Christmas Eve at Dry Creek Falls, and knitted ornaments

December 31, 2019December 31, 2019 / margaretquilts / 3 Comments

December 24, 2019, Cascade Locks, Oregon

A foggy day – a good time to head into the forest. The trailhead park at the Bridge of the Gods was decorated for the holidays. We hiked in the other direction, south on the Pacific Crest Trail, and up hill away from the Columbia River. It is about 2.5 miles to this lovely waterfall that pours over a columnar basalt cliff. We had it to ourselves for lunch and a photo session. Then back down the trail, back to town, to finish up some elf work.

Bridge of the Gods trailhead

Into the foggy forest that is scarred by the 2017 fire.

Dry Creek just below the waterfall.

Dry Creek Falls

Closer views:

Still foggy on the cliffs as we drive home.

Hike #58, 5.5 miles, 1050 feet

Back home, I baked a few cookies, wrapped a few presents, and constantly rechecked the airline website as our daughter’s flight from DC was on a long delay. She eventually arrived about 1 am. Her visit for the week is the best present!

Knitted ornaments

I made a little acorn for my friend’s tree – a last minute project. I collected the acorn caps last year after seeing some knitted acorns on Ravelry. It was a very quick project, using a bit of scrap yarn.

A knitting group friend gave us all ornaments that were knitted by a mouse.

Up the Labyrinth and down Coyote Wall in fog and sun

December 24, 2019 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

12/13/2019 Coyote Wall, Washington

Once again we drive through the foggy, rainy Columbia River Gorge to the east side of the Cascade Mountains…

Rainbow over White Salmon, from the Hood River Bridge.

Once again, we walk along Old Highway 8, parallel to the Columbia River…

Look Lake reflections.

Columbia River, Oregon beyond.

Geese on those rocks above the river.

Once again we hike up the winding trails of The Labyrinth, through layers of shifting fog.

Red Oregon grape along the trail.

Labyrinth waterfall

Fog ahead

My favorite oak grove

The sun is trying

Mt Hood’s flattish top peaking in and out at us as we go higher.

Our favorite landmark tree viewpoint – one moment in the fog,

then clear skies for a while.

Once again we hike higher, then across Atwood Road to the sudden cliff edge of Coyote Wall.

Cliffs of Coyote Wall are just beyond the oak tree

Coyote Wall, Look Lake, Columbia River.

Looking north to the upper slopes of Coyote Wall.

Eastern Columbia River Gorge.

Once again we hike down the ankle breaking bike trails, one called the Crybaby trail, while the fog layers shift and disperse.

East view from Old Ranch Road

Looking back up the wall, fog descending again.

Summer parsley.

Looking East toward the Rowena orchards.

Almost back to the Coyote Wall trailhead.

(Hike #57, 7 miles, 1500 feet)

Knitting…

Button bands on the Meris cardigan done; and about two thirds of a Rafa Hat.

Reflections and birds at Steigerwald Lake, WA

December 4, 2019December 1, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

11/23/2019

This is the place we go to see upside down trees that don’t exist except as reflected imagery in water.

Mt Hood beyond the lake.

And birds. We enjoy spotting them in their home, though we are not true ‘birders’.

Northern Harrier

We saw this Great Blue Heron several times from different vantage points:

Hiding in plain sight. I didn’t notice the heron in the middle of the picture until I was looking at my photos later.

Green Heron

Egret

Steigerwald Lake Wildlife Refuge is in the early stages of a major overhaul. Dikes to the Columbia River will be breached, the lake will be enlarged, and wild salmon will return to the streams in the surrounding hills. Trails will be rerouted. Today we see early work – large logs have been placed to provide underwater wildlife habitat throughout the area that will become the enlarged lake.

Hike #54, 3.8 miles

Knitting, etc

Cold front in Portland this week, Thanksgiving supplies are in – I am chopping and baking and decorating for a small gathering.

One pair of sock toes mended so far.

Chocolate silk pie!

Two Columbia Gorge Hikes and more witches in PDX

October 30, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Tom McCall Point 10/21/2019

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

We are going to the top of Tom McCall Point:

October 2019

May 2017

Looking west toward the Memaloose Hills from the trail:

October 2019

April 2016

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

October 2019

April 2019

Oak trees:

October 2019

April 2019

And a few lingering fall wildflowers:

golden weed

Angel’s Rest 10/24/2019

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

Coopey Falls

Fall reflections in Coopey Creek

Angel’s Rest – our destination.

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

Closer view of Mt Adams.

Western view of the Columbia River.

Trees in the burn zone – 2017 Gorge Fire.

Heading down on a beautiful fall day.

Neighborhood walk and more witches!

First fall for this new black tupelo

Hiking to Lyle Cherry Orchard, WA, and knitting a peach

October 18, 2019 / margaretquilts

October 11, 2019 – Green vegetation of summer transitioning to autumn hues: golden grass, yellow big leaf maples, orange oak, and the luring leering red of poison oak against the black cliffs. The ‘Cherry Orchard’ consists of a few ancient snags at the far end of the trail on top of the cliffs….the rewards are the blue sky and river views from the cliffs. (Hike#47, 6.3 miles, 1300 feet)

View of the cliff tops from the Convict Road.

Convict Road below us now.

Big leaf maple

Oak

Acorns on the trail.

Poison oak

Lots of poison oak all the way up…

Lunch view toward Lyle from the cliff top.

One of the remaining cherry trees.

End of the trail – west toward Rowena.

End of the trail, east toward The Dalles.

Almost back to the trailhead.

Knitting

I interrupted my other projects to knit a peach from the pattern Peached by Hunter Hammersen – who is donating the proceeds to RAICES and The Southern Poverty Law Center in aid of immigrants. I sent it to my daughter in her birthday package.

Meanwhile, I have made progress on a cardigan and a cowl.

Meris Cardigan

Spiral Cowl

View from the Sternwheeler Columbia Gorge

August 5, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

8/4/2019 A two hour cruise

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

Our vessel

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

Ready to embark – Cascade Locks and Bridge of the Gods in view.

Table Mountain reflected in the glassy Columbia River.

Eagle nest on a buoy.

Eastern turnaround at Wind Mountain.

Downriver toward Hamilton and Table Mountains.

Bridge of the Gods, burned forest on the skyline.

Passing under the Bridge of the Gods – shadows and angles.

Western turnaround above Bonneville Dam:

Beacon Rock beyond the powerhouse.

Back under the Bridge of the Gods to port.

A lovely morning on the river.

Knitting

Some very long rows ahead to finish this gift:

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

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.

A couple of comparisons from a June 2014 Hike:

2019

2014

2019

View downslope to the river.

From here, the trail crosses a couple of flowery drainages before heading down to Multnomah Creek:

Larkspur ahead!

Arnica and columbine

Arnica, bleeding heart

Columbine, iris, bleeding heart

Multnomah Creek

The trail passes several waterfalls along Multnomah Creek:

New sign, burned sign

Multnomah Creek

Flower lined trail

Monkey and candy flowers

Ecola Falls

Wiesendanger Falls

Dutchman Falls

A side spur leads out to the viewpoint at the top of Multnomah Falls (where the crowds of people begin):

The top of falls viewpoint

Looking straight down the falls

View of the parking area, river and beyond

A dozen or so paved switchbacks lead down to the trailhead. Lots of people and flowers along the way:

Rebuilt rock wall along the trail

Burned trail post

Approaching the Benson Bridge

Looking down to the view plaza from the bridge

Multnomah Falls from the view plaza

Looking back from the approach area

Burned trees along the ridgeline

Trailmap

More flowers:

corydalis

nine bark

paintbrush

vetch

littleleaf candy flower

fireweed

pea

geranium

yarrow

mock orange

Oregon sunshine

fringe cup

lupine

Balsamroot, Bitterroot, and a Birthday

May 6, 2019 / margaretquilts / 2 Comments

May 2, 2019 Dalles Mountain Ranch, WA

On a very windy double birthday, we followed the lure of the wildflowers to Dalles Mountain Ranch, Columbia Hills State Park, WA. We hiked the Middle Loop, from the Ranch, downhill and then back up again, over rolling slopes and across streams. Balsam root, biscuit root, lupine, and filaree painted gold, yellow, purple and pink highlights on the hills, and neither words nor pictures can really describe the beauty! But I try…

We started from the ranch trailhead, Mt Hood in the distance.

Down the balsmroot and lupine filled slopes.

As the trail winds down, the view changes from Mt Hood

to the Columbia Hills.

The Columbia River comes into view,

and so many flowers!

Under oak trees,

Down hill, closer to the river.

Stream crossing,

Puffy mounds of phlox,

A patch of death camas

Another stream crossing,

Back up the last slope to the trail head.

A few less common flowers seen today:

white lupine

phlox

bitter cherry

milk vetch

tritellia

Later, the same day – camas lilies and bitterroot!

On our way home, we took a short hike at Catherine Creek where the open slopes are already beginning to dry out.

I was hoping to see swales of blue camas lilies in the vernal pools, and we found them!

Blue camas lilies growing where the vernal pools are drying up.

A few white camas in with the blue camas lilies.

A bonus was finding the first blooming bitterroots of the year! We completely missed them last year when we were in Cornwall, so I took extra pictures to make up for it.

The large pink flowers are so delicately beautiful, and yet grow out of tough black lava outcrops.

Bitterroot blooming on the rocky foreground, camas lilies and buttercups beyond.

This was hike #21 for 2019, about 6 miles, 600 feet overall, but a million in flowers.

Even later, birthday cake and new socks

I made the requested traditional chocolate cake. After dinner out at our favorite local Chinese restaurant, Brian blew out XXVI candles.

Dan will blowout his LXV candles on Sunday when he has his party. Both had ‘medical insurance significant’ birthdays this year. Brian was wore his new socks the next day while watching the Portland Trailblazers squeak out a win over Denver in quadruple overtime! I don’t think there is any adrenaline left in town.

I finished these just in time for Brian’s birthday!

Meanwhile in the garden….

Dogwood trees are blooming all over town in glorious pink, salmon and cream colors. And in our yard:

Only one of twelve camas bulbs bloomed.

Chinese fringe flower and phlox still going strong

Iris

Columbia Hills, WA, Tryon Creek, OR, and some Brioche Knitting

April 9, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Crawford Oaks 4/4/2019

We had to drive 75 miles east to the Columbia Hills to find a dry hike this weekend. We started up the road to Eight Mile Falls, then continued on the Vista Loop. It was a bit late for grass widows and yellow bells, and a bit early for full balsamroot display, so we had a bit of each, on a windless day. A lovely hike, and pretty easy, compared to when we hiked here about a year ago and I was less than two months post surgery. Next spring, we will attempt this hike a few weeks later to get the full balsamroot experience.

Bird welcoming us to the trail.

The graphic showing the depth of the Missoula Floods here always impresses me.

Eight Mile Falls

Looking back west toward the river and Horsethief Butte.

One of the scattered early blooming balsamroots.

View to the west, toward The Dalles

View to the east toward Biggs

Looking north to the Columbia Hills

One swale of shooting stars – first of the season

A blue jay near the trailhead

Last look at Horsethief Butte

Hike #15, 5 miles/1000 feet

The wildflower suite:

Shooting stars

Gold and woodland stars

yellow bell

biscuitroot

slender phlox

big head clover in bud

salt and pepper

saxifrage

grass widow and woodland stars

miner’s lettuce

smooth stem parsley

balsamroot

ballhead waterleaf

filaree and pungent parsley

Sunday dash around Tryon Creek to see the Trillium

4/7/2019 A rainy weekend in Portland, a weather window, so we went:

Trillium in swathes in the woodlands, and individually along the trail.

After a weekend of rain, some flowers were becoming transparent

Other flowers included skunk cabbage in the bogs near the creek.

Lots of water dripping, but we mostly avoided actual rain.

cedar

violets

Oregon grape

(Hike#16, 2.2 miles, 200 feet)

Knitting

Progress on the Vintage Prim hat, with brioche:

I will just say that there has been frogging, and use of lifelines. I have even learned to fix one or two stitches, but a big fix is still beyond me with this technique. I do love how it looks!

Margaret Quilts

Quilting, Knitting, Hiking

Columbia River Gorge

Christmas Eve at Dry Creek Falls, and knitted ornaments

December 24, 2019, Cascade Locks, Oregon

Knitted ornaments

Up the Labyrinth and down Coyote Wall in fog and sun

12/13/2019 Coyote Wall, Washington

Knitting…

Reflections and birds at Steigerwald Lake, WA

11/23/2019

Knitting, etc

Two Columbia Gorge Hikes and more witches in PDX

Tom McCall Point 10/21/2019

Angel’s Rest 10/24/2019

Neighborhood walk and more witches!

Hiking to Lyle Cherry Orchard, WA, and knitting a peach

Knitting

View from the Sternwheeler Columbia Gorge

8/4/2019 A two hour cruise

Knitting

Lewisia and Clarkia on Hamilton Mountain, Washington

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

Our destination:

More flowers of the day:

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

June 6, 2019 – Wahkeena-Multnomah Falls Loop

Wahkeena Trail

Multnomah Creek

More flowers:

Balsamroot, Bitterroot, and a Birthday

May 2, 2019 Dalles Mountain Ranch, WA

Later, the same day – camas lilies and bitterroot!

Even later, birthday cake and new socks

Meanwhile in the garden….

Columbia Hills, WA, Tryon Creek, OR, and some Brioche Knitting

Crawford Oaks 4/4/2019

Sunday dash around Tryon Creek to see the Trillium

Knitting