Skiing in Portland, February 2021

February 14, 2021February 16, 2021 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

February 14th – When it snows in Portland, our city mostly shuts down. This only happens every few years. We don’t have enough plows to keep side streets clear, and often get sheets and layers of ice with the snow, so best to stay in if possible. This year, we were ready, having practiced pandemic life for eleven months. We have apocalyptic quantities of nonperishable food in our pantry, and can resupply for a week or more with each grocery shop. So no panic, just sit and watch the winter wonderland form, and hope the power stays on.

I took my usual walks around the neighborhood on cross country skis for three days. The streets are flat, with very few cars out. Traffic is mainly dog walkers, families going to the park with sledding accoutrement, other skiers and fat tire bikers. A few skate skiers whizz by, but I am happy to kick glide along, probably slower than I walk, enjoying the novelty of skiing through my snowy neighborhood.

Traffic on Tillamook Street

I always notice these opposing statues on Thompson Street:

Dogs staring at Lions.

Lions staring at dogs.

Tonite the ice storm cometh. So far we still have power, but parts of the city have had outages. Eventually we will thaw and the slush will melt away, and I will be back to walking, but I have enjoyed a few days of skiing. Today was a bit icier on the road, unlike the first day when the surface was fluffy. Today I had to focus, keep my weight over my knees, and stay aware of icy tire tracks diverting my ski path. I was reminded of myself, in my early 30’s, when I attended an annual party at a park with a high dive on the swimming pool. Every year I would make my way to the platform and leap off, feet first, trusting the water to break my fall, just to see if I could still bring myself to do it. Today I trusted my knees and balance to keep me upright on an icy road, sliding along on my 30 year old skis. Check.

Crafting:

Sewing: I finally collected 200 pennies! No one uses pennies anymore, yet they are the perfect filling for a set of pattern weights, pattern from an old Elizabeth Hartman blog post. I used some of my Jane Austen fabric.

A side

B side

Knitting: I finished my Artists Garden Socks. I have made a goal to knit at least one item per month for the Puddletown Knitting Guild project to supply a woman’s shelter with warm items next winter. I obtained a pile of donated yarn from the guild, and have finished two hats so far, and started a cowl.

Artists Garden Socks

Quick Ombre Hat

Barley Light Hat

Blooming:

Meanwhile, around the yard and neighborhood, before the snow, I saw crocuses, one daffodil, and a cherry tree. Hopefully they will all survive the freeze we are in now.

Begin anew! January 2021

January 23, 2021 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

January 20, 2021 – So far 2021 has not brought much change to our daily life, but the relief of having a new president casts a hopeful light on our future! We celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary this month, with homemade Indian food and leftover Christmas chocolate. We continue in pandemic lockdown mode, staying home unless doing essential shopping, going on neighborhood walks, or weekly out of neighborhood hikes. Vaccines are seeping into the community, mostly to health care professionals and long term care facilities. My husband has temporarily unretired and will be helping with vaccinations. Thus he was able to celebrate inauguration day doubly, as he got his first dose today.

Hiking: We have been on three hiking adventures so far. The first, on January 7th, was our annual trek to see the bald eagle nesting area along the Klickitat River near Lyle, Washington. We saw at least thirty birds, many of them juveniles that still have brown plumage.

Bald eagles flying across the Balfour-Klickitat pond.

One eagle stayed perched in a tree nearby.

Closer view.

Many more eagles in the trees across the pond.

Zooming in, even more eagles can be seen disguised in the foliage.

Another dozen eagles were out on the sand bar where the Klickitat River flows into the Columbia River.

Two adults, one juvenile bald eagle on the sand bar.

Osage oranges along the trail here.

They are a curious fruit.

We walked a couple of miles along the Klickitat River trail.

Downy woodpeckers were in the bushes nearby.

This is a converted rail trail with a nice even tread.

We turned around at the Fisher Hill Trestle.

View down the Klickitat River from the trestle.

A side stream cascading into the Klickitat River.

On our return walk we saw a congregation of a couple of dozen eagles circling overhead.

On January 14th, we walked around Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge in Southeast Portland. The blue sky was reflected beautifully in the water, and we saw cormorants, herons, and a barred owl near the trailhead.

Blue sky.

Reflections in the marsh.

Winter foliage.

Muraled Mausoleum across the marsh.

Oaks Park on winter/Covid hiatus.

Cormorants and herons, Downtown Portland.

Cormorants.

Barred owl.

Back out at Catherine Creek, near Lyle, Washington, on January 19th, we found the first grass widow of spring, then hiked a long loop up Atwood Road, across the top of Sunflower Hill, then down the Desert Parsley Trail back to Rowland Wall, thus completing some of the gaps in our map there. It was a beautiful day – chilly, but conducive to hiking up hill at a steady pace to see the eastern gorge spread below magnificently.

First grass widow of spring!

Catherine Creek waterfall set in the winter landscape.

Mt Hood to the west.

The arch from Atwood Road.

An old stove near Atwood Road.

Lunch view from the top of Sunflower Hill.

Oak tree, Mt Hood, noonday sun.

Looking up at our guide Ponderosa from The Desert Parsley Trail.

Knitting: So far this year I have finished knitting a sweater and a gnome, I’ve started a blanket and a new pair of socks:

Farallon Cardigan

Here We Gnome Again

Habitation Throw, using my “advent” yarns exchanged with my knitting group

Artists Garden Socks

Quilting: I finished my Plaid Rectangles Charm Quilt, a companion piece to my Plaid Applecore Charm quilt.

Plaid Rectangles Charm Quilt

Companion quilts.

A New Day! After a long, satisfying hike yesterday, I got up way too early (for me) to watch the inauguration celebration. I felt some trepidation, due to the recent insurrection. I am very relieved to report that all proceeded beautifully. The participants were diverse, eloquent, hopeful, forward looking! I cried as I witnessed the swearing in of our first female vice president! The singing, the president’s speech, and the prayers were relevant, meaningful, beautifully delivered. I adored the young poet laureate, Amanda Gorman, and the firefighter who signed as well as spoke the Pledge of Allegiance. The outgoing vice president was gracious in the transition. The colorful wool coats of the ladies brightened a blue sky day, when the Capitol, unfortunately, had to be surrounded by military lockdown, as the previous occupant never really conceded to his violent, deluded followers. I am disappointed that my daughter, sitting in her apartment about a mile away from the proceedings, could not witness the day. She assured me they remained safely within, while the din of helicopters continued above. Perhaps, going forward, the domestic terrorists will withdraw and think about the bill of goods they were sold, the lies told, the violence fomented by a greedy, disappointed narcissist who was only ever out for personal profit and aggrandizement, with no concern for the common good, no interest in public service. Good riddance! Meanwhile, executive orders and initiatives are already putting to right some of the damage, and asserting to the world that we want to participate in finding solutions for global problems.

The rest of December, 2020

January 4, 2021 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Holidays in Pandemia: We were able to enjoy the holidays, though one day seemed like every other, by modifying our traditions. We had Christmas tamales on Christmas Eve, with our sons, in our backyard, socially distanced. Our daughter and her partner in DC joined us via Facetime. We celebrated together, and avoided the pouring rain of Christmas Day. We very much missed our elaborate traditional Christmas dinner we have shared with good friends for at least the past ten years. We contacted other family and friends via internet. We sent New Years cards, and received many in return. We got through the season, if not with the usual festivities, with enough of a connection to feel and share hope for a better 2021.

Holiday decor:

Last night of Hanukkah

Last of the fall leaves

Another neighborhood Yoda

Masked gnome

Reindeer

Sidewalk tree

Moose

Tamale pick up

Christmas trees:

Our tree

Elsewhere in Portland

Washington DC

Tiny gnome I knit for my daughter in the top of her tree

Pointsettia my daughter sent

California

Knitting:

Adventure Gnome

Acorn for my tree, and two needlepoint ornaments from a friend.

Rafa Hat for my son

My advent yarn balls from my knitting group

Gifts for friends – gnome and acorn

Yarn I won from my virtual knitting guild meeting

Artists Garden socks for my husband

More holiday cheer:

Our traditional anise, ginger, and chocolate cookies.

New reading, writing and listening.

Our holiday card photo.

Good omens for the New Year:

We could just see the astronomical event of the season one night – the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter.

A closer view.

Vaccines are coming!

And January 20th!

Knitting/quilting update and some holiday cheer.

December 11, 2020 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

December 10, 2020 – I have been both knitting and quilting away, as the days get shorter, the evenings longer. We usually watch one program in the evenings, and have made our way through the latest seasons of The Crown, The Great British Baking Show (including the holiday edition with the Derry Girls), and The Queen’s Gambit. Some of these require full attention, but the Baking show is pretty relaxed, so I can get a lot of knitting in.

I finished my Dissent Socks and another Ridge Washcloth.

Dissent Socks, pattern by Tiina Kuu

Ridge Washcloth, pattern by Hannah Maier

I joined the AdventureGnome Mystery KnitALong, and am also making one of her earlier released gnome patterns, just a little knitting on these every day.

Adventure Gnome, pattern by Sarah Schira

Here We Gnome Again, pattern by Sarah Schira

I am making good progress on socks and a hat that are holiday gifts.

Rafa’s Hat, pattern by Joji Locatelli; Artists Garden Socks, pattern by Tif Neilan

And I finished the quilting on the Plaid Rectangles Charm Quilt. I just need to add the binding.

Holiday Cheer – My knitting group, which has become an online knitting group during the pandemic, cleverly set up a holiday exchange, beginning last summer. Three of the 15 members collected twenty 10 gram mini-skeins of leftover fingering weight yarn from each member, and set up what were were promised as a Solstice Surprise, Advent Calendar, Hanukkah Miracles, or Pagan Pockets (to be ecumenical about it). They really outdid themselves, and we have been assured that they had a lot of fun doing it – despite having to collaborate remotely. I was expecting a bag with twenty balls of yarn, but instead was presented with this magnificent gift -bearing banner. Gifts in pockets, and ribbons with tied-on but hidden yarn balls. It has been so much fun to open one every day and see what my surprise is. I believe the plan is to save the banner and fabric squares for reuse in future years – so it is also a wonderful, reusable item. I am so grateful to these knitters, who I get to see twice a week on knit chat meetups, for helping to pass the pandemic time so productively and supportively.

My yarn “Solstice Surprise” banner.

10 days of surprises, so far!

I have noticed lots of cheerful decorations around the neighborhood on my walks. We lit candles for the first night of Hanukkah tonite, joining our son remotely. Our Christmas tree is up and lighted – I have yet to unpack the ornaments – that will be next.

Giant ornaments

Lawn reindeer

Roof reindeer

Star Wars heroes

Porch nutcrackers

A beautiful sunset –

reflected in the window.

Menorah

Today, the first Covid vaccine was approved – we can begin to hope for the end of the pandemic – that is probably the most uplifting thought of all!

Breathing (and quilting!) again…

November 13, 2020 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

November 11th, 2020 – Well yeah!!! Biden and Harris won the election! We will have a new administration in January! Action will be taken on the pandemic, on climate change, on humanitarian treatment of every person, with intelligent, informed, common sense in decision making.

And, our new vice president Kamala Harris represents the breaking of the glass ceiling for so many underrepresented and often abused populations of people! What joy!

Halloween was celebrated in a subdued way.

My neighborhood trees have gone through their beautiful color change cycle. Just today I walked through red, yellow and orange paved sidewalks. Rain is turning leaf piles to mush. The city clean up trucks are coming tomorrow.

Tupelo

For me, now that I know that our current president will be replaced by someone with decency, I can feel my stress levels decreasing. So many events this year involving breath – the coronavirus, the smoke from wildfires, the political morass…I am beginning to breathe more freely again!

Another thing I can do again has to do with my crafting. I love quilting and sewing, but for me it is a different sort of creativity than knitting. And for me, all the stress of the past four years has found its best relief in knitting. I am grateful, and I will keep on knitting. But on Friday night, when my son told me I really did have reason to be optimistic, I got the notion to pull out a languishing quilt top. Quilting is a different creation process to knitting, and not nearly as immediately satisfying as picking up needles and frantically knitting until I calm down a bit. I have already basted the quilt, and am making decisions about thread and pattern, so soon will be stitching.

Plaid Rectangle Charms quilt

I finished my Rio Calina scarf (Cat Bordhi).

I made a tiny Mochimochi Gnome.

I have no delusions that our national way forward will be easy. Almost half of the nation voted for our country to stay on the same path. I believe that people are allowed to believe whatever they want, but there should be a wall that separates church and state. White supremacy is wrong. I and more than 75 million other Americans, not to mention millions of global citizens, have been holding our breath these four years, knitting frenetically in my case, waiting to be able to breathe again. When all the law suits and the recounts and the lame attempts at coup are done, we will all be inhaling deeply, exhaling freely, back on the path of decency, with many long hills still to climb, but a worst scenario overcome.

Knitting update, neighborhood walks, an art exhibit, and waterfalls…October 2020

October 24, 2020 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Knitting

My fingers have been busy:

Stripey socks – finished!

Rio Calina Cowl – getting longer, and I might just make it into a long scarf instead of a cowl.

Dissent Socks, in honor of Ruth Bader Ginsberg – I’ve finished the ankles – on to the heels!

Walks around the neighborhood,

New signs, whimsy, architectural elements:

Mural

Gnome and spaceman

Rain chain and shadow

New sign

Window critters

New signs

Eave pig

Garden gate

Winding stairs with turret

Fall colors evolving…

I have been hunting witches and other Halloween displays, to be shared in a later post.

Portland Textile Month, Tiny Pricks Art Installation

We visited the exhibition window to see the stitchery, made by artists who embroider a quote onto a vintage textile as a form of protest. It is not how I want to spend my crafting time – but I was glad to get a chance to see a small sampling of the thousands of pieces that have been contributed to this crowd-sourced artwork.

Silver Falls State Park

October 19th – We hiked the 5 mile waterfall loop. It was hard to relax and enjoy the scenery – there were a fair number unmasked, seemingly Covid-protocol-oblivious hikers. We cut our day shorter than usual. The waterfalls are always beautiful, and the light streaming through the yellow big leaf maples enchanting.

South Falls

Lower South Falls

Double Falls

Middle North Falls

Rim trail.

September – wildfires and smoke

September 19, 2020 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

September began with a heat wave, too hot for hiking. I went on my usual walks through the neighborhood, noting the late summer flowers and early signs of fall.

And I finished sewing my summer kimono robe.

We were planning some adventures after the Labor Day weekend, when the trails would be quieter. Instead, quite literally, all hell broke loose. In my last post, I expressed my “hope for a late summer without a local fire season.” I could never have predicted the late summer snowstorm in the Rockies that created an ‘unprecedented’ giant windstorm that swept westward across the continent, fanning the flames of wildfires in every combustible forest on the west coast of North America. We were safe at home, watching in horror, as the news kept getting worse.

September 8th: Wildfire smoke wafting into our neighborhood as we watched swifts fly down our neighbor’s chimney.

September 9th: Last appearance of the sun for a week.

Sept 9th: Aerial view of the fires and the smoke.

Satellite photos from September 11th show the smoke being pulled far out to sea:

After the winds died down, the heavy smoke settled in, limiting visibility, and making breathing painful. We learned how to use the AirNow app to monitor our air quality, constantly refreshing the page, hoping for better results.

For six days I did not go out of doors at all – grateful to have a safe home to harbor in, knowing there were so many families evacuated, and many with their homes burned. Many have still not been able to return; meanwhile the firefighters, Red Cross, and all the social support services have stepped up to aid those in need. I have only gone out once, so far, to pick up a prescription and some groceries. Nobody is walking our neighborhood streets – the air has been too bad. Today it finally shows signs of improvement, and we may be able to step out in the next day or two.

September 16th – our first glimpse of the sun in more than a week.

Knitting

Once again, knitting to the rescue. I have had time to finish a few projects:

**Rafa Hat for my brother – Malabrigo Arroyo, pattern by Joji Locatelli**

**Dog Sweater for a donation toy – Pattern by Jeslane on Ravelry.**

**Ridge Washcloths, Lily Sugar’n Cream cotton, pattern by Hannah Maier.**

And make progress on other projects:

**Rio Calina cowl, Malabrigo Rios, pattern by Cat Bordhi**

**Farallon cardigan, Classic Elite Song yarn, pattern by Elizabeth Doherty.**

Awake and say
“What time is it?
What day is it? What season?”
No sun,
but not dark,
so…
daytime…

End of summer in a strange year
when all the cues are gone,
and now gone again.
Most things closed down again.
Wildfire smoke blankets our part of the planet.
Fall approaches, but is it the fall of our civilization? Or autumn?
Invisible viruses still pervade the air.
Not quite invisible smoke particles dim our sight, harm our lungs.

A metaphor for the insidious gloom covering our entire nation in an unprecedented election year, the outcome to determine how we will breathe going forward.

9/12/2020

Eleven Lakes and a bear in Indian Heaven Wilderness, and more pandemic knitting

September 4, 2020 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

We took two hikes in Indian Heaven Wilderness, a beautiful patch of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest between Mt Adams and Mt St Helens in southern Washington. A few small volcanic peaks rise above the rolling forested landscape that is also spotted with dozens of lakes, and covered with ripe huckleberry bushes in August.

August 20, 2020 – Indian Racetrack Lake and Red Mountain

Trailhead into the forest

Racetrack Lake – the only lake on this hike

Looking Across Racetrack Meadow to Red Mountain

View of Mt Adams on the way up to Red Mountain

Closer view of Mt Adams,

And closer.

Nearing the top of Red Mountain

Views from the top:

Mt Hood beyond Red Mountain Lookout

We climbed up to the viewing platform on the lookout.

Some other hikers pointed out a bear cub down on the other side of the mountain, eating huckleberries.

Looking back east at Mt Adams – clouds now covering the top

Mt St Helens to the north

And starting down again, we can see our trail dropping into the woods, and beyond we see the spine of Indian Heaven Wilderness: Berry Mountain, Gifford Peak, burned East Crater, and Lemei Rock.

Some details along the trail:

ripe huckleberries

aster

pyrola

red knotweed

Lily pads and grass, Racetrack Lake

Falls Creek

Hike #57, 6.8 miles, 1500 feet

August 28, 2020 – Thomas Lake trailhead to Junction Lake

The other ten lakes were seen on this hike.

Once again we enter the forested wilderness…

Thomas Lake

Heather Lake

Dee Lake

Eunice Lake

Nuha Lake

Rock Lakes

Unnamed lake beyond Rock Lakes

View of burnt East Crater from the Old Cascade Crest trail segment

A glimpse of Mt St Helens as we cross the shoulder of East Crater

Unnamed lake near the trail junction

Junction Lake, our turnaround point

Some details along the trail:

Reflections in the lakes…

Huckleberry bushes turning red

Mountain ash berries

Hellebore

Most likely the last beargrass bloom of summer

And another view of Mt St Helens above Eunice Lake on the descent.

Hike #58, 6.8 miles, 630 feet.

Meanwhile, we are floating along through more days of pandemia – some days we see no one at all, only virtual connections to the outside world. Our neighbors leave us tomatoes. We leave them apples and plums and wave across the rose bushes. Downtown is still burning up with civil unrest while I go on placidly through the days of late summer, of pandemia, of this administration… I virtually hold my breath, knock on wood, pray, cast spells, wish for a begin to a return to ‘normalcy’; hope for a late summer without a local fire season, hope for a scientifically tested efficacious vaccine, and hope for a fair election that will allow us to emerge from impending climate change, covid and facism. And I knit…

Knitting –

I cast on a hat and some socks…

Rafa by Joji Locatelli, Malabrigo Arroyo, Blue green

Sock, Berroco Sox yarn

Neighborhood sights:

fern shadows

Poetry Post

yard sign

neighborly tomatoes

And nationally…

My daughter attended the 57th March on Washington,

The march

Lincoln Memorial

The Mall

-and this artwork crossed my social media feed:

I am still struggling a bit with the new WordPress format….

Another couple of pandemic weeks with a birthday, two hikes on Mt Hood, and knitting…

August 19, 2020 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

8/17/2020 – I’ve had a birthday, which we celebrated with a hike and a socially distanced takeout Thai dinner with our two sons. Despite the palpable pandemic/political chaos tension in the world I have much to be grateful for. Although I am missing having our usual summer get togethers with extended family, so is everyone in the world right now. I am especially grateful that we saw almost every relation last year, between two weddings and a graduation trip to the east coast. My latest acromegaly lab tests all look good, and, we are eating homegrown tomatoes and basil almost every day.

Birthday cake, flowers from my daughter,

I have been knitting, knitting, knitting away on a few projects, fingers keeping the anxiety away.

Rio Calina Cowl, by Cat Bordhi, in Malabrigo Rios.

My neighborhood walks continue to reveal signs of encouragement and solidarity.

Also in the neighborhood, late summer flowers, shadow play, interesting architectural elements, and tinges of the autumn ahead….

Two hikes on opposite sides of Mt Hood –

Burnt Lake August 5, 2020

My birthday hike on the west side of Mt Hood was mostly through shady forest, on a hot day, with a few stream crossings, and late season flowers. The other time we hiked here the mountain was under a cloud, so today we were very glad to see the beautiful reflections of Mt Hood in the lake. Hike #55, 8.5 miles, 1500 feet.

The shady forest

Tree scorched in the early 1900’s.

Mt Hood, Burnt Lake

Mountain close up

Reflection

Notable flowers and plants:

pinesap

rattlesnake plantain

fireweed

devil’s club

yellow pond lily

Newton Creek to Timberline Trail, August 10, 2020

We started from the Elk Meadows trailhead, then walked uphill along the Newton Creek Trail, stopping for lunch near the Timberline Trail junction where we enjoyed lovely views of Mt Hood and Gnarl Ridge. We then walked south on the Timberline Trail toward Mt Hood Meadows for a short distance before turning back. Hike #56, 7.7 miles, 1600 feet.

Moon over Clark Creek

Newton Creek trail

Ghost tree in the forest

Gnarl Ridge beyond Newton Creek

Upstream

Downstream, fireweed

Mt Hood ahead

Lunch view of Gnarl Ridge

Gnarl Ridge closeup

We saw a few tiny hikers crossing Newton Creek on the Timberline Trail.

Glacier closeup

The peak

Backside of pea gravel ridge, which we walked along as far as the descent into Clark Creek.

Return hike down Newton Creek.

Editing note – This is my first post with the New WordPress Editor, so there are lots of formatting inconsistencies. Not loving it, but I suppose I will get used to it as I continue hurling forward into the future, keeping my synapses sharp by constant novelty….

Posting from my peaceful Portland neighborhood –

July 30, 2020July 30, 2020 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

A trifecta of crises descends on my town –

I have been distracted from posting by current events. All I have been able to think about is how my community has been attacked by our own government. Federal gestapo-like forces have invaded Portland’s mostly peaceful Black Lives Matter protests and demonstrations, and created a war zone in the four downtown blocks around the federal building. Click-bait and spot news entertainment have focused on the four square blocks of federally-incited violence that occurs after most demonstrators have gone home. The leadership void in DC is trying to distract from inept pandemic management and interrupt local progress toward ending white supremacy. The ‘stormtroopers’ sent by a failed president are causing the violence. Today there is an announcement of an agreement to withdraw the troops. Our state and city have serious antiracist/police reform legislation proposals underway. I am cautiously optimistic.

I am speaking from a condition of white, middle class privilege. I myself have not been downtown, although I know people who have. I am of an age and health situation that I think the best thing I can do to help is to stay home, not contribute to spreading Covid-19. I stay aware of what is going on, donate money, and hope that the trifecta of political, economic, and public health crises our country is experiencing will begin to resolve after November elections.

I honor the Black Lives Matter protesters. I appreciate the wall of moms, the dads with leaf (teargas) blowers, the wall of vets, the volunteer medics, street cleaners, and cooks, all the folks who have put themselves on the line to keep the conversation about systemic racism and police reform going.

Meanwhile, in my neighborhood…

The quiet and calm in my neighborhood are uninterrupted. I see signs of support and blooming flowers on my walks.

masked statue

We have been eating sungold tomatoes and basil from our garden, and we’ve celebrated another family birthday.

Berries from the Farmer’s Market

Blueberry muffins

Another birthday cake

Black cherry tomatoes

I seem to be obsessed with knitting dishcloths and have also cast on a new sweater.

We have been out hiking in the past two weeks to places we have been before.

Lookout Mountain, July 22, 2020

Wildflower meadows and views of nine Cascade volcanoes, from Mt Rainier to Broken Top. Hike #53, 3.5 miles, 650 feet.

Mt Adams beyond the wildflower meadows of High Prairie.

Mt Hood from the volcanic spire overlook.

Glacier close up.

Mt Adams from the summit approach trail.

Mt Hood from the summit approach trail.

Washington Cascades from the summit.

Oregon Cascades from the summit.

Notable wildflowers:

heather

Douglas dustymaiden and penstemon

penstemon and scarlet gillia

orange agerosis

shooting stars

penstemon and aster

lousewort

Salmon River, July 28, 2020

A mostly shaded trail on a hot day along the Wild and Scenic Salmon River through old growth forest on the slopes of Mt Hood. Hike #54, 4.5 miles, 300 feet.