroot, purple lupine, pale pink phlox, and always the yellow parsley and pink filagree creating a pastel underglaze on almost every slope.

Mt Hood and ranch buildings from near the trailhead.

The “one tree”, still no leaves, with a flowery background

Balsamroot all the way down to the Columbia River.

Lower east-most view.

Lupine and western view from the high point on the lower trail.

Large head clover

Fleabane

Lunch view – in February this area was covered in purple grass widows.

Back up Eight Mile Creek to the ranch.

We finally spotted the old car that is so often photographed among the flowers at the ranch.

We enjoyed this hiking trip, a chance to get out of town and enjoy the spring flowers at a couple of new locations.

Blooms of early April 2021

April 24, 2021 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

The crabapple tree in our front yard finally bloomed during the second week of April. This tree was in full bloom the day we moved into our house in mid March almost 30 years ago.

April 9th

April 11th

April 15th

Other garden blooms:

tulips fully open

phlox

checker lily

And some cupcakes for a friend’s birthday:

Hikes:

April 2nd, Memaloose Hills, OR –

Begin at the Memaloose Overlook…

Today’s star is balsamroot!

Buttercup carpet in the woods.

Balsamroot all the way up Chatfield Hill.

Looking back.

North view from the top – Mt Adams, paintbrush, yellow parsley.

Columbia River, Columbia Desert parsley, balsamroot

Mt Hood to the west.

Willows and bees near the spring on the return hike.

Popcorn flowers on Marsh Hill.

View from Marsh Hill back to the Memaloose Hills.

More wildflowers:

Blue eyed Mary and slender phlox

Glacier lilies and buttercups

Larkspur and balsamroot

Shooting stars.

April 8, Coyote Wall, WA – Our first hike with friends in more than a year! We are all fully vaccinated!

Starting up The Old Ranch Road.

Service berry in bloom on the Little Moab Cliffs.

The edge of the Coyote Wall, yellow parsley.

And balsamroot, eastward view.

Southward view.

And we are going higher!

Upper cliff edge view.

A nice meadow near Atwood Road, as we loop eastward before hiking down.

A day when every blade of grass seems to have a bloom!

So many flowers!

Desert parsley along Old Hwy 14 cliff, return hike.

And more flowers:

Parsley and cluster lilies

Tomcat clover

Pucoon

Great hounds tongue

Wooly vetch

Knitting

Some progress on two projects:

I finished the yoke on this bamboo cardigan, and it is way too big, despite careful swatching, so this one is in time out for a while.

A mystery project for a gift…

Quilting

I am starting a baby quilt for a new family member!

The rest of March, 2021

April 7, 2021 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Tulips and cherry blossoms, three more hikes, a new knit along, a careful cross country trip, and our neighborhood loses our star author, as we continue into our second year of pandemia.

The neighborhood in bloom –

anemones

tulips

forsythia

garden wall on Klickitat St.

cherry trees

Catherine Creek East

March 26th – A beautiful day – we roamed on the eastward loop to see the latest of early spring flowers sprinkled on the grassy slopes.

White death camas and saxifrage all the way up…

Yellow agerosis and yellow bells

The first of the purple camas,

the last of the grass widows.

Monkey flowers, rosy plectritis and orobanche

Shooting stars and saxifrage

Larkspur, and purple Columbia desert parsley

Yellow parsley and Mt Hood!

Meadow lark

Fairy ponds

Wildwood Trail, milepost ~ 10 to 14

March 29th – A slightly rainy day, trilliums lining the trail on our loop. I have now completed about 20 miles of the 30 mile trail during the pandemic.

Wildwood trail on a damp day.

Trillium blooming all along the trail.

Trillium

Violets

Salmonberry

Coltsfoot

Return along Leif Erikson Drive

Sky breaking out!

Cooper Mountain

March 30th – We took a quick loop around this mountain on the edge of suburbia, being reclaimed/preserved so that all doesn’t become concrete, while our son was at an appointment nearby. A few early spring flowers on view.

Iris

Indian plum

Oregon grape

Looking down the slope from the trailhead.

Knitting

I finished another hat, and continue to knit on the socks and cardigan.

Plaid hat – a test knit for a friend.

Sock and cardigan, in process.

Son’s trip to DC:

Travel is fraught in these Covid times, yet we needed to transfer one of our cars to our daughter on the east coast. Our temporarily unemployed son volunteered, so in the midst of the pandemic, he bubbled himself across country. With all appropriate masking and testing, he delivered the car. Then he flew back, and after more bubbling and testing, successfully completed his adventure Covid free.

Postcards from the road

Cherry blossoms on the National Mall

More cherry blossoms, tidal basin.

Beverly Cleary

We live in Ramona’s neighborhood, the same neighborhood in Portland, Oregon, where the acclaimed children’s author went to school and roamed Grant Park and Klickitat Street. Beverly Cleary died last week, a few weeks short of her 105th birthday. Though she spent most of her adult life in California, our neighborhood honors her legacy. Libraries and schools bear her name. We have a walking tour of the neighborhood to see her world. I remember getting my middle school aged son to read the books to his three year old sister while I was making dinner, and he never objected – he looked forward to it. “Is it time to read to Emily yet?” I especially enjoyed her two memoirs, recognizing many of the scenes from her childhood as replayed in her novels. I heard her say in an interview that she identified most with Ellen Tebbits. She got to live a good long life, and in our neighborhood we have her “ordinary” fictional children cast in bronze in the sculpture garden in the park, which doubles as a splash pad in the summer. Last week there were flowers in the sculpture garden in tribute to her memory.

Ramona the Pest

Henry Huggins

Ribsy