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

A few days in Paradise…

August 18, 2019August 19, 2019 / margaretquilts / 3 Comments

Mt Rainier National Park, August 5 – 9, 2019

For my birthday my dear husband planned a visit to Paradise at the height of wildflower season. We stayed in the newly refurbished Paradise Inn, authentically both rustic and lavish, perched at 5420 feet above sea level, and 8990 feet below the top of Mt. Rainier. We hiked many trails in the area from Monday evening to Friday morning, alternately focusing on the incredible wildflower blooms at our feet, and the massive glaciers looming above us on the slopes of this active volcano. We had sunny days – it was almost too warm on the shadeless trails above timberline. On Thursday the clouds rolled in below us, and we watched their flowing patterns throughout the day. I took more than 700 photos on three long and four shorter hikes. My knees and toes held out admirably. We mostly ate out of our ice chest and suitcase pantry, but had one lovely meal at the restaurant. There are not enough superlatives to describe the wonder – but John Muir’s words, carved into the stairs leading to the mountain from the Visitor’s Center, come close.

Paradise Inn

We were lucky to have a room with a view of the Tatoosh Range, immediately to the south.

Looking down from the trail at Paradise Inn and the Tatoosh Range.

Sunset view from our window.

Paradise Inn and Mt Rainier from Paradise Valley Road.

Hiking Highlights:

Hikes #34 -38, 28.8 miles, 4520 feet

August 5th – Alta Vista – An evening walk with picnic dinner at this amazing viewpoint:

Mt Rainier

Across Paradise Park, preview of the Golden Gate Trail.

August 6 – Pebble Creek and Panorama Point via Golden Gate and Skyline Trails

Edith Creek in Paradise Park

Tatoosh Range from the Golden Gate trail.

The lower humps in front of Mt Rainier are our destination.

Snow and pasque flowers along the Skyline trail.

Tiny people on the overlooks ahead.

A peek over the ridge to the barren, recently glaciated valley to the east, where the Paradise Glaciers have receded.

Lunch view, below us – Panorama Point, Paradise Park and Inn, Tatoosh Range.

Nisqually River and highway bridge.

Our high point – Pebble Creek. People planning to summit the mountain will camp at the Muir Snowfield on the high ridge above.

Mt Rainier from Pebble Creek crossing.

Looking down on the anastomosing trail system above Paradise Inn.

We walked to Myrtle Falls in the evening.

August 7 – Lakes Loop – We hiked downhill from Paradise Inn, past Reflection Lakes, then back up to the Skyline Trail. The ranger assured us the wildflowers along the return hike were incredible, and that was an understatement!

Another morning in Paradise!

Our reflections in a stream crossing.

Small waterfall along the way, in the shady forest.

Reflection Lake, a little too much breeze for the reflection today.

Hiking back up – lunch view of Reflection Lakes and Stevens Canyon from Faraway Rock.

Small reflective lake along the trail.

As we entered the meadows along the ridge, the wildflowers were stunning,

and continued to be so for a couple of miles!

I am out of words to describe amazing wildflowers at this point, but they do help to pull me along the trail when I get tired.

August 8 – Deadhorse, Glacier Moraine and Glacier Vista trails – This was a lower mileage, less elevation day. We found a bit of solitude on the Glacier Moraine trail, and more amazing flowers, including some marshy, wetland species we hadn’t seen yet.

The clouds rolled in overnight, and stayed all day at about 5000 feet, so we hiked above the clouds most of the day.

Mt Rainier had a few cloud caps coming and going.

Lush stream meadows along the Deadhorse Trail.

The Glacier Moraine trail leads to a viewpoint on the Nisqually Glacier Moraine.

Neon moss, monkey flowers, saxifrage, etc. along the damp slopes.

We are headed to the lip of the moraine.

Panorama of my view – can’t begin to take it all in!

I am sitting on the edge of the moraine, overlooking the Nisqually Glacier.

Dan taking the above photo of me as the fog creeps up the Nisqually Valley beyond him.

The fog stayed at about that level all day.

Zoomed view of Stevens Peak in the Tatoosh Range, and the Goat Rocks beyond.

After dinner we walked the Nisqually Vista trail.

August 9 – Christine Falls – On our way out of the park on Friday morning, we took the short hike to the bridge over Christine Falls.

Christine Falls

We stopped for a picnic lunch at Longmire.

Old gas pumps at the Longmire Visitor’s Center

Glacier Closeups:

Nisqually Glacier – a river of ice.

Waterfalls:

Top of the Mountain:

Muir Snowfield:

Wildlife

We saw several marmots, deer, and various birds as well as the usual marauding chipmunks.

Gray Jay

grouse posing near the trail

Marmot eating marsh marigolds near the top of the Gold Gate trail.

Marmot at a stream crossing on the Glacier Moraine trail, dwarfed by the Mountain above.

Marmot, Mt Rainier

New or notable Wildflowers

So many flowers! I tried to note all that I could identify – at least 65 different types, but I am no expert in discerning the many varieties of some of these:

pasqueflower, paintbrush, heather

arrowleaf groundsel

speedwell and heather

pasqueflower shedding petals

brief bloom of the pasqueflower

dwarf alpine gold

gentian

aster

leatherleaf saxifrage

heartleaf saxifrage

pink willowherb

lupine

paintbrush, lupine, bistort, arnica, valerian

pasqueflower seedhead

yellow willowherb

lovage

flower list

monkey flower, aster, paintbrush, saxifrage

bird beak lousewort

yellow penstemon

Mt Rainier lousewort

tolmie’s saxifrage

coiled and sickletop louseworts

fireweed

cinquefoil, paintbrush

paintbrush, rosy spirea

partridge foot, dwarf lupine

In all this was a fabulous trip! We had nearly clear views of Mt Rainier during our entire stay. We didn’t move our car all week. No internet or cell service away from the Visito’s Center. I am so appreciative of the National Park Service, and laws that preserve our national treasures such as Mt Rainier!

And a brief Look Back…

In 1995, when our boys were two and six years old, we spent a long September weekend with my Mom at Paradise. She loved the mountains, and this was her first chance to visit Mt Rainier. She was 71 years old, and not in hiking shape of late, so was proud of herself to make the three mile hike to Glacier Vista overlook, helping to guide our two young ones more than 1000 feet up the trail. This was a couple of years before macular degeneration, and then later, ALS. I thank her for taking us hiking and camping in our youth, even after our father died and she was on her own with nine children. I remember her naming the flowers – paintbrush and lupine and aster, in Tuolumne Meadows. She was a wonder woman, and I wish she was here to wish her a Happy 95th Birthday today! I hope there is chocolate cake on the other side!

Revisiting haunted trees on Vista Ridge, and winning the Tour de Fleece

July 31, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Vista Ridge to Wy’East Basin on Mt Hood, July 25, 2019

We like to hike Vista Ridge on the north side of Mt Hood at least once a year. I posted previous reports from 2017 in June before full snow melt, 2017 in August, and 2018 in August.

Today was hot going through the burned trees, but I found a few old and new ghost friends along the way:

This poor fellow has been felled by trail keepers.

Eventually we made it to the blooming alpine meadows of Wy’East basin.

Barrett Spur and Mt Hood

Looking north toward Mts Rainier and Adams

After lunch we continued hiking above the basin to a remnant snowfield, and a view over to the other side of the mountain.

Snow surface covered with debris

Looking over the lip of the moraine to Mt Hood and MacNeil Point.

View north from our high point – Wy’East Basin, Dollar Lake Fire scar, Washington Cascade peaks.

Hike #33, 7.7 miles, 1700 feet.

Flowers of note:

pinesap

First fireweed beginning to bloom

Pearly everlasting

White rhododendron

shooting stars, paintbrush, cinquefoil, glacier lilies

knotweed?

white heather

saxifrage

valerian

magenta paintbrush

Fleabane just beginning to bloom.

Pasque flowers – an all-time favorite!

Tour de Fleece Podium

I finished spinning, plying and setting the brown fiber:

Fiber, spindle, and a day’s handful of fluff.

Each spool has the single ply spun in one day

Two ply yarn on the spindle.

All of the yarn on the niddy noddy, plied and tied into one long strand with four knots.

After washing, drying.

64 yard skein

I have made headway on this white fluff:

I spun while cheering on the superhuman athletes who propel themselves on bicycles for 21 days! So many ways to win in Le Tour de France – jerseys, stages, sprints, mountain tops, combatitiveness, even a red lantern for the last place finisher, and I feel I have won too, by spindling every day. I am looking forward to adding more spinning to my crafting time.

A trail carved out of the edge of the sky….

July 21, 2019September 5, 2019 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

7/12/2019 – East Glacier Trail and Timberline Trail, beyond Cloud Cap on Mt Hood, OR

Walking above Cloud Cap on a blue sky day, the same hike we did last year in August.

Beyond the ridgeline of the Eliot East moraine, Mt Hood rises another 5000 feet.

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

We walked up the crest of the moraine another 1000 feet.

Close-ups of the glaciers from our lunch stop:

Continuing south beyond Cooper Spur shelter, to the trail high point::

Cooper Spur Shelter

meltwater

Cascade peaks to the south: Broken Top, the Three Sisters, Mts Washington and Jefferson.

As we headed back, clouds began collecting and spinning around the peak, 4000 feet above us.

Another glacier closeup.

It almost seemed like I could step up into the sky….

northbound

A few flowers for the day…

orange and blue butterflies

arnica, Jacob’s ladder

sandwort, lupine

aster, sandwort

buckwheat

dwarf lupine, buckwheat, and ?

buckwheat

mushroom?

Dwarf alpine flowers and trees, butterflies, rocks, glaciers, meltwater creeks, sublimity. Hike #31, 6 miles, 1650 feet.

Driving down the many switchbacks through the burn zone – white on white.

beargrass, burned forest, clouds

Mt Adams beyond

CT NY MD PA OH and CO, Oh My!

July 14, 2019 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

May 16 to June 1, 2019

This post is a summary of our recent trip to visit family and attend our daughter’s college graduation.

CONNECTICUT

We flew to Hartford, then stayed 3 days with family in the New Haven area.

Highlights: While celebrating a family birthday and spending lots of time catching up, we visited places near New Haven that held significance for my husband.

East Rock State Park

View from the top to New Haven and Long Island Sound.

Monument at the top of East Rock.

Looking down on the winter sledding hill, East Rock.

Lighthouse Point was a favorite childhood summer beach, but nobody was selling lemon ice today.

Walking toward the Lighthouse.

Lighthouse

Lighthouse Point Carousel

Branford – A beautiful old church near our dinner stop.

Branford, CT

Old Town Essex – The town and waterfront are steeped in early American history.

Many of the buildings in town date back to the late seventeen and early eighteen hundreds, and are very well preserved. I loved looking at all the architectural details, especially the half-circle windows.

West Rock State Park – We took a 2 mile walk with a friend around Wintergreen Lake and saw ladyslippers in bloom!

Woods along the trail

Wintergreen Lake

Lady slipper! My first time seeing them!

Hamden – We met a baby grandniece for the first time. We also got to see the damage from the tornado that knocked down 30 trees at the family home about a year ago (actually a lowlight).

The trees along the fence line are gone! They were not able to see the neighboring houses before the tornado.

Newish puppy Bear, with some of the fallen trees piled beyond.

Maya

Niece and grandniece.

My only crafting in this post: I used one of my daughter’s favorite childhood fabrics to make a gift bag for some books for the little one.

NEW YORK

We took the Metro North train to Grand Central Station. A lot has changed since my only previous visit in 1982. My husband’s cousins met us at Grand Central Station, then drove us to their home in Brooklyn. The next morning they rode with us on the subway from Brooklyn to Penn Station – seasoned New Yorkers and very gracious hosts!

View from the train, somewhere in Connecticut.

Grand Central Station

Highlights: Cityscapes, wandering around near the Brooklyn Bridge, seeing the Freedom Tower from a distance (we had been to the top of the World Trade Center on my only other visit), a lovely meal and enjoying our cousin’s garden in Brooklyn.

Chrysler Building in Manhattan

Chrysler Building detail

United Nations flags

Sunroof view on the Brooklyn Bridge

Walking around the waterfront in Brooklyn:

Manhattan skyline beyond the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges

Freedom Tower in the distance.

Closer view of the Freedom Tower and Brooklyn Bridge

A ‘beach’ under the Manhattan Bridge

Gothic arches of the Brooklyn Bridge

Old buildings, bridge supports and massive amounts of noise dwarfed us as we walked around. It was a bit overwhelming. I was glad to see it, but cannot imagine dealing with it on a daily basis, especially the noise levels!

It was more peaceful in our cousin’s back garden.

Tree and cat in Brooklyn.

MARYLAND

We rode Amtrak from New York to Baltimore.

Philadelphia skyline from the train.

Baltimore Union Station

Baltimore Highlights: The highest light was spending time with my husband’s cousins, and enjoying their family stories, good company and hospitality. We spent a day in Annapolis, a bit crazy because it was grad week at the Naval Academy.

Naval Academy

Old bricks in the Naval Academy grounds full of bivalve shells.

We took a short boat tour of the harbor.

Annapolis from the harbor.

We watched a Blue Angels performance.

My best photo of the Blue Angels.

My husband was able to take some excellent telephotos:

The next day we admired the natural beauty at Loch Raven Reservoir, north of Baltimore,

then had lunch at Ladew Gardens.

This old estate includes a beautiful manor house and gardens

and is renowned for topiary:

Swans on the hedge.

Pointed hedges.

Topiary foxhunt:

Horseman

hounds

and fox!

We ate plenty of free delicious ice cream, compliments of a family connection to this business:

May 31, 2019

We rented a car to drive from Baltimore to Ohio for the main attraction of this trip – our daughter’s college graduation. Along the way, we stopped at Washington Monument State Park in Maryland for a picnic lunch, then walked a short way on the Appalachian Trail.

Inset picture shows what the first Washington Monument looks like

when it is not being repaired.

Views to the south into Virginia from the monument site.

Appalachian Trail – near the halfway point, with about 1200 miles to go to the northern terminus.

On we drove, into

PENNSYLVANIA

We passed through miles of farm land.

This was my first time driving across the eastern US and seeing for myself some of the geology I had studied in college. I had highway views of the folded strata of the Valley and Ridge province of the Alleghenian orogeny as I followed along on the map.

Folded stratigraphy on the Google terrain map.

Stratigraphy at highway speed.

Allegheny River

That afternoon we took a 4.5 mile hike along Slippery Rock Creek with a picnic dinner at McConnells Mill State Park near Butler, PA.

Slippery Rock Creek

McConnell’s Mill and Bridge:

We saw rafters and kayakers on Slippery Rock Creek.

Spring wildflowers along the trail:

Bluets

Stonecrop

Violet

Dogwood

Trillium and geranium

The next day we drove on to-

OHIO

We spent a lot of time with our daughter, and met her friends, roommates, and their families, all in town for commencement. Despite rain and thunderstorms on the days before and after, graduation day was sunny but not too hot, and all went as planned. We are very proud of her, and excited for her next adventure – moving to Washington DC where she will begin a good job as a Research Assistant.

stage

square

arch

town

ephemera

house

arboretum

graduate

But first, we drove her to Pennsylvania so she could join a bicycle trip with friends who were already en route. We visited many places in the eastern US on this trip, as indicated by my camera GPS map.

Time to head west again, but only as far as

COLORADO

We were met at the Denver airport by my husband’s cousin, his only family member we didn’t think we would see, but who was unexpectedly in town – a great surprise, and one of the best moments of the trip! Highlights– Visiting with family, including my husband’s 99.5 year old uncle, and spending part of a day in real mountains!

The mountains are calling and we must go!

LOVELAND PASS

May 31, 2019

Comparison to when we were here in June of 2013.

The air was crisp, thin, pure. We walked about 2 miles on the trails above the pass – we were not equipped for snow hiking.

bird, granite, snow

Precambrian rocks – I don’t get to see these where I live!

We stopped for views at Lookout Mountain near Golden:

View to the north along the Front Range

Northeast

East to Denver and the Great Plains beyond…

Buffalo Bill Museum and grave on Lookout Mountain.

We flew back to Portland on June 1st, after two and a half wonderful weeks of reconnecting with family, seeing new geography, and launching our daughter into post-college life. America is an amazing country, and we have nebulous plans to see more of it, but for now, there’s no place like home! Tap, tap, tap…

From the high plains of Colorado

to the Cascade Mountains and Columbia River Gorge.

Someone turned on the waterfall! June Lake and Chocolate Falls, Mt St Helens, July 4th, 2019

July 8, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

We went with good friends to the June Lake Trail northeast of Cougar, Washington, on the south side of Mt St Helens. The walk to the lake is easy, with flowers blooming along the way, and magical mirror reflections at the lake.

June Lake

Mirror reflections

View to the waterfall across the lake.

In February 2016 we snowshoed to this spot – a couple of comparison look back views:

June Lake and waterfall, July 4, 2019

June Lake and waterfall, February 20, 2016

July 2019

February 2016

Today we continued beyond June Lake, up a steep ridge, to the Loowit (around the mountain) Trail, and walked east for a ways.

Beargrass blooming at the edge of a lava flow along the trail.

Large trees

We turned back west to visit the elusive Chocolate Falls. Our well traveled companion had never ‘seen’ the waterfall, although he had been there a few times. We arrived at the horseshoe shaped cliff, but there was no waterfall.

Dry lip of Chocolate Falls, 2:44 pm.

The waterfall is now “on”, 2:46 pm.

Then some nearby hikers noticed water beginning to flow in the channel above the cliff, and lo and behold, a couple of minutes later, water was plunging over the cliff through a well-worn, polished slot in the cliff edge.

Looking upstream at the channel.

Narrow but steady stream of Chocolate Falls

Looking down at the polished slot at the lip of Chocolate Falls.

The snow fields on the mountain above had warmed enough to send fresh meltwater down the channel. Apparently this is a documented phenomenon here. To us it was a surprise, like a rainbow or a special wildlife sighting – a serendipitous moment of grace and beauty.

Mt St Helens remained slightly cloud covered, with partial views. The temperature was perfect. Our plan to take the loop trail back to June Lake for the return hike also offered a ‘surprise’. This connector trail is really only a good option in the winter, on snowshoes or skis, when the lava flow boulderfields are snow covered. It took us almost an hour to navigate the half mile connecting trail, and we were very happy not to have twisted an ankle or knee in the process.

Picking our way across the lava flow.

The unexpected elements, the waterfall and the boulder field, added to our adventures on a day suited to celebrating our nation’s commitment to protecting our wilderness areas! (Hike #30, 7.5 miles, 1500 feet)

Mt St Helens from the south.

New or notable wildflowers today:

heather

huckleberry

penstemon

rosy spirea

red lichen

beargrass

bead lily and bunch berry

harebell

pearly everlasting

sickletop lousewort

Knitting:

I have seamed and added the top edging to Le Petit Sac, and knit the icord strap.

Paintbrush and clouds at Mt St Helens, WA

June 26, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

June 21, 2019

Clouds thwarted our plan to hike to the top of Coldwater Peak, about 13 miles round trip from Johnson Ridge Observatory, and more than 3000′ total elevation gain. Most of Mt St Helens and the Mt Margaret backcountry, where Coldwater Peak resides, were socked in for the day. We didn’t even go to the top of Harry’s Ridge, as the thick cloud layer that hovered when we arrived at the saddle seemed immovable. Instead, we added a side trip to Devil’s Point on our return hike. On the plus side, the wildflower extravaganza was superb, and the all day cloud cover kept the hiking temperatures kind. This trail can be brutal on a hot and cloudless day.

Indian paintbrush, penstemon and yarrow at the trailhead…preview for the day.

First view of Mt St Helens, with her head in a cloud, and our best view all day.

Flowers along the trail.

More flowers – dwarf lupine and pussypaws added to the mix.

Flowery foreground to Mt St Helens and the pumice plain.

Clouds on the trail

The landscape of today’s trail. We are hiking in the blast zone, and all this greenery has emerged since 1980.

Approaching the decommisioned western arm of the Devil’s Elbow trail.

Flowers and clouds

Up the new Devil’s Elbow bypass trail.

View of Spirit Lake from the top of the bypass.

Paintbrush and dwarf lupine as far as the eye can see….

Still hoping the clouds will lift…

Yellow arnica in this section

Tiny saxifrage flowers

The same tiny saxifrage covers the slope that leads to the saddle with the trail junction between between Harry’s Ridge and the Mt Margaret backcountry.

At this point, we gave up on the clouds lifting, and headed back, enjoying the flowers along the way.

We took the now dead end trail to Devil’s Point to our lunch stop.

Devil’s Point ahead.

Loowit Falls drains the Mt St Helens Crater Glacier.

Looking back, Harry’s Ridge is still in the cloud.

Lunch views from Devil’s Point:

East: Spirit Lake and the Pumice Plain.

South: Mt St Helens with cloud cap.

West: Johnson Ridge and trailhead.

As we continued after lunch, the clouds lifted very briefly:

Harry’s Ridge

The Dome in Mt Margaret backcountry partially unveiled.

Hike #29 for 2019, 7.5 miles, 1500 feet. I felt strong at the end of the hike, like I could have made it to the peak and crawled back up the hill to the trailhead at the end of the day. We will return to try another day!

Extra flower photos:

Indian paintbrush and pussytoes

Pussypaws

Bunchberry

Partridgefoot

Penstemon, dwarf lupine and paintbrush

Glacier lilies in a shaded ravine

Huckleberries

Crafting:

Knitting progress on Le Petit Sac by Pam Allen, using Sparrow linen by Quince and Co. I often have to knit the left twist rows twice 😉

I patched, mended, and reinforced worn seams on six pairs of hiking pants.

Summer sky with windows.

Lewisia and Clarkia on Hamilton Mountain, Washington

June 18, 2019June 19, 2019 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

Hamilton Mountain trail, Beacon Rock State Park, Washington, June 14, 2019

We hiked to the top of the upper rocky switchbacks, looking for wildflowers. I have previously hiked here earlier in the wildflower season – being slightly later meant getting to see both Lewisia and Clarkia in bloom. We had cloud cover most of the day, then Mt Hood peeked out as we began our descent. Hike #28 for 2019, 6 miles, 1500 feet.

Our destination:

Hamilton Mountain from the power line trail cut.

The waterfall area:

Pool of the Winds

Rodney Falls

Below the bridge

More woods:

Up the lower cliffs and out onto Little Hamilton Mountain viewpoint:

Hamilton Mountain still ahead.

Wildflower meadows in this area:

Drying out, but full of the Clarkia called Farewell to spring, and blue-eyed Mary.

Farewell To Spring

Farther up the trail, on the rocky upper switchbacks, Columbian Lewisia clings to the cliff edges.

Upper meadows with both Lewisia and a few Clarkias up on the slope, as well as bluehead gilia, Oregon sunshine, death camas and blue-eyed Mary:

We stopped near here at the top of the switchbacks for lunch. On the way down, Mt Hood peaked out from under the clouds.

More flowers of the day:

phantom orchid

dogbane

honeysuckle

tiger lily

bluehead gilia

snowberry

stonecrop

buckwheat

death camas

taper tip onion

nodding onion and Oregon sunshine

farewell to spring clarkia

paintbrush and Oregon sunshine

taper tip onion and Oregon grapes

Columbian lewisia

campion

dog rose

Saddle Mountain, Oregon, June 10, 2019

June 15, 2019 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

We have been up this trail many times.The profusion of wildflowers this time of year is always a draw. A combination of shadowy forest and rocky open slopes over 1600 feet of elevation change creates a myriad of habitats and bloom times. We saw at least 66 different types of blooming flowers. I’ve detailed our 2017 hike here. Some standout views for today:

Shady forest

View to the top

The knob

First view of the ocean beyond the knob

Steep chicken wire lined rocky trail up the cliffs

The saddle

Bistort, Mt Rainier

Flowers all the way to the top

View to Mt Rainier, Mt St Helens and Mt Adams from the summit

View to Astoria from the summit

Looking back to the sea and the summit on the return hike

Notable flowers:

nodding onion, arnica

vanilla leaf

saxifrage

mallow

Hooker fairy bells

Olympic onions

ble eyed grass

anemone

tufted saxifrage on a cliff

tufted saxifrage

Columbian lewisia

prairie smoke

This was hike #27 for 2019, 6.8 miles, 1900 feet.

Wahkeena-Multnomah Loop After the Fire – A Glorious Wildflower Explosion Amidst the Blackened Trees…

June 13, 2019June 24, 2019 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

June 6, 2019 – Wahkeena-Multnomah Falls Loop

This area was burned by the Eagle Creek Fire of September 2017. The trails above the waterfalls were closed for over a year, then have been reopened and closed periodically since fall 2018. Instability along the trail, falling trees and sliding slopes have been valiantly repaired by our intrepid trail keepers. The trails were open today. We hiked up Wahkeena Creek and down Multnomah Creek. Much of the understory removed by fire has returned as lush greenery. It was a beautiful hike on a beautiful day, and there were sooo many flowers!!! Of course, by the time we circled back around to Multnomah Falls there were also sooo many people, but most don’t go above the Benson Bridge. I enjoyed my first foray back onto these trails. (Hike #26 for 2019, 5 miles, 1600 feet)

Wahkeena Trail

Approaching Multnomah Falls from the parking area.

Wahkeena Falls

We started by climbing past Wahkeena Falls, and up several hanging garden switchbacks to Lemmons Viewpoint:

Tiger lily blooming near the viewpoint.

View across the Columbia River

View upriver to Beacon Rock

The trail continues up Wahkeena Creek beyond Fairy Falls and onto the ridge between the drainages:

Fairy Falls

Millions of candy flowers line the burned forest floor.

The next section of trail, along the upper ridgecrest, has always felt very special to me – a quiet flat trail in the deep forest, high on a steep ridge above the river – immensely peaceful and idyllic. My first time through after the fire was trepidatious, but the trail retains it’s magical quality. Despite the scorched trees and more open view, the feeling of peace remains. These trees will all come down at someday. Today I marvel at the explosion of flowers the extra sunlight has nurtured.