Looking back on 2022…

February 1, 2023 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Hiking, reading and crafting, goals and accomplishments, life in pandemia….

We begin 2023, adapted to the new ‘ordinary’ life. We are injected with as many booster shots as we can get, and masking whenever in crowds of people. We will probably go on this way for a while. With the best of intentions we move on in our world, acknowledging privileged survival and a relatively easy life here, now.

TRAVEL: We returned to international travel in 2022, hiking in Scotland and Iceland during long summer days. We also traveled to Joshua Tree and southern Utah for hiking, and went twice to Washington DC, to see our daughter, and other east coast relations.

Red Rocks, NV, April

Joshua Tree, CA, February

Zebra Canyon, UT, April

Pennsyvania, March

George Washington Bridge, on the way to CT, March

National Mall, DC, March

Supreme Court, DC, October

Old Rag, VA, October

Thingveller, Iceland, July

Applecross, Scotland, June

HIKING: My 76 hiking and walking adventures added up to 332 miles, and 52,272 feet in elevation, many of these while on our travels. New notable local hikes: finishing the last few miles of Portland’s 39 mile long Wildwood Trail, a pandemic project; the return to fire-scarred Bird Creek meadows on Mt Adams; and our first time to walk around Bayocean Spit on the Oregon coast.

View from Pittock Mansion over Portland after finishing the Wildwood Trail.

Bird Creek Meadows, Mt Adams

Sand pipers and plovers on Bayocean Spit

Our many repeat hikes were satisfying for monitoring seasonal changes, exemplified by these views of Mt Hood:

March, White River

August, East Eliot Moraine

October, Vista Ridge

READING: I finished 88 books last year. I learned the most from nonfiction and memoirs (red stars), written by diverse authors, mostly women: a thru hiker, a mountain climber, a senator, musicians, writers, and even an astrophysicist. My favorite fiction books were: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, and Shadows on the Rock by Willa Cather. I also enjoyed rereads of classics and old favorites.

QUILTING: I made one baby quilt.

Baby quilt for a new great niece, March

KNITTING: I knit my way through 9933 yards of yarn, the largest quantity into 15 hats for our guild service project. I also knit at least one gnome every month, for the Year of Gnomes. I made hats and socks for family, and a couple of scarves and gift critters.

Ravelry 2022 project thumbnail pictures

Ravelry 2022 knitting stats

12 gnomes, for the Year of Gnomes

FAMILY: Both of our sons, who had been temporarily living at home, moved out: one nearby, the other to Philadelphia. So we are fully empty nest for now. We were able to visit our daughter in DC twice last year, and she came home twice. She is in a gap year, and may be relocating to a new city for grad school next year. We were able to see some extended family members for the first time since the pandemic, but they live far enough away that regular visits are not easy.

A favorite garden in Eugene, OR, August

More of my favorite photos from 2022:

Portland cherry trees:

March

November

Scotland, June:

New Zealand Tree Fern in the Glasgow Botanical Gardens

Climbing Stob Dubh

Solstice near Glencoe

On the slopes of Stac Pollaidh

Iceland, July:

Street Art in Reykjavik:

Waterfalls and puffins:

Gullfoss

Dynjandi

Kirkjufellsfoss

Latrajbarg cliffs

Plans for 2023: I am relearning crochet so that I can make a blanket for the Guild service project, and a coral for the Coral Reef project. I am midway through knitting a slip stitch blanket. I have started the Modern Quilt Studio Mystery Quilt, and am having fun using my stash again. I hope to see more of family, but that is not always up to me. I plan to continue monthly blog updates, with expected travel interruptions. I am working on about a dozen posts from our 2020 New Zealand trip, and from 2022 Scotland and Iceland trips, and quilt documentation posts. I have to resize pictures in older posts to fit storage limits, adding a layer of time consuming work.

We will continue weekly local hikes, and expect to hike almost daily on our upcoming trips to New Zealand and Italy.

My general wish for the New Year is for good health, and for living in a way that honors diversity and contributes to ecological repair, with kindness, honesty, and generosity.

December 2022 Recap

January 14, 2023January 14, 2023 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

What do I want to remember about December? A freak snowstorm the first week. A lot of grey, rainy cold days which I spent counting down to the winter Solstice. I only went on two hikes this month:

12/6/2022 – Catherine Creek, WA –

We drove through the snowy Columbia River Gorge, and found the early snow at Catherine Creek.

Ice on Rowland Lake

Snow covered slopes on the Lower Trail

We saw a fox run up the slope.

Looking across the Columbia River to Oregon.

Catherine Creek Waterfall

Then we walked up to the snow-covered fairy pools,

and looked across to the Arch.

While eating lunch and warming up in the car, the sun came out, so we decided to walk the trail above the Arch.

Bridge over the creek

I saw a few predator birds in the tree tops – a hawk

American kestrel

Looking up toward Sunflower Hill

We turned around at the top of the Arch, not having adequate footwear for deeper snow and ice.

Eastward view

12/13/2022 – Portland Arboretum –

Another day, we found a slightly dry weather window, and took a 2.5 mile walk through part of the Portland Arboretum.

We found the most color in the Holly Garden.

Bare deciduous trees and grey skies.

Mahonia in the Winter Garden

Cedar

Meanwhile…

I took plenty of walks through the neighborhood looking for cheerful holiday decor.

I remember willing the Solstice and longer days to arrive. For a few days each year, the sun is so low, it shines through our front door windows onto the stairwell wall.

Later in the month, the east winds swept through and pounded our neighborhood, blowing down several very tall fir trees, including one across the street that we had been worried about for years. It fell on the neighbor’s house. Fortunately no one was in the room that was crushed at that moment. Then we watched the street drama of tree removal for several days, front row seat from our living room.

December 22nd, tree down

December 23rd – a thin layer of icy snow over everything…

December 26th – first they removed the other standing tree,

Then used a very tall crane to remove the fallen tree.

Rainproofing the roof; reconstruction and repair will take a while….

Elsewhere in the neighborhood:

Over in the park, Henry Huggins lost his shade tree,

and the tall fir to the left of this nutcracker…

blocked this street for a few weeks until it could be removed.

Fortunately, nobody was hurt an any of these local incidents.

What else…one son moved to Philadelphia at the beginning of the month and was not here for the holidays. We began to settle into our next phase of empty nesting, with no sign of any of the kids living here in the near future. We were glad to have our daughter home for the holidays. Luckily, she moved her flight up one day, and missed the travel craziness that happened this year. We were amazed that our other son arrived home from a business trip on a delayed flight from Denver, at 3 am on Christmas morning…for some reason not cancelled. We enjoyed setting up our tree, admiring the ornaments and the memories they bring; lighting Hanukkah candles, baking cookies, having a lovely Christmas dinner with some of our oldest friends.

New ornament from Scotland

Portland Art Museum – 12/28

My daughter and I went with friends to see a few of the current exhibits.

The golden brush strokes on this special exhibit Botticelli painting drew me in.

Very different from the rectangular smudges on this Impressionism work, which I also loved.

The Japanese woodblock prints of Mt Fuji were much more intricate and detailed, also beautiful!

A large retrospective exhibit of the Native American artist, Oscar Howe, was so interesting. His style evolved from representational to fractured, and was very colorful. These paintings are both dancers, with one arm raised, and feathers hanging down. I loved them!

Other December news:

An artist friend gave me a small painting of Mt Hood that we hung in our kitchen adjacent to one of my husbands’ photos of Mt Hood. We love the mountains!

I knit my way through the month, completing a few gifts, and finishing the year of gnomes.

I made three of these Warm One Hats in Knit Picks Mighty Stitch yarn held double, as gifts for each of my kids.

I made the 12th gnome, Gnova, by Sara Schira, for the December Year of Gnomes.

I made three Little Tigers that have new homes.

I continued knitting the Malabrigo Slip Stitch Blanket after all the gift knitting was done. This one is for me.

I plan to write one more post for 2022 – hopefully soon.

November 2022 hiking, and a visit to the Maryhill Museum of Art

January 9, 2023 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

We went on three familiar hikes, and to the Maryhill Museum of Art.

11/3 Steigerwald Wildlife Refuge, WA

This used to be our reliable close-in flat walk, for partly rainy days, where we could go to see upside down trees reflected in the lake, and often, many waterfowl. For the past couple of years, the site has undergone major reconstruction. The berm that separates these lowlands from flooding by the Columbia River has been breached in order to reconnect salmon to the Gibson Creek drainage. On our first visit back on the rerouted trails we saw a few birds and drained lakes. I will be interested to walk the rest of the trails when the project is complete.

Looking across the new Steigerwald Lake to the east.

Egret and heron

The bridge that used to have a lake under it.

Killdeer

Crossing the bridge

Trail now closed

Art trail – should be open next spring

View across the Columbia River from the berm

Geese

11/10 Angel’s Rest, OR

We save this popular close-in trail for midweek hikes. The trail zigs and zags up, through the forest, then the cliffs, to stunning panoramic views up and down the gorge, and across to the snowy Washington peaks (4.5 miles, 1500 feet).

Angel’s Rest

View to the west from the upper cliffs

Looking north across the Columbia River

Closer view of Silver Star Mountain

View to the east, northern shoreline highlighted by sunbeams

Blue jay lunch companion

Colorful twice-burned forest in the foreground.

11/14 The Labyrinth, WA

Our reliable eastern gorge hike, especially on windier days when the basalt columns give some protection. I love to visit all my favorite trees along the trail, and check the water levels in Hidden Creek (4 miles, 800′).

Approach trail – Old Hwy 8

Looking south across the Columbia River

Pools in Hidden Creek

Hidden Creek

Dry grass

Basalt cliffs

Up the labyrinth

More basalt cliffs

Favorite oak grove

Lunch view to the east

Farther up, the cliff-edge oak tree

Poderosa at the upper viewpoint

And down, past the haunted tree

Driving home toward rainy Portland through sunbeams

11/8 Maryhill Museum of Art, WA

I was still nursing a knee injury, so instead of hiking, we drove east of our usual winter hiking ground and visited the Maryhill Museum of Art. It is perched on a cliff edge on the northern side of the Columbia River Gorge, in a mansion built by Sam Hill. He was the remarkable American businessman who built railroads and roads, including some of the first roads through the Columbia River Gorge. He travelled through Europe in the early 20th century, and made many artist friends who convinced him to turn his mansion into a museum. The building was started in 1914, but not opened until 1940. It contains an eclectic selection of art, some donated by Sam Hill’s friends, some acquired later. So out in the middle of nowhere, on the edge of the Columbia River Gorge, is a museum with galleries of Rodin sculptures, gilt furniture that once belonged to the Queen of Romania, historical exhibits about Sam Hill and friends, and a large and well curated display of Native American art and artifacts. And hundreds of chess sets from all over the world. It is a beautiful collection.

Driving east out of the rain, through the Columbia River Gorge along WA 14

We accidentally parked near the service entrance, so walked to the museum from the western side.

Throne chairs, inspired by those donated to the museum by the Queen of Romania, with excellent views.

View west, to the vineyards and Columbia River

We walked around to the eastern entrance plaza.

Main entrance

Yarn-bombing installation

Dedication by the Queen of Romania

One of the historical exhibits was about pioneering modern dancer Loie Fuller, who encouraged Sam Hill to dedicate his house to art.

There is an entire gallery dedicated to the works of Auguste Rodin, the French sculptor, including a fascinating exhibit with miniatures showing each step in the process of Lost Wax Bronze Casting. We had just seen one of Rodin’s more famous pieces, the Burghers of Calais, in the Washington DC Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden, and here was a whole roomful of bronze statues, and plaster casts, working models, sketches and completed pieces.

Rodin gallery

Plaster model of The Thinker

More Rodin artwork

Another Gallery, Theater de la Mode, displays miniature mannequin collections from Paris fashion houses.

Native American Art and artifacts are on display in several galleries:

Modern jewelry

Displayed in a glass walled gallery with extensive views.

Modern paintings in another gallery,

these change seasonally.

And extensive displays of beading, basketry, stone, leather, weaving, pottery and other antiquities, organized by regions of the west. This exhibit is scheduled to be overhauled during the winter closure. (The museum is closed from midNovember to midMarch).

The last gallery we visited was the hall of chess sets – over 400, from all over the world, carved or sculpted from many different media, a dazzling display.

A life size cutout of Sam Hill stands overlooking this gallery.

As we exited the museum, we walked again along the outdoor plaza, admiring the views and outdoor art installations.

Looking down on the outdoor plaza

Aptly named “Roll and Play”, by Alisa Looney, 2007

Eastward view

View to the south, with three birds

Three birds

Walking into the wind back to our car. “Brushing” by Mike Sur, 2009.

I can’t believe I had never been here before, but I hope to return next year when they host their annual plain air exhibit.

Shenandoah National Park, October 2022

December 27, 2022 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

During our Washington DC trip, we spent three days in the middle of the week exploring the Shenandoah Mountains of Virginia.

Location Map for our Shenandoah National Park trip.

10/25 – First Looks

We drove west, toward the Shenandoah Mountains, admiring the fall colors along the way.

Westbound on Hwy 211

We entered the park at Thornton Gap. We stopped at a few overlooks on Skyline Drive before checking into our room at the Skyland Resort.

Tunnel Parking Overlook

Buck Hollow Overlook

Jewell Hollow Overlook

10/26 – Hawksbill Summit, Deer Hollow Falls, a gorgeous sunset

The misty morning gave way to a few sun breaks.

Crescent Rock Overlook

We decided to hike the Hawksbill-Salamander-Appalachian Trail Loop and hope for the best.

Hawksbill Summit Trailhead, nest in the tree hollow

Upward into the mist…

Hawksbill Summit was fogged in, but while we ate our lunch, the clouds cleared, and we had a lovely westward view to the Shenandoah River Valley.

Shelter near the summit

The last section of trail

Disappointing summit views…

The mist began to rise…

More sun breaks and color…

Shenandoah River Valley

Beautiful foliage

and more clearing…

Foliage color wash

We descended via the Salamander Trail, to an intersection with the Appalachian Trail, which we walked along for about a mile.

Appalachian Trail Junction

Walking along the west side of Hawksbill

We could see the summit crags through the bare trees.

Red foliage and scree slopes.

The Hawksbill hike was about 2.7 miles, 600 feet. After our hike, we stopped at the Big Hollow Visitor Center and learned a bit about the history of the park. Then we hiked about 3 miles to Dark Hollow Falls from the Rose River Trailhead, once again, admiring the foliage colors, and then the tiers of the waterfall.

Rose River Trail

Dark Hollow Falls, lower tier

pool between tiers

Dark Hollow Falls, upper tiers

Later in the afternoon, we stopped at Tanners Ridge Overlook, just south of Big Meadow.

Tanners Ridge Overlook

Shenandoah Valley from Tanners Ridge

We noticed the clouds and sunbeams were looking promising for a great sunset. We hurried to The Point Overlook, known for excellent vistas. For the next hour, the rolling waves of mountain silhouettes, clouds and sunbeams put on a stunning display, nearly impossible to capture (but we tried!)

10/27- Old Rag hike from Berry Hollow

Old Rag (3274′) is a craggy mountain to the east of the main ridge of Shenandoah National Park, and a popular hiking destination. This was our longest hike for the week (6 miles, 1750 feet). The trailhead was about an hour’s drive from our lodging. We had purchased limited access permits online ahead of time, and passed three ranger check points along the trail. Many hikers choose the challenging Ridge scramble trail up the eastern rocky slopes. We opted for the slightly shorter, nonscrambly route from the Berry Hollow Trailhead.

Old Rag, as seen from the road to the trail head

Berry Hollow Trailhead

We hiked upward through beautiful fall foliage.

The lower trail follows roads

Old Rag Shelter, the rockier trails begin here

yellow foliage

A glimpse of the top

Through the slabs

Another view toward the summit, and an overhanging boulder

Large slab just below the summit, where we stopped for a lunch break.

The summit is covered with rocky boulders and slabs that more intrepid hikers scrambled up. We settled for circling the perimeter, and viewing the landscape to the west, north and east.

Panorama of the Shenandoah Mountains from Old Rag Summit

The scar of Skyline Drive is visible along the ridgeline

Colorwash of foliage…

Green, yellow, orange, red

Rocky outcrops on the summit

Panning to the east

The flat eastern seaboard comes into view

Farther east

Balancing boulder

Berries along the downward trail

We returned the way we came, the steep downward trail challenging to my recently injured knee, but we made it, thank you hiking poles!

Shelter below the summit

Last view toward the top

And back through the colorful forest

We drove back up to Skyline Road and stopped at the Old Rag Overlook, to look back at where we had been:

Old Rag from the Old Rag Overlook on Skyline Drive

Zooming closer

and closer

This was a successful trip. We wanted to see the fall foliage. The peak foliage was a little past at the top of the mountains, especially in Big Meadow, but was still sweeping in waves down the slopes, and is much more colorful than what we see in our home evergreen forests in Oregon.

The next morning we stopped for a last look from the Buck Hollow Overlook before driving back to Washington DC…

View from Buck Hollow Overlook

October 2022 – Hiking

November 30, 2022 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Three mostly repeat hikes in October: Vista Ridge on Mt Hood, Indian Heaven Wilderness in Washington, and Oaks Bottom in Portland.

10/3 – Vista Ridge, Mt Hood

This is one of my favorite hikes on Mt Hood – especially during wildflower season. Today we enjoyed the fall colors in the burn zone – bright red huckleberries, white pearly everlasting, pink fireweed; and greeted a few of my haunted tree friends.

Huckleberries, pearly everlasting, and Mt Hood

Fireweed

We stopped in Wy’East basin (5800 feet) for lunch, then hiked a little higher, toward Barrett Spur.

Wy’East Basin above the Timberline Trail

Huckleberry foliage and faded wild flowers

Toward Barrett Spur and Mt Hood

North view, toward Mt Adams and Mt Rainier, behind the haze

We returned back down the Vista Ridge Trail, about 6.5 miles, 1500 feet for the day.

Pasque flowers

Huckleberry foliage

I stopped to look more closely at the fireweed – the four-petal flowers produce curly and fuzzy seedheads. On closer look, I noticed the seed casing split into four strands that curled away as the fuzzy seedheads emerged. I am not a botanist but found this fascinating.

Very few fireweed flowers still on view.

This four-part split seed caught my eye as I walked by. That is when I noticed this pattern on all the plants, though most were more fuzzy or curly, and less noticeable.

Fuzzier seeds, ready to fly.

We took a moment to look out east from Vista Ridge, toward The Pinnacle and Mt Hood, and the remains of the Dollar Lake Fire of 2011.

Farewell for the year to the haunted trees, by now knee deep in snow….

10/11 – Thomas Lake to Rock Lake to the Old Cascade Crest Trail, Indian Heaven Wilderness

A beautiful fall day. We found the huckleberry foliage still changing – some bright red, some still green, in the faded summer meadows, and no mosquitos!

Thomas Lake – Rock Lakes – Old Cascade Crest Trail Loop. About 7 miles, 800 feet.

Beautiful reflections in Heather Lake.

We continued past the first lakes on the trail, up hill, to the viewpoint of Mt St Helens,

and a glimpse of Mt Rainier.

Rock Lakes lunch stop

After lunch, we continued east beyond Rock Lakes, toward East Crater, to the junction with the Old Cascade Crest Trail. We had followed it north before, today we were trying the south trail.

There are many small lakes along this route.

The trail eventually crosses a large meadow, with a view of Gifford Peak beyond.

Looking back north toward East Crater, shortly before this trail intersects the Blue Lake Trail.

A shrinking lake near the trail junction.

At the trail junction, we headed north again to complete the loop. The Old Cascade Crest Trail is still used, and easy to walk, though it does not show up on recent trail maps.

Another peek at Mt St Helens beyond Eunice Lake on our return hike.

10/17 – Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, Portland

The standard 3 mile loop around the Wildlife Refuge, partly on the bike path, partly on dirt trails around the wetlands.

Wetlands and mausoleum mural from the bike path

Cooper’s hawk

Wood ducks

Oaks Amusement Park across the wetlands

Reflections

Hint of fall…

Later in the month we went to Washington, DC, where there were some long city/mall/museum walks, and to Shenandoah National Park, VA, where there were three other hikes, described in the next post.

September 2022 Hiking….

November 16, 2022 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

I went on three hikes in September, in Portland, Mt Adams and Indian Heaven.

9/14 – Macleay Park to Pittock Mansion: Finishing the Wildwood Trail, Portland, OR

During the early pandemic in the spring of 2020, travel was restricted. Many parks and trails were closed. We tried long neighborhood walks, but concrete is hard on the feet! I missed the dirt trails and nature. When local trails reopened, we turned to the Wildwood Trail in nearby Forest Park to keep our hiking habit going. We had hiked parts of Forest Park over the years, but usually prefer further destinations with views, waterfalls or mountain tops. The Forest Park trails are fine for nearby forest hikes, but are often crowded with trail runners and neighborhood hikers, and there aren’t many views. Nevertheless, we set a goal to try to hike the full 30 mile length of the Wildwood Trail in sections – especially after the realization set in that the pandemic restrictions were going to last longer than we first imagined. As of this month, there was one section left (not counting the section between miles 14 and 15 that is closed for repair). Early September had been too hot and/or smoky in our usual destinations to hike much, but after a day of rain we found time to hike this last section.

Upper Macleay Park Trailhead

Pittock Mansion

The views were limited on this overcast day, but the seasonal flowerbeds provided some bright colors.

Views to downtown Portland from Pittock mansion

Seasonal flower beds

We returned to our starting place, then added to our mileage by hiking a few of the trails on the nearby Audubon reserve – again a bit nondescript on this between seasons day – too late for summer flowers, too early for fall colors. Our total for the day was about 4 miles, and 700 feet.

Trail map for the Bird Sanctuary

Muddy trails

Douglas Fir deck

9/20 – Bird Creek Meadows, Mt Adams, WA

This area has been mostly closed since the 2015 Cougar Creek Fire. The Yakama people have opened the hiking trails for the month of September the last two years, and we finally made it out there this year. Our pre-fire hikes in the area were during peak wildflower season in a place where the bloom is as fine as any in the Cascades. We saw the beginnings of fall color on our hike today, while appreciating the repairs that have been made to the fire damaged trails. It was beautiful!

Our GPS track – 7 miles, 1350 feet

Bird Lake Trailhead, Mt Adams

Up toward Bluff Lake through the 2015 burn zone.

Green undergrowth

View to Mt Hood through the haze.

Bluff Lake, Mt Adams through the trees on the left.

Huckleberry foliage

Staircase Falls

Mt Adams

Hellebore, huckleberry

We reached the Hellroaring Viewpoint, then continued upward on the Climber Trail for a short way:

Hellroaring Viewpoint

Hellroaring Falls

Mt Adams Glaciers

Glacier View

Moraine and ridge toward the Climbers’ trail

Higher meadows

View east – Little Mt Adams and Heart Lake

Our turnaround point, looking north…

and looking east.

Our return hike circled through the western meadows, past Crooked Creek Falls, and then down through the burn zone again, to Bird Lake.

Gentian blooming in the huckleberry patches

Late season meadows

Crooked Creek Falls

Back down into the burn zone

Crooked Creek

Back to Bird Lake

Lookback photos from 2013 compared to 2022, looking south from the below Hellroaring Viewpoint –

August 2013

September 2022

And one of the wildflower meadows of summer 2013:

Bird Creek Meadows, Mt Adams, August 2013

9/27 – Indian Heaven Wilderness – Cultus Campground to Wapiki Lake Overlook

GPS track – about 8 miles, 1700 feet.

We had also hiked this trail before. Again, we caught the beginnings of the fall colors in the higher elevations, and in the more open meadows and huckleberry fields.

Trailhead

Panorama looking north from the shoulder of Bird Mountain

Sawtooth Mountain and Mt Rainier

Mt Adams

We passed Cultus Lake on our way to the Wapiki Lake overlook:

Cultus lake

Lemei Rock

Huckleberry foliage

A very few late huckleberries

Wapiki Lake Overlook

Mt Adams

Wapiki Lake

On our return hike, the smoke had blown in from a nearby fire, obscuring the mountain views we had enjoyed earlier…..

Toward Sawtooth and Mt Rainier

Toward Mt Adams

We were too early for full fall color. We passed this same pond near Cultus Lake last year, in early October, after there had been rain. I remember spending a lot of time here marveling at the colors. This year, late September, only a little color and no pond yet.

Pond near Cultus Lake, October 8, 2021

Same pond area, September 27, 2022

It is lovely to see these places in different seasons!

I am catching up on blog posts – on to October…

NZ2020: Day 18, From Christchurch to Lake Tekapo via Peel Forest, featuring the Southern Cross

September 19, 2022October 14, 2022 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Today we drove from Christchurch to our next stop at Lake Tekapo via the Inland Scenic Route.

We crossed over the Rakaia Gorge, a huge turquoise blue glacial outwash river. The riverbed was full of bleached white rocks, many exposed in the late summer, despite the recent flooding to the south.

Rakaia River

Rakaia Gorge Bridge

Upriver view

Thick glacial outwash / riverbed sediments in the roadcut.

Our guide had recommended a stop at Peel Forest, a reserve of old growth, native forest with some of the largest trees preserved. We walked a few short loop trails into the forest, appreciating its coolness on this warm day.

Cool and shady trails in the Peel Forest.

Big Tree Walk: Totara trees are some of the largest trees in the forest.

Kahikatea trees are among the tallest of the native trees, and date back to the time of the dinosaurs.

While on the Fern Walk, I was especially impressed by the absolute din of insects, and the loud chiming call of the bell birds that echoed through the forest.

I took a video while on the Fern Walk, mostly for the sound, a bit unsteady in the images…

After our forest stop, we continued our drive toward Lake Tekapo across the dry plains to the east of the Southern Alps, which we could see as a jagged, snowy skyline to the west.

We checked into our motel room at Lake Tekapo, with a view overlooking the lake and mountains beyond.

Motel at Lake Tekapo

View across lake Tekapo

Later that night, in search of astrophotography, we drove around to the north side of the lake, and finally spotted the southern cross.

Sunset over Lake Tekapo

Stars beginning to come out.

My best handheld effort at photographing the Southern Cross constellation; the streakiness highlights the four key stars and the two pointers.

My husband captured this view of the Southern Cross with his camera and tripod.

Closer view of the Southern Cross

For the next two days we days hiked and explored in the area surrounding Lake Tekapo.

Four views of Wy’east, August, 2022

September 7, 2022December 15, 2022 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Our four August hikes all had views to Mt Hood and to some of the other Cascade volcanoes.

from Lookout Mountain

Mts Hood and Jefferson from Three Corner Rock, WA

from Elk Meadows

from the East Eliot Moraine near Cooper Spur Shelter

Location Map

August 4 – Lookout Mountain

We took this short hike with our daughter on a hot day. There were late season wildflowers, views from Mt Rainier to the Three Sisters, and a head on view of the east side of Mt Hood.

High Prairie Trailhead

Paintbrush, Sitka valerian, and asters in the meadows

Mt Hood from the trail pinnacle. Elk Meadows are on the other side of the ridge in the middle distance.

Mt Jefferson and the Sisters to the south

Scarlet gillia, Oregon sunshine, buckwheat and penstemon on the upper slopes

August 16 – Three Corner Rock, WA

Another hot day with a slow pace. Again we could see three Cascade volcanoes to the north, and Mts Hood and Jefferson to the south beyond the telecommunication towers. Most of the way we were on the Pacific Crest Trail. We were passed by about twenty north bound hikers on their first Washington trail section.

Approaching Three Corner Rock

View south to Mts Hood and Jefferson

View north to Mt St Helens, Mt Rainier and Mt Adams

August 22 – Cloud Cap to the Timberline Trail High Point

A favorite walk, up the glacier moraine, toward the Eliot Glacier, then along the edge of the sky to the High Point on the Timberline Trail. Every year I that am lucky enough to hike here I take the same pictures, but they are always meaningful to me!

Mt Hood comes into view after a short, steep hike up to the crest of the East Eliot Moraine.

Mt Hood, Eliot Glacier

Washington Cascade Peaks to the north – St Helens, Rainier and Adams.

This year I noticed a humongous boulder perched on the edge of the moraine…

We continued up the moraine, taking in the Eliot Glacier views before turning south toward the Cooper Spur Shelter.

Foot of the Eliot Glacier in the valley

Foot of the mountain glacier

crevasses

a waterfall

more crevasses

Peak up close

From the Shelter we walked south on the Timberline Trail, up to the high point at about 7400 feet.

Cooper Spur Shelter

Not much snow left on the trail

Looking up about 4000 feet to the top of the mountain

Penstemon

Ground squirrel

View south from our rest stop on the ridge near the trail high point. The Timberline Trail goes down toward Gnarl Ridge. Mt Jefferson and the Three Sisters are on the horizon.

While looking back up at Mt Hood from the high point I could hear water flowing out from the snow banks.

Melting snow on this hot day.

We made our way back along the edge of the sky…

We continued down the Timberline Trail below the shelter instead of going up to the moraine.

Long slope between the peak and Cooper Spur Shelter.

Our down trail goes below the shelter,

toward the Cloud Cap campground.

Near Tilly Jane Creek, I looked up at the East Eliot Moraine and saw the precarious boulder I had noticed on the way up.

Precarious boulder perched on the edge of the East Eliot Moraine

Will it still be here next year?

Late season gentian and monkey flowers in Tilly Jane Creek

August 30 – Elk Meadows

Our first time to this location in a while. Most of the meadows were beyond bloom, except for late season gentians, fireweed, and goldenrod.

Clark Creek, with a beautiful bridge.

Newton Creek is more difficult to cross.

This log was fairly easy to cross, but more difficult if one has fear of heights or balance problems. One of the reasons we haven’t been here for a while.

The seven to nine switchbacks after Newton Creek can be a shady hanging garden. On this hot day, most of the flowers were past bloom, but we did appreciate the shade.

Third switchback viewpoint

Nearby crosshatch tree

Fringed grass of Parnassus and aster

Dried out cow parsley, aster and goldenrod

Lunch view from the first meadow opening – plenty of gentian in the mostly dry meadows.

A scrub jay watched us eat lunch.

After lunch we circled round the perimeter trail, then went to the shelter in the middle of Elk Meadows. We saw plenty of aster seed heads, some arnica in the shady areas,

also fireweed,

and false hellebore.

Wide meadows near the shelter had swaths of goldenrod.

View back to the shelter, and to the burned forest atop Blue Grass Ridge.

Mt Hood close up!

We returned the way we came, back down the switchbacks, over the log bridge, planning to return sometime soon to see fall colors, and maybe to extend our hike up to Gnarl Ridge and the Timberline Trail.

Scotland and Iceland, June 15 – July 9, 2022

July 31, 2022August 1, 2022 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Today I am posting highlight photos from our travels in Scotland and Iceland, which I plan to describe in more detail someday…

SCOTLAND –

After spending a couple of days in Glasgow to adjust to the eight hour time shift, we rented a car and drove north into the Highlands, eventually reaching the north coast at Durness. The days got longer, until we barely saw night at all, and sometimes hiked in the evening if that was the best weather window. We mostly stayed in self catering places, and continued Covid protocols, so did not connect with very many people. But we saw beautiful landscapes, took many hikes with interesting geological and historical significance, and enjoyed being out in the world.

Glasgow –

Kelvingrove Museum

Botanical Gardens

Ashton Lane

Botanical Gardens

Modern Art Museum

Street mural

The River Clyde

Loch Lomond and Glencoe-

Loch Lomond and Ben Lomond

Top of the Devil’s Staircase – Stob Mhic Mhartuin

Looking back down toward Glencoe

Stairs up to Buachaille Etive Beag

To Stob Dubh, a munro, at 3143 feet

Looking to Ben Nevis from Stob Dubh

And down to Glen Etive (Skyfall Road)

Glencoe Lochan and the Pap of Glencoe

Solstice along Loch Linnhe

We continued northeast along Loch Ness to the Black Isle, then west again to Loch Carron.

Chanonry Lighthouse, Rosemarkie Beach

Cromarty Firth near Culbokie, Black Isle

Loch Carron

Coire Lair hike

We followed the NC500 over the Applecross,

Applecross in the evening

Single track with passing places

Walking higher, to Sgur a Chaorachain

Writing on top of the world

Views to Skye and the Hebrides

on to Port Henderson,

Red Point Beach

Highland Coo

Headlands south of Red Point

Sheep

Loch Coulin near Kinlochewe

Beinn Eighe Mountain Traill rises steeply above Loch Maree

Beinn Eighe high country

Lochs near the top of the Beinn Eighe Mountain Trail

then Ullapool,

Ullapool Hill

Moine Thrust Fault at Knockan Crag

Stac Pollaidh from Knockan Crag

Evening hike up Stac Pollaidh

After the rain

Mists rolling out, water and light merging

Toward Suilven

and eventually to the north coast at Durness.

Ardvreck Castle ruins

John Lennon Memorial in the Durness Village Hall garden

Headlands near Smoo Cave – our northernmost point.

We spent one last evening walking on Oldshoremore Beach near Kinlochbervie before driving all the way back to Glasgow in one day, ready to fly to Iceland.

Oldshoremore Beach

Lewisian Gneiss

Rainbow across the water

All the flags at Glasgow Airport

ICELAND

In Iceland the days were even longer, it was bright outside whenever I looked out the window! We stayed one night in Reyjkavik, explored the Golden Circle, then travelled into the westfjords to see volcanoes, waterfalls, and puffins.

Reyjkavik-

View from Harpa Concert Hall to the harbor

Sun Voyager sculpture,

Hallgrimskirkja, 9:30 pm

The Golden Circle-

Pingvellir – Looking across the mid-Atlantic Rift, on land.

Walking along the “European edge” of the rift

Oxarafoss

Strokkur Geysir

Gulfoss

Langjokull Glacier, in the distance

Snaefellsnes to Stykkisholmur-

Snaefellsjokull volcano, swans

Djupalonssandur – black sand beach

Stykkisholmur

Kirkjufellsfoss

Latrajbarg Cliffs and Puffins-

Ferry to Brjanslaekur

Looking back to Snaefellsnes

Latrabjarg Cliffs

Puffin

Puffins

Tungurif – Golden Beach

Westfjords to Holmavik-

Arnarfjordur

Dynjandi Waterfall

Isafjordur

Our northernmost viewpoint – looking across Isafjardardjup to the northern Westfjords.

South to Reyjkavik-

Random typical waterfall along Route 60 south of Holmavik – we passed so many of these on our drive.

One of the craters in the Grabrok complex – we stopped for a short hike into one of the other craters.

Everywhere we went, in both Scotland and Iceland, people were welcoming. While not many local people wore masks, nobody minded that we did. The only place that was completely crazy was the Reyjkavik Airport, which does not have many of the more modern electronic check in procedures that we are accustomed to. If you are going, go early and prepare for long lines – that seems to be the common experience there. The travel home day was 22 hours long, and took me about two weeks to recover. That said, we are already planning to return. In Iceland, we would still love to drive the Ring Road, which we did not have time for on this trip. I would always like to back to Scotland, but not sure I can talk my husband into spending more time on the potholed and narrow single track roads in the Highlands – even the local people complain about those roads. He has his sights set on New Zealand and Italy. It was wonderful to be out in the world again, and I am grateful we could go!

Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft in Holmavik

Catching up in July 2022

July 31, 2022 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Time to write again. We traveled from mid-June to mid-July to Scotland and Iceland. On return I was swamped with jetlag and reentry and hot weather. Life seems to move along twice as fast, time always doubling, and I barely have time to look back, while moving forward, while still living a semi-Covid life. My next post has photo highlights of the trip. This post is catching up with life back in my Portland neighborhood.

Neighborhood –

I always see so many interesting things as I walk through my neighborhood. This month, a tiny tree door I hadn’t noticed before, more sidewalk ponies and chickens, a new poetry post, and so many bright flowers, including at least three colors of cone flowers. We were home in time to get plenty of berries in the freezer, and I had the good luck of partaking of a pineapple upsidedown cake at my book group meeting.

Hikes-

July 15, Vista Ridge – Before this current heat wave, we went with a friend up Vista Ridge on the north side of Mt Hood, hoping to see the avalanche lilies. We hiked up to the snow level, about 5300 feet, not quite up to the Timberline Trail. On the way down, I noticed a couple of my haunted tree friends still standing.

Avalanche lilies blooming on the burned forest floor; Washington Cascade peaks in the distance.

Avalanche lilies

Snow, Mt Hood

Lilies poking up through the melting snow

Mt Hood and Barret Spur

Close up, crevasses forming

Deeper snow – time to turnaround

Avalanche lilies

Haunted tree, Mt Hood

Another haunted tree, Washington peaks beyond.

July 28, Bayocean Spit near Tillamook – Full on heat wave, we drove out to the coast to lovely 65 degrees weather, and walked an 8 mile loop around the spit that bounds Tillamook Bay. Fog, shorebirds, not many people. Lovely!

Over the dune to the foggy beach

North to the jetty, fog lifting

Sanderlings, sand pipers and plovers

Tide coming in

The jetty

Pelicans

Tillamook Bay, gulls,

a couple of Caspian terns

and Yellowlegs.

Knitting-

Not much. I had travel socks, but was too busy looking and planning to knit. None of the wool stores were open when we saw them, either in Scotland or Iceland. I did buy some commercial sock yarn at a variety store in Iceland, so have added those skeins to my queue. On return I knitted the tiniest of Sarah Schira’s gnomes, called Gnibblet, to keep up with her Year of Gnomes challenge. This was the month for it. I have a more ambitious one planned for August.

Sock yarn from Iceland

Gnibblet

Now I am sort of caught up, and looking forward to August, when there are some family visits planned. I’m hoping heat and viruses won’t derail us, knock on wood!

Margaret Quilts

Quilting, Knitting, Hiking

Hikes

Looking back on 2022…

December 2022 Recap

12/6/2022 – Catherine Creek, WA –

12/13/2022 – Portland Arboretum –

Meanwhile…

Portland Art Museum – 12/28

Other December news:

November 2022 hiking, and a visit to the Maryhill Museum of Art

11/3 Steigerwald Wildlife Refuge, WA

11/10 Angel’s Rest, OR

11/14 The Labyrinth, WA

11/8 Maryhill Museum of Art, WA

Shenandoah National Park, October 2022

10/25 – First Looks

10/26 – Hawksbill Summit, Deer Hollow Falls, a gorgeous sunset

10/27- Old Rag hike from Berry Hollow

October 2022 – Hiking

10/3 – Vista Ridge, Mt Hood

10/11 – Thomas Lake to Rock Lake to the Old Cascade Crest Trail, Indian Heaven Wilderness

10/17 – Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, Portland

September 2022 Hiking….

9/14 – Macleay Park to Pittock Mansion: Finishing the Wildwood Trail, Portland, OR

9/20 – Bird Creek Meadows, Mt Adams, WA

9/27 – Indian Heaven Wilderness – Cultus Campground to Wapiki Lake Overlook

NZ2020: Day 18, From Christchurch to Lake Tekapo via Peel Forest, featuring the Southern Cross

Four views of Wy’east, August, 2022

August 4 – Lookout Mountain

August 16 – Three Corner Rock, WA

August 22 – Cloud Cap to the Timberline Trail High Point

August 30 – Elk Meadows

Scotland and Iceland, June 15 – July 9, 2022

SCOTLAND –

ICELAND

Catching up in July 2022

Hikes-

Knitting-