Happy New Year 2019!

January 10, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

First Hike of the New Year: Ferry Springs Trail, Deschutes River State Park, Oregon – January 5, 2019

We did this same hike almost exactly one year ago – January 6th, 2018. It was a beautiful day with blue sky and long reaching views. Today, was a cloud covered day with no actual rain. We saw the effects of the July 2019 Substation Fire that burned both river banks for about 20 miles upstream from the park.

There was a bald eagle near the trailhead, but it flew off as I watched it.

Bald eagle near the trailhead.

Bald eagle – the white tail visible in the center of the photo, flying downstream.

Our trail started along the river, through riparian vegetation, but then we crossed the fire line and saw before us nearly completely denuded and blackened landscape through which grass in now emerging, a green/black palette. In some ways it reminded us of the highlands of Scotland.

From dry grass to burn zone, though the bench is intact, as were the other benches along the lower trail.

We passed below, then above the arch as the trail looped back north and uphill towards Ferry Springs.

Looking up at the arch.

Looking down through the arch.

I was looking forward to resting on the bench on the upper trail, but it was burned.

Lookback: Two views from the Upper Trail toward the mouth of the Deschutes River and Columbia River. In 2018 we were walking through dry grass. This year, the edge of the burn is well defined.

January 2018, pre-burn

January 2019, post fire

After crossing Ferry Springs, we headed back to the trailhead, looking down at the fire scars along the way.

This wooden gate survived, though the area around was scorched.

Looking back upriver.

The dry waterfall

More scorched earth, then back to dry grass.

This landscape is renewed by fire. I don’t think all the green grasses emerging are native grasses, but we did see new growth on some of the native plants. It will be interesting to return next year to see what happens. (5 miles, 560 feet, Hike #1 for 2019)

A yellow composite flower

New foliage on burned shrubs.

Crafting

Cross stitch of Jane Austen’s house – I just need to add the windowpanes and french knot flower centers.

I finished the second sock, now I have to find the place in the stripe sequence that will match the place where the knot was in the first sock.

Other Adventures

It has been a busy couple of weeks of the New Year, winding down from the holidays, and getting my daughter and her things sent back to college. I note that today is one year exactly since my surgery. I am adjusting to all my new medications, and am healthier for not having excess growth hormone secretly running around in my body and creating future problems. I am grateful for my recovery. My husband has just stepped down to half time work, with full retirement planned for a year from now. Thus we will likely have many more hikes and adventures in the years to come, including having just booked a hiking trip in New Zealand for a year from now! I am used to hiking at my own pace, but I will need to increase the difficulty of my hikes as the year goes on to prepare for the trip. A good goal, one of many, for 2019. (2019-1)

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

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

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

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

Trail to the Nancy Russell Overlook

View from the Fallen Tree Overlook to the eastern gorge.

Silverstar Mountain to the north.

Quilting-

I finished three quilts this year.

Jane Austen Reproduction

Welcome Blanket

Baby Pinwheel

Knitting-

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

Hiking –

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

Books Read in 2018 –

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

Blog –

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

Poem –

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

Memaloose Hills Hike, and Christmas (18-59)

December 31, 2018 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Memaloose Hills Hike, Oregon 12/27/2018

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

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

Ponderosa bark

Trail up to the lower viewpoint.

Chatfield Hill – our upper destination

Dan heading up Chatfield Hill in the dormant winter.

Same view in springtime….

View to the east and lower viewpoint.

View to the west from the top

Northern view toward Mt Adams

Mt Adams

Mt Hood

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

Apple tree

Dalles Dam

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

Under the freeway bridge

Looking toward the dam

A dusting of snow in the hills

Mt Hood in the distance

Zooming in – Mt Hood and The Dalles.

Bald eagles should be here

Fishing platforms

Another westward view in the low winter light.

Driving Landscape Views

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

Lyle Cherry Orchard

Lyle, Washington

Catherine Creek

Rowland Wall

The slope above Coyote Wall

Coyote Wall

Coyote Wall

Snow dusting the black-fringed cliffs above Cascade Locks

Corbett Point

Closer view of Vista House

Knitting

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

Mary Poppins Star

Ivy Cardigan

Wash cloth

Christmas

Lovely quiet Christmas with family and friends.

Our tree.

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

Viburnum in my garden

Lyle Cherry Orchard, Washington (18-58)

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

December 15, 2018

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

Approach trail, up the first set of cliffs.

View from the Convict Road to the east

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

Hiking up to the second tier..

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

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

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

Lunch stop near the top…

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

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

One of the old cherry trees

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

We head back down…

View west toward Lyle

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

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

A spot of sun on the way down.

GPS track

Crafting

Another knit dishcloth,

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

Winter trees at Tryon Creek, OR (18-56)

December 11, 2018 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

December 9, 2018 Tryon Creek State Park

After two weeks of clear, cold, windy days our clouds have returned, warming us up enough for a short hike through Tryon Creek State Park. It was mostly empty on the trails, unlike in spring when the trillium are in full bloom. Bare trees, stream reflections and a sunbreaks marked the woods this day. (2.2 miles, 200 feet, #63)

Crafting, etc

I finally cast on a new pair of socks.

I have finished the cross stitching on Jane Austen’s House – that has been my evening work lately. Next, back stitching and french knots.

I have done some pre-winter clean up in the garden. We have our Christmas tree standing in the living room, as yet unadorned. I went to see the latest Fantastic Beasts movie with one of my sons at a midweek matinee, and we were the only viewers in the theater. We both enjoyed the movie. Otherwise, I am trying to finish up my blog posts about our UK trip last spring by the end of the year – there are so many photos to sort through – it really was an amazing trip! I am enjoying reliving those experiences.

Return to Angel’s Rest (18-53)

November 29, 2018December 2, 2018 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Angel’s Rest Trail, Oregon November 24, 2018

A few trails in the Columbia River Gorge that have been closed since the September 2017 Eagle Creek Fire were reopened for the first time this past weekend. We went to Angel’s Rest on Saturday morning, along with hundreds of other local hikers. It was with care, scrutiny, appreciation, and gratitude that we made our way up 1500 feet to the iconic views over the gorge. The trail was in great shape, thanks to the many trail keepers who have worked on recovery.

Into the woods

Views of Cape Horn, the Columbia River and Phoca Rock emerge on the lower trail.

Coopey Falls

Angel’s Rest – our destination.

The trail begins to switchback up the front of Angel’s Rest.

Burned tree trunks and open views line the trail.

First view west toward the trailhead.

Well repaired trail surface next to blackened trees.

Blackened stump.

Nearing the top, the views unfold:

To the west, from near the top.

The Hilary Step of Angel’s Rest – leads to the ridge crest. Sometimes there is a line of hikers waiting to go up or down.

From the top, looking toward the overlook where many rest.

Open view west – toward Portland, Cape Horn in Washington and Phoca Rock.

Open view east – toward Hamilton Mountain in Washington.

We wandered around on top for a while, admiring the view from various perspectives, and found a place to eat lunch.

Closer view of Cape Horn in Washington.

The bench is still there.

We saw a single blooming white yarrow near our lunch stop.

Yarrow

We headed down, stopping for a few more views along the way.

Looking back toward the top, where the first views are seen.

My shadow in the low November light.

My favorite sculpted shoreline of the Columbia River.

View through the rock piles.

Seasonal berries

Trees that are burned, dying, no longer evergreen.

Looking back as we hiked down:

Where we were – and much more visible with all the undergrowth burned away.

White berries lined this part of the trail – not sure what they are – possible snowberries, or the dreaded poison oak.

Golden Hike of the year, #62, 5.2 miles, 1500 feet.

Look back:

I found a couple of comparison photos from previous hikes – this one in January of 2013:

January 2013 – the white tree trunks are left from a fire in 1991.

November 2018 – the white trunks are blackened, and the green trees are now dying.

A closer view:

January 2013

November 2018

An image taken in 2017 from Cape Horn looking over to today’s hike to Angel’s Rest.

Angel’s Rest, October 2017, From Cape Horn, WA.

Pumpkin Pie

A lovely Thanksgiving dinner with a small gathering of family and friends.

Knitting

Another round cloth. Some new sock and hat yarn acquired from my LYS on Black Friday.

Jane Austen House Cross Stitch

I have been rather obsessively cross stitching in the evenings.

Neighborhood

Leaves fully gone from the flame ash tree.

Other Adventures

It has been about a year since I was diagnosed with a pituitary tumor. I had another trip through the MRI this week to evaluate the tumor surgery site, accompanied by a Joni Mitchell soundtrack in my head this time. Fortunately, all appears well. And I could see all three mountains from the OHSU tram view patio.

Mt St Helens on the left; the top of Mt Adams just right of center on the horizon. Tillikum Bridge over the Willamette River on the right.

Tillikum Bridge on the left; Mt Hood on the horizon – looking east from the OHSU tram patio.

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

November 20, 2018 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

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

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

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

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

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

Looking west toward Rowland Lake and the Columbia River.

Our trail below the cliff,

Continuing down the scree slope,

Through the oak woodland in the low angle November light.

Hiking up the basin beneath Rowland Wall.

Looking back down the trail.

Continuing up – looking west toward the Labyrinth.

An ‘Indian pit’ in the lava field.

Continuing upward.

Rowland Wall

Another view east before we hike through more woods.

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

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

Eastward view from our lunch stop.

Closer view of Mt Hood beyond the oak trees.

Rowland Basin on the way down in afternoon light.

Rowland Wall

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

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

Knitting

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

Coyote Wall, WA (18-49)

November 7, 2018 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lunchtime view to the east

Lunchtime view to the south

Lunchtime view up Coyote Wall

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

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

Lookback:

Comparing fall and spring views:

View to the east, October 2018

April 2017

View toward Mt Hood, October 2018

April 2017

Knitting

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

Neighborhood

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

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

November 1, 2018 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

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

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

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

Our path along the far side of the canyon.

Walking upward toward Tracy Hill.

Looking over dry flower heads back to the river.

Lunch view from the knob just north of the arch.

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

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

Heading down to Catherine Creek.

Orange oak trees, yellow big leaf maple trees.

The pinnacles of Catherine Creek.

We walk by the Arch….

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

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

Knitting

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

Fall Colors at Home

Trapper Creek Wilderness, WA (18-46)

October 23, 2018 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

October 20, 2018 – Observation Peak and Sister Rocks

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

7 miles, 1575 feet (#58)

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

View through the front windshield…

Bunchberry and huckleberry along the trail provided some color.

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

Mt Rainier

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

Dan atop Sister Rock; Soda Peaks on the left.

My shadow and Mt St Helens

Closer view

Mt Hood

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

Mt Adams

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

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

Mt St Helens and the Mt Margaret backcountry

Mt Rainier

Mt Adams

Mt Hood

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

Mirror Lake

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

Knitting

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