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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Close-ups of the glaciers from our lunch stop:

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

Cooper Spur Shelter

meltwater

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

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

Another glacier closeup.

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

northbound

A few flowers for the day…

orange and blue butterflies

arnica, Jacob’s ladder

sandwort, lupine

aster, sandwort

buckwheat

dwarf lupine, buckwheat, and ?

buckwheat

mushroom?

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

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

beargrass, burned forest, clouds

Mt Adams beyond

White River, first crocus

January 28, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

1/24/2019 White River Snowshoe, Mt Hood, OR

We started in mist with promise of sun breaking through. As we walked up the snow covered braid plain of the White River, the glowing peak of Mt Hood showed in silhouette, then in clarity against clear blue sky.

Looking back to the start point, fog lifting.

Clear blue skies over Mt Hood.

We hiked up onto the ridge and continued toward the mountain.

Approaching Boy Scout Ridge, near our lunch stop.

Lunch stop view point. A large group was already there, and the mountain peak was glowing ethereally as the sun came in through the clouds.

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Lunch view.

Return down the White River, high clouds forming.

Tree shadows on the snowy moraine surface.

Last look back at Mt Hood.

(Hike # 5, 3.3 miles, 750 feet)

Winter Bulbs Blooming

The first snowdrop and crocus bulbs have opened in the garden this week.

Pink and blue striped sky, half moon hanging above. From January 12, 2019.

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

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

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.

Smoky week in Portland / Return to Vista Ridge (18-35)

August 21, 2018 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

Northward view from the Timberline Trail on Mt Hood. Mt St Helens, Mt Rainier and Mt Adams float above the gray smoke layer.

August 16, 2018

I mailed the baby and Welcome Blanket quilts while breathing wildfire smoke. While feeling a papery dry sand feeling in my mouth. While watching the blood red sun set though the haze.

Today there is an orange sky at noon. It is too hot to go outside, and there is an ashy taste on my tongue.

It’s wildfire season.

Smoke is disseminated through the atmosphere blotting out the sun, the views, and the cool air we are supposed to get from the ocean.

If this keeps up, if global temperatures continue to rise, will we find out what it was like to be the dinosaurs when they died?

It was supposed to be a meteor, but there were also Deccan flood basalts, and/or a climate change with wild fires – all valid hypotheses and maybe all had a combined role…

Meanwhile, oppressive haze and heat keep me indoors instead of outside where I could be walking, hiking or gardening.

The air feels dusty and my lungs feel the burn –

It reminds me of the San Fernando Valley of my youth, before cars had smog devices, when we could hardly ever see the Santa Monica Mountains, or the San Gabriel Mountains, but on really bad days we couldn’t even see the Mission Hills.

Now we have fire season. Our beautiful forests burn and the smoke infiltrates our adjacent valleys, so even though we are not in the burn zone, we must breathe the smoke or alter our activities to avoid breathing outside. This is the second August in a row that has been the season of burning, of wildfires, of dreading the views of the torched landscape, not to mention the threat to lives and livelihood of those that live closer to or in the forest. Of knowing that the beautiful places that we hike into for recreation and healing are changed beyond recognition, and though they may return to green someday, they will not be a comforting place to go for years….

Return to Vista Ridge 8/17/18 (Hike # 44)

Speaking of burn zones – this is our sixth year hiking up Vista Ridge on Mt Hood. Today the regional smoke and heat have decreased enough to allow us to go for a hike.

Pearly everlasting and fireweed along the Vista Ridge trail.

Once again through the burn zone with fireweed and pearly everlasting, huckleberries, goldenrod and berries of Sitka mountain ash.

Stka Mountain Ash

Fireweed

Pearly everlasting

Goldenrod and fireweed

Once again through the meadows along the Timberline Trail, this time to the west, toward Ladd Creek.

Mt Hood from the Timberline Trail near Wyeast Basin

Close up of Coe and Ladd Glaciers

Meadows along the trail

Paintbrush

Partridgefoot

Pasque flower

Monkey flower

By the time we reached the Ladd crossing it was too late in the day, too deep to cross without wading.

We stopped there for lunch then retraced our steps, back to the Wyeast basin with far reaching views of snow capped peaks floating above the smoke shroud that covers the Washington landscape.

Clear Branch Creek in Wyeast Basin. Mts Rainier and Adams beyond.

Back down through fireweed in the burn zone, we say ‘Hi’ to a few ghost trees again, nibble the huckleberries, and make our way to the trailhead.

My legs were feeling it today – I am getting back into shape, but still have a ways to go to recover my fitness. Photo note – many of the photos in this post were taken by my husband – I only had my cell phone with me.

8 miles/1600 feet

Knitting

I finished the Cornwall socks!

Elk and Summit Meadows, Mt Hood, Oregon, and ‘Tour de Craft’ (18-29)

July 17, 2018July 17, 2018 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Elk Meadows trail 7/13/18 (Hike #41)

We started this hike on a hot day. The shade of the forest didn’t really take the edge off and my “condition” has been affecting me this week.

By the time we started up the eight long switchbacks, about a mile and a half into the hike, I realized I was never going to make it to the top of the hill. We decided to turn back. I had been hoping to see bog orchids and gentians, but I did see the mountain blue bells for the first time this year.

Lots of other flowers along the way:

Mariposa lily

Columbine, penstemon

Penstemon

Hemlock

Paintbrush

Meanwhile, we braved the log crossing on the Newton Creek twice.

Here is a “real” cairn doing a cairn’s job – marking the trail to the log crossing.

Zooming in on Mt Hood’s Newton/Clark Glacier:

Today we only went 3.2 miles, 500 feet. Last year we made it all the way to Elk Meadows and saw all the flowers.

Summit Meadows

We stopped and poked around in this meadow off the Trillium Lake road on our way home. We have skied or snowshoed this road a few times,

November 2017

and always wondered what the meadows would look like in summer.

I think we are late for the bigger bloom, as the paintbrush were faded, but the pink spirea along the road were lovely.

Paintbrush

Aster

Spirea

I zoomed in on Mt Hood for a closeup view of the ski area above Timberline Lodge.

Tour de Craft

I have only dabbled in spinning, so can’t really participate in the Tour de Fleece, but I do love to watch the Tour de France – for the views of France, and the drama and the stunning athletic effort that goes into these races. We DVR the coverage, then watch/fast forward through in the evening while I knit or quilt.

I have made a lot of progress on my Welcome quilt – I was planning to whip it together quickly, but I keep getting new design ideas….but that is the point for me – to play with the fabrics till I am satisfied and have learned something new by trying something new. Fun.

And I finished the first Cornwall sock and cast on the second.

Garden

Some quilting! and Chinidere Mtn hike (18-26)

June 28, 2018 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

Quilting!

I started the Pinwheel Baby Quilt I am making for an expected family member.

Chinidere Mountain 6/22/2018 (Hike#38)

This trail starts at Wahtum Lake, on the upper end of the Eagle Creek fire zone. The area has been off limits since last September, but this particular trail recently reopened to public use. Connecting trails down Eagle Creek are still closed.

6 miles/1200 feet

The trail immediately descends down 250 steps to Wahtum Lake.

From the shore we can just see the rocky promontory that we are hiking to – Chinidere Mountain.

(Photo taken on the return trip after the fog had lifted)

We continued on the Pacific Crest Trail around the east side of the lake, through an area with several hanging gardens and lots of flowers. The Chinidere cutoff at about 2.5 miles switchbacks up the side of this rocky promontory that stands above the forest. When we arrived, the top was still covered in fog and a cold wind swept the spine of the mountain.

Approaching the top

Cliff penstemon

Summit

Flowers, fog, wind

Mt Hood beyond the clouds

Just 10 feet away we could sit comfortably in the windless sunshine and enjoy our lunch, hoping for the clouds on Mt Hood to lift.

Wahtum Lake from the summit

Wahtum Lake after the clouds lifted

Below us to the north, we could see the mosaic burn of the upper part of the Eagle Creek fire.

Brown areas burned by the Eagle Creek Fire

As we headed down the trail we walked out onto the ridge viewpoints to admire the wildflowers growing in the sunny rocky meadows and watched the clouds blow across Mt Hood.

Lots of wildflowers today – lovely.

rosy twisted stalk

salmonberry flowers and berries

bunchberry

fairy bells

avalanche lilies

bead lilies

starry Solomon Seal

windflowers

arnica and columbine

coral root

penstemon and buckwheat

bear grass

wallflower

beargrass

paintbrush

spring beauty

By the time we drove down the road the mountain was free and clear!

Lookback:

On a clear day we could see all the volcanoes, north and south, from the top of Chinidere Mt.

June 2016 – Mt Hood and Mt Jefferson

June 2015 – Mt St Helens, Mt Rainier and Mt Adams

Phlox Point in Bloom (18-20)

June 3, 2018 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Hardy Ridge/Phlox Point, WA June 1, 2018 (Hike#35)

This hike was my hardest yet, post surgery – 8.2 miles/2200 feet. The first part is a road walk through beautiful forest along equestrian trails in Beacon Rock State Park. Then steep switchbacks lead up to the saddle of Hardy Ridge where the ridge walk to Phlox Point is lined with flowers and views of the Columbia River, Mt Hood and Mt Adams. I thoroughly enjoyed the hike, but am still feeling the last 2 miles – it was just a bit long for my stamina. I am glad I did it, as my next stage of treatment begins next week, and I don’t know if I will have a physical setback. And I love hiking through lush blooming wildflower meadows!

Lower trail

Views from the top:

West, Columbia River

South, Mt Hood

Southeast, Hamilton Mountain

Southeast, Bonneville Dam

East, Mt Adams, Table Mountain

Phlox Point ahead –

North from Phlox Pt

Our first bear grass of the season:

So much Indian Paintbrush!

Orange and red

Paintbrush with blue eyed Mary

Paintbrush

Serviceberry

Phlox

Blue-Eyed Mary and biscuit root

I tallied at least 51 different flowers, not counting varieties of each.

choke cherry

Hooker’s fairy bells

penstemon

mariposa lily

yellow violet

Oregon sunshine

Columbia wind flower

rose

columbine

lupine

oxeye daisy

youth-on-age

bleeding heart, candy flower

inside out flower

clover

cow parsnip

penstemon

Of note, lupine, larkspur, mariposa and tiger lilies, and nodding onions were mostly in bud form, and should be blooming profusely soon.

CRAFTING:

Just a bit of knitting, and I am down to cream and white on the Elgol cross stitch – filling in the empty spaces seems to be the best soother of my current anxiety about upcoming treatment.

MEANWHILE: The garden is almost ready for planting. And I have decided to add the England trip reports in separate posts.

Re-entry/Tom McCall Point (18-17)

May 16, 2018 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

After two and a half weeks in London, Cornwall, Devon, and a visit to Jane Austen’s house and quilt in Chawton, we are back home in Portland, Oregon. I barely had time to jot notes of our adventures, let alone write blog posts. Historical sites, museums, hiking, and travel days; navigating narrow hedgerows via Lady Google. Wildflowers were in bloom, and the weather mostly cooperated when it really mattered. I am writing this at 4 am because I am still adjusting to the 8 hour time shift. I plan to add blog posts about our adventures as I go through my photos.

Tom McCall Point, OR 5/13/2018 Hike #30

Meanwhile, we took advantage of our jet lag by going on a hike at sunrise on our first day back. Tom McCall Point is a favorite seasonal wildflower hike in the eastern gorge (3.6 miles/1100 feet).

The early morning low light gave a luminous glow to the landscape.

Tom McCall Point – our goal

Looking back toward the Rowena Plateau trailhead and the Columbia River

Deer in the meadow below

The views opened up as we climbed higher.

Mt Hood

Early spring flowers were mostly past, but the balsam root at the top was splendid, along with lupine, penstemon, and bicolored cluster lilies.

BiColored Cluster Lily

Balsam Root

Balsamroot

flax

rose

lupine

penstemon

fiddle neck

pea

fringe pod

lupine

parsley

There were only a few other people hiking that early.

Dan approaching the summit, Mt Hood beyond

Mt Adams

We had the summit to ourselves for twenty minutes before heading down.

We also took a short hike at the nearby Memaloose Overlook – I had read that bitterroot (Lewisia) can sometimes be seen blooming on the rocky cliffs nearby. We didn’t find any, but did spot some pink Clarkia blooms for the first time this season, so it seemed a worthwhile side trip.

Clarkia near Memaloose Overlook

Knitting

I knit a couple of inches on my Cornwall socks while on the plane. It turns out I chose a color that reflects well the fields and seas of Cornwall.

Garden

And while we were gone, the spring turned to summer. The yard is a bit overgrown, and new flowers are blooming.

native iris

columbine

Chinese fringe flower

phlox

rhodies

Catherine Creek, WA and Blogiversary! (18-16)

April 24, 2018 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Bitterroot Trail- Rowland Wall Loop 4/20/18 (hike#16)

The Bitterroot Trail branches off north of the vernal pools/fairyland swales that are just above the main parking area.

View up Sunflower Hill, where we are going.

Fairy ponds with camus

The trail follows the steep western edge of Catherine Creek, and we get great views of the arch as we continue north.

Bitterroot Trail

Catherine Creek Arch

Long distance views appear as we gain elevation.

Mt Hood to the west

View to the east of the Columbia River

A variety of spring flowers line the trail all the way up to our destination above the power line corridor on Sunflower Hill (named before cattle grazed away all the balsamroot).

Filaree and tomcat clover

Slender phlox

Tritelia

Shooting stars, camus

Manroot

The first clump of balsamroot we see marks a trail junction.

We have gone up to the top of the hill from here in the past. Today we decide to head downhill on the Rowland Wall trail.

We find a rocky promontory for a lunch perch. On this beautiful blue sky day we have a clear view of Mt Hood.

View to the west – the Labyrinth area and Mt Hood

As we continue down the rocky cliffs atop the wall east of Rowland Creek

we see our first blooming paintbrush of the season, and bitteroot foliage whorls, one of which is massive!

paintbrush

bitterroot foliage

buckwheat

I note the trails that criss cross Rowland basin below us, spying out options for future hikes.

Camus swale

Vernal pool

3.5 miles, 1000 feet.

Bitterroot-Rowland Wall Loop

Some of the other trails we have hiked at Catherine Creek

CRAFTING

The Elgol Cross Stitch is getting closer to completion; just the sky colors of pale pink, cream and white remain to be filled in.

I cast on the Cornwall socks for travel knitting; k2p2 ribbing, top down vanilla sock.

Blogiversary!

My first post, April 22nd, 2017, documented a hike up Coyote Wall. I have posted just about every week since then. I will be traveling for the next three weeks, so there will most likely be a delay in posting about our upcoming adventures.