Our first return to Eagle Creek since the fire of 2017

November 1, 2021November 1, 2021 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

October 12, 2021 Eagle Creek Trail to Twister Falls

We had been planning to hike all the way to Tunnel and Twister Falls in the autumn of 2017, after the summer crowds cleared out. Alas, the Eagle Creek Fire started on Labor Day weekend that year, scorching 48000 acres of the Columbia River Gorge on the Oregon side of the river. After years of trail maintenance, the Eagle Creek Trail has reopened intermittently this year, occasionally reclosed by landslides. I was wary of hiking this trail, and many of the reopened Gorge trails, for just this reason. Burned trees will fall. Burned, denuded slopes, will slide. And yet… we have been waiting to hike this trail for years.

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Map showing extent of 2017 Eagle Creek Fire. Our trail up Eagle Creek to Twister Falls shown in blue.

The trail extends for 13 miles up Eagle Creek, from the Columbia River, to its outlet on Wahtum Lake (elev. 3700′). We have hiked above this trail, from Wahtum Lake to Chinidere Mountain, many times. And we have hiked the lower trail, past various of the waterfalls, many times before the fire, but never all the way to Twister Falls, which is 6.5 miles from the trailhead.

A notable feature of this trail is that several sections are carved out of the vertical basalt rock walls that line Eagle Creek. Trail ledges were blasted out of the cliffs in the early 1900’s, around the time the old Columbia River Highway was built. People with fear of heights do not like this trail.

We chose a clear fall day, no recent rain, and not windy. Onward!

The trail begins near the banks of Eagle Creek, but mostly stays well above the creek on the east bank.

Trailhead

Eagle Creek trail along the cliffs

The trail passes by several waterfalls – we were not stopping much – keeping our end goal in mind.

Punchbowl Falls

Almost to High Bridge

Loo Wit Falls, near High Bridge

High Bridge, 3.3 miles

Looking down from High Bridge

After crossing High Bridge, the trail is on the west side of Eagle Creek.

New undergrowth in the burned forest beyond High Bridge

Skoonichuck Falls – the farthest we had been on previous hikes.

4.5 Mile Bridge – crossing back to the east side.

Fungi

“Potholes” section

Grand Union Falls

After 6 miles, we reached the first view of Tunnel Falls:

Tunnel Falls, East Fork of Eagle Creek, 175 feet.

Approaching the tunnel

View across to the cliffs and ledge trail on the other side

Into the tunnel

Looking up at the lip from the other side

Fern-lined trail ahead

My husband took this photo of me after I walked through the tunnel.

We continued around the corner, and upstream another quarter mile to Twister Falls:

Twister Falls, West Fork of Eagle Creek, 148 feet.

We couldn’t really get a good look at the full drop of this waterfall from the cliffside trail.

Eagle Creek, just above Twister Falls.

We found a quiet place beside the creek to rest and eat lunch before heading back down the trail.

Top of Twister Falls

Back through the tunnel,

and out the other side.

My turn…

Hiking back through the “Potholes”, where the trail surface is a parquet of columnar basalt:

Potholes

Columnar basalts

We continued hiking downstream:

Vine maple turning orange in the burned forest

Big leaf maple turning yellow

We hadn’t noticed Wy’East Falls in a side canyon on the hike up.

Basalt cliffs on the east

4.5 mile bridge again.

There were many areas of obvious trail repair in the burned forest.

Scree slopes, burned and fallen trees

High Bridge again…

We successfully completed this hike – 13 miles, 1600 feet for the day. I was glad to have seen Tunnel and Twister Falls, but I also felt a bit of vertigo on that section of the trail, and thought that maybe I won’t need to repeat this hike. The week after our hike, the trail was closed again briefly after an atmospheric river event caused more trail damage (quickly repaired by the valiant trail-keeping organizations in the area). It is a special place, and I am glad to have finally been able to see it.

Last look at Punchbowl Falls.

What happened in September 2021…

October 7, 2021October 6, 2021 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

Home and garden:

Last of the tomatoes

gladiolas

sumac

chamomile

Farmer’s Market bounty

Knitting:

I finished more hats for the Women’s Shelter donation, made progress on socks and a shawl, both excellent travel knitting, and began knitting the fall Mystery Gnome. And I received a late but welcome crocheted bag as a birthday gift from my sister.

Crocheted bag from my sister.

Donation hat

Weaving Socks, pattern by Very Busy Monkey; Knit Picks Stroll yarn.

Hitchhiker Shawl, pattern by Martina Behm, yarn by Knitted Wit

Mystery Gnome 7, pattern by Imagined Landscapes, yarn is Noro Silk Garden sock.

Hiking:

We spent a lot of time on hiking trails! In addition to two out of town trips to the Olympic Peninsula and Mt Baker, and a day hike at Cloud Cap on Mt Hood, all described in separate posts, we went on six other adventures:

September 9, East Crater Trail, Indian Heaven, Washington. Return to Junction Lake.

Into the woods

East Crater

Junction Lake

Mountain ash

Huckleberry

Mt St Helens from the PCT Southbound

Birds in a water hole in a mostly dry creek

September 17, Portland Arboretum. Early fall color on a beautiful day.

Aralia

Sumac

Hop hornbeam

Douglas fir with sap

September 24, Kiwa Trail, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington. Looking for Sandhill Cranes while we can still hike the trail before it is closed for the winter nesting season.

Nightshade berries near the creek

Woodland

Grassland with teasel

These are the sandhill cranes we are looking for!

Resident nesting pair with colt

September 26 – Saltzman Road in Forest Park, Portland. Our first time on this particular trail through the park, we walked 6 miles while catching up with friends.

Saltzman Road, Forest Park

September 28, Crawford Oaks, Washington. A return to an oft hiked trail, we escaped the rain in Portland and saw only 4 other hikers the entire day.

Columbia Hills from The Dalles Bridge

Geologic context

Eight Miles Falls

Pear tree

Our usual lunch spot

Clouds and wind

Eastward

Tufts

The “one tree”

Dried balsamroot, Dalles Mountain Ranch

Some foliage for the day:

pear

poison oak

oak

grasses

September 30, Coyote Wall, Washington. Another often hiked trail, again with friends. A beautiful day up there!

Puffy clouds and rocks

Coyote Wall

Mt Hood in the clouds

Return hike

Other news:

Tiaki, the Albatross chick I have been watching in New Zealand via webcam, has fledged!

The blue line is a tracker on Tiaki, the red line is one of her parents.

A family member acquired a new-to-him car.

I attended an in-person book group meeting, where we watched the moon rise over the Willamette River from Sauvie Island.

Cloud Cap, Mt Hood, September 23, 2021

October 5, 2021 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

To the High Point on the Timberline Trail… September 23, 2021

After the long drive up the rutted road to the Cloud Cap campground (elev 5850′), on the east side of Mt Hood, we begin by hiking up the steep sandy side of the South Eliot Glacier lateral moraine.

Reaching the crest of the South Eliot Moraine

From here we see all the volcanoes to the north,

Mt St Helens, Mt Rainier, Mt Adams

but it is the head-on face of the Eliot Glacier that draws us upward over the rock studded surface of the moraine, continuously up toward the mountain, like a scene out of Close Encounters, we move forward.

We are passed by a few hikers headed for the high point on Cooper Spur, near Tie-In Rock, but we take the turn off to the hut.

Cloud Cap Shelter

Before we leave the moraine, I give the Eliot Glacier a few minutes to pose for close ups.

We reached the Cloud Cap Shelter at lunch time.

“Not very crowded up here today”, said my hiking partner.

We choose to walk south on the Timberline Trail, around the mountain. We play dot to dot with the rock cairns as we walk the gray trail, winding sinuously upward across the wrinkled shoulders of the mountain, contouring around the canyons.

Timberline Trail, heading south

A solitary raven cry, some humming bees, wild flowers faded to golden seed heads, a few green leaves survive, on the wind blasted slopes paved with rocks and stones – a desert pavement of sorts, peppered with large angular boulders that could only be from above;

Gravity prevails whether we acknowledge the science or not.

A few fresh snow patches cling to sheltered slopes, left by storms last week that have given all the high peaks fresh white crowns.

An older, dusty snow field, is preserved in the most sheltered north sloping hollow.

We reach the High Point of the Timberline Trail (7350′), then the ridge crest to the left where we rest, and enjoy a 360° view.

Mt Hood from near the high point of the Timberline Trail

Closer view of Tie-In Rock on Cooper Spur

Cascade peaks to the south above Gnarl Ridge:

Mt Jefferson, the Three Sisters and Broken Top

Of the Washington peaks to the north, only Mount Adams visible from here.

Mt Adams

On the return hike on this trail carved out of the edge of the sky, more ravens fly above, sweeping in choreographed pairs, swirling in groups above our narrow ridge and over toward Tie-In Rock, stalling and falling and circling around each other; then surprisingly, as I round a bend on the trail, I see them clustered on the snowfield.

They seem to be sipping from the surface, finding water in this sere late summer landscape where all the rivulets are dry.

A completely fresh air, clear sky, beautiful day up here, no smoke today, as close to the sky as I will get this year I think.

Cloud Cap shelter, and Washington peaks, on the return hike

One other creature living up here

And the mountain ash glowed red in the afternoon light.

More hiking in August, 2021: a witch’s castle, an artesian spring, and waterfalls

September 6, 2021 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

In addition to our walk at Nehalem Bay earlier in the month, we hiked three other days in August before going on our trip to the Olympic Mountains at the end of the month.

8-17-2021 – Wildwood Trail/Witches Castle

We added another 2 miles to our section hike of the Wildwood Trail.

A five mile loop – Wildwood Trail to Birch Trail to Holman Lane

The forest was dry and dusty today

Balch Creek

This segment of the Wildwood Trail passes by the “Witches Castle”, formerly a visitor center, now a destination for various graffiti artists and partiers, and a colorful landmark in the green forest.

Meanwhile, in the forest, harbingers of fall in the maple trees….

We only have 5 miles remaining in our pandemic thru hike.

8-22-2021 – Dry Creek Falls

We returned to this short hike in the gorge with our visiting daughter. And I noted that, while we were not in Iceland, we were looking at a waterfall and columnar basalts…

Dry Creek

Dry Creek Falls

Columnar basalts

Columnar basalts, vine maples and cedar branches

Bridge on the PCT over Dry Creek

There were a few colorful flowers and berries along the trail…

Fireweed

Penstemon

Solomon seal

And the evil poison oak, showing its fall colors

A ghost tree along the path.

8 26-2021 Little Zigzag Falls and Little Crater Lake, Mt Hood

We planned to hike up high on Mt Hood today, but the cloud cover directed us otherwise.

Little Zigzag Falls – We’ve never stopped here before because the hike is so short – less than a mile round trip. This trail through beautiful green forest along a mountain stream will be a good one to keep in mind for visitors on the grand round-the-mountain tour.

Remnants of the old Mt Hood Highway near the trailhead

The trail follows along the edge of Little Zigzag Creek

Little Zigzag Falls

Rock-hugging tree at the top of the falls

View upstream from the top of the falls

Another view of Little Zigzag Falls

Exposed tree roots near the falls

Little Crater Lake – This lake, south of Mt Hood, has long been on my ‘to visit’ list.

The lake is an easy walk from the trail head.

Little Crater Lake

The true blue color…

The lake is not actually a crater – it was formed by an artesian spring.

The blue clarity of the water is mesmerizing. I love the reflections. My little camera has a hard time catching the actually vibrancy of the turquoise blue, but none of the brighter blues here are exaggerated.

We continued to a section of the Pacific Crest Trail that follows the northern arm of Timothy Lake, where we found more lovely views and foliage.

PCT to Timothy Lake

Northern arm of Timothy Lake

More reflections…

We passed by Little Crater Lake again on our return hike – once again admiring the deep blue and the reflections.

Little Crater Lake again

Siltstone stratigraphy

Reflections and abstractions

I plan to return next spring when the wildflowers are blooming!

August 2021 – summer gardens, knitting an albatross, the wing and the wheel….

August 27, 2021September 20, 2021 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

August turned out a bit differently than planned, as we had to cancel travel due to the spread of the delta variant of Covid-19. I celebrated another birthday, walked the neighborhood, ate lots of fresh garden tomatoes, knitted, sewed masks, enjoyed my daughter’s visit, and went on a few hikes (next post).

Neighborhood and garden

Summer roses

Echinacea

Shadows

View to downtown from Alameda Ridge from the top of…

the 38th Avenue stairs.

Signs of support in the neighborhood…

Water splashing in the Beverly Cleary sculpture garden.

Harbinger…

Puffy clouds in the evening sky,

Half moon rising,

Alpenglow

Farmer’s market and garden bounty

Birthday cupcakes and books

Knitting and sewing

An Albatross –

I finished knitting an Albatross Chick, pattern by Rachel Borello Carroll. The face and legs are perfect, the body and wings a less accurate reproduction, but I love having the chick on my shelf.

During our travels in New Zealand in February of 2020, we saw albatross chicks in their nests at the Royal Albatross Center in Taiaroa.

Albatross, taken from the bird blind at Pukekura/Taiaroa Head, February, 2020

After we returned home, almost immediately into pandemic lockdown, I discovered the albatross chick Atawhai, who we probably saw on our visit, was live on camera 24/7 on the Albatross Webcam: https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds…

I spent many a moment of zen during this pandemic, watching Atawhai sitting in the beautiful landscape that we visited, the beaches we walked upon beyond. Atawhai fledged in September of 2020.

This year I have been watching the new season of albatross on the webcam. There is a new fluffy chick named Tiaki, who will also fledge soon. She is down to only a few fluffy feathers, and spends lots of time stretching her wings in the wind (wingspan about 3 meters!) One day in the next month, the wind and wings will catch together successfully, and she will fly off for a few years, somehow knowing how to dive into the water to get food, having never touched it before. And new chicks will be hatched in January. The photos here are screenshots from the Webcam.

Other knitting and sewing: I finished two more hats for donation, and made new masks for my daughter.

Not traveling

Our travel destination turned from orange to red the week before departure, so we will not be walking through the Mid Atlantic Ridge, not watching an active volcano in the twilight, not walking along the shores of a glacial lake with floating icebergs, or seeing the birds and marine life of the North Atlantic ocean. We thought we would be too early for northern lights, but I was looking forward to seeing the lopi yarn, the black sand beaches, all the recent volcanic features, and the many waterfalls…. I heard an interesting discussion about the ethics of making the choice to not get vaccinated, and whether people making that choice (excepting those with true medical reasons) should have consequences. I fall squarely on the side of yes they should, and not because my travel plans are delayed. People are dying, people are surviving with long term consequences. Everyone’s life has been interrupted, and will continue to be until herd immunity can be achieved. So yes, I think that those selfishly ignoring the science, unwilling or unable to evaluate all the misinformation out there for what it is (more divisive rhetoric from the right wing patriarchy), should be restricted in their ability to move through public spaces freely, especially when they won’t offer the courtesy of at least wearing a frigging mask! It is a public health emergency!

RIP Nanci Griffith –

We lost one of my favorite singer songwriters this month. I have been listening to her beautiful voice and poetry for more than 40 years, and will continue to listen.

There’s a pale sky in the east, all the stars are in the west
Oh, here’s to all the dreamers, may our open hearts find rest
The wing and the wheel are gonna carry us along
And we’ll have memories for company, long after the songs are gone.

Nanci Griffith – Wing and the Wheel

July 2021, a miscellany

August 4, 2021August 4, 2021 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

July has been low key, with an episode of busyness near the end, when we had house guests and a long awaited wedding celebration of a good friend. Otherwise, I have been knitting, hiking, walking the neighborhood, growing tomatoes, attending zoom and back yard knitting and book group meetings, and watching Le Tour de France and the Tokyo Olympics. And avoiding exposure to the Delta variant of Covid 19, so masking up in stores again, and keeping all contact with non household people as sanitary as possible. Sigh, but it must be done!

Knitting –

I finished a gnome, a charity hat and a pair of gift socks.

Gnot Just Another Gnome by Sarah Schira

Straight Up Reversible Striped Hat by Nicole Nehrig made from Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Superwash

Green Striped socks, Patons Kroy sock yarn

I finished the face embroidery on my albatross, and have another pile of works in progress:

Albatross by Rachel Borello Carrol

WIPS – Two hats, a pair of socks, a cardigan.

Neighborhood and Garden –

Hot dry days and colorful flowers.

sunflowers

rudbeckia

the path ahead

interactive succulent planter

fireweed and music boxes

farmer’s market fruit

Love

dahlias

old cement

homegrown tomatoes

sweetpeas, zinnias and coreopsis

Hikes –

Keeping pace with weekly hikes. Still avoiding weekends, and dodging heat.

July 6 – Lookout Mountain, east of Mt Hood. Always enjoyable for the flowers and the views this time of year.

Mt St Helens, from a blooming High Prairie, near the trailhead.

Mt Hood from the summit of Lookout Mountain.

July 20 – Larch Mountain Crater – north of Mt Hood, a 7 mile loop that circles the top of Larch Mountain through very quiet green forest. At the top there are views to all the Cascades north and south:

GPS track of Larch Mountain Crater hike, July 20, 2021

The quiet forest below the summit.

Some of the views from Sherrard Point:

Mt Hood

Close up of Mt Hood

Mt Jefferson through the haze.

Mt Adams to the north, beyond the burn zone

July 15 and 28 – Wildwood Trail, Forest Park – We hiked two sections from the NW 53rd trailhead, and now have only 7 miles to go to complete the entire Wildwood trail, a pandemic aspiration.

Dry and shady, Wildwood Trail near mile 10, July 15, 2021

Two July hikes on the Wildwood Trail.

Wildwood Trail near mile 8, July 28, 2021

A few of the flowers in the forest:

Chicory

Veronica

Solomon seal berries

Other events:

A wedding.

Emily returned to the east coast.

Trip planning with crossed fingers.

On to August….

Six Hikes in June, 2021

July 11, 2021 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

We had six hiking days in June, all repeat hikes, so I am showing just a few highlight photos, and linking past posts for trail details.

June 3 – Hamilton Mountain, WA, hike – I love this hike, however challenging (8 miles, 2200 feet), and always feel accomplished to have made the trek again, especially when I get to see the lovely Lewisia flowers on the upper switchbacks.

Trailhead

Waterfall area

Little Hamilton Mtn death camus meadows, Mt Hood

Bonneville Dam from Little Hamilton Mtn

Table Mtn and Mt Adams from the summit

Clarkia

Lewisia

Looking back at the summit from the saddle/plateau

Respite in Hamilton Creek

Where we have been…

2. June 10 – Grassy Knoll, WA, hike – Another well loved hike. A bit rainy today, and on the early side for flowers blooming, but so green and lush along the trail!

Beargrass in the forest

Cliff penstemon; Mt Adams behind the clouds today.

Onion and phlox on the mossy rocks

View to the summit

Switchback up the meadows

View from the summit

East to Indian Heaven

Paintbrush and lupine

Back to the trailhead, lower meadows in bloom

3. June 17 – Saddle Mountain, OR, hike – We were here last month before the full bloom of the upper meadows, so hiked again on our way to an overnight at the Oregon Coast.

Saddle and summit

monkey flowers, nodding onions

irises

lewisia, saxifrage

checkermallow, chickweed

fleabane

prairie smoke

blue-eyed grass

cutleaf anemone

Pacific Ocean from the summit

Washington peaks from the summit

4. June 18 – Oregon north coast beaches – We stayed overnight in the Tolvana area of Cannon Beach, with a lovely view of Haystack Rock beyond the parking lots.

The next day we walked from Arcadia Beach and around Hug Point at low tide, to Big Barnacle Rock. We visited all our favorite landmarks from 30 years of visiting this stretch of beach nearly every summer, often staying for a week when our kids were young. So beautiful!

The sphinx of Arcadia Beach guards the northern beaches,

but we are heading south, along these open sands as the tide recedes.

We saw some birds and tide pool creatures:

sea anemone

Caspian terns – we’ve never seen these before.

Caspian terns

A pod of pelicans flying north along the wave crests

Pelicans

Next we crossed over the old road carved out of Hug Point, passable at low tide.

Hug Point

South view from the Hug Point road

The Waterfall

The Cave

Big Barnacle Rock and Castle Rock from The Cave

Looking south toward Arch Cape from Big Barnacle Rock – our turnaround point.

North view, crossing back over Hug Point.

Walking into the wind, sand rivers pelting our legs.

5. June 22 – Three Corner Rock – Another repeat hike. We were the only ones on the trail today. It was just shady enough in the forest to be comfortable.

Our big surprise was the profuse bear grass bloom in the upper meadows below the rock. And almost no wind.

Three Corner Rock

Views from near the summit (we didn’t scramble to the upper platform):

Looking south – Mt Hood and the cell tower, and so much bear grass!

St Helens, Rainier, Goat Rocks and Adams

Mt Adams

Mt St Helens

And a few more flowery views before heading down:

6. June 30 – Thomas Lake to Rock Lake Mosquito chase – Indian Heaven Wilderness, WA – Why we thought we could out-smart the famous mosquitos of summer in Indian Heaven I do not know, except sometimes you have to find out for your self. Which we did.

There was plenty of water (mosquito breeding grounds) in Indian Heaven.

Thomas Lake

Dee Lake

Shooting stars, Heather Lake

Vernal Lake in one of the meadows.

The highest trail section had snow patches, with marsh marigolds and avalanche lilies blooming nearby.

avalanche lilies

marsh marigolds

snow

We made it to Rock Lakes, and sat long enough to devour our lunch as quickly as possible, while the mosquitos devoured us through our DEET sprayed clothing.

Rock Lake – no rock bridge today.

heather

huckleberries

We had reached our tolerance point, so rushed back down the trail, stopping just long enough to notice Mt St Helens through the trees.

We learned our lesson! There is not enough DEET in the world to make this a comfortable time in Indian Heaven. We will return in late summer or fall when the mosquitos are gone.

May 2021, part 3: Hiking

June 10, 2021June 10, 2021 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

Three significant hikes:

May 5 – Weldon Wagon Road, WA

We returned to this favorite trail while the balsamroot were fresh, and the later season flowers were just beginning to bloom.

Open slopes of balsamroot along the upper trail.

Mt Hood view from the open trail.

Late season flowers:

manroot tendrils

ookow, fringe pod, balsamroot

blue gilia, taper tip onion

clarkia; taper tip onion

white western groundsel, lupine

Old plow at the turnaround.

Second growth firs viewed through oak trees.

May 11 – Saddle Mountain, OR

Another favorite trail – this time we were early for the full bloom, and saw fawn lilies in the upper saddle.

The alder trees in the lower forest had not leafed out yet. We made our way up to the prominent knob, admiring lots of early flowers in the alternating woods and open slopes.

Alder trees

The knob, and first view to the ocean.

Some of the early flowers:

Chocolate lilies covered these steep slopes.

Sitka valerian

Meadow rue

Trillium

Lilies along the first summit before the saddle:

Glacier lilies

Pink fawn lilies

View to the saddle and summit.

Prairie fire in the upper meadows.

Lewisia foliage – too early for flowers.

View of three Cascade peaks from the summit.

May 28 – Ridge Trail, Forest Park, Portland

This was our first time hiking the Ridge Trail in Forest Park.

This trail has an excellent view of the iconic 1930’s St Johns Bridge, over the Willamette River.

The trail ascends 1000 feet from the start near the St Johns Bridge in North Portland, to the intersection with Firelane 7. We continued the loop on Firelane 7, the Wildwood Trail, and Leif Erickson Drive, before returning on the lower Ridge Trail for a total distance of 4.25 miles. Most of the time we were in the forest.

Through the woods…

Vine maples

Mushroom

Late trillium

We stopped to admire the bridge again on our return trip – sky a little bluer than when we began.

My next and last May 2021 post will be about our wonderful first post-Covid-vaccination trip to visit our daughter, in Washington DC.

The month of May, 2021, part 1

June 4, 2021 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Life is opening up again. We and most people we know are fully vaccinated, and thus we are beginning to live life out in the world again. In May I went to two museums; rode with non-“pod” members in the same car; dined at the homes of others, both inside and outside; shopped in a store for clothing; got my haircut in my stylist’s salon instead of on her back patio; and best of all, flew across country in an airplane to Washington DC, where I got to spend a few days with my daughter, and see her and other family members that I had not seen in 18 months. It has taken a bit of time to get reaccustomed to worldly life, in a cautious, Covid-safe manner. Yet I haven’t felt anxious about it – just taking the steps that seem safe at the time, and trusting all the good news about how great the vaccines are, THANK YOU, SCIENTISTS! But it means I have neglected the blog – too busy living life. So this is catch up time. This post will be about local activities, there will be other posts about hiking, crafting, and our DC trip. Onward!

Local Adventures:

May 3: South Waterfront Park – We took a walk along the river trail after I went to a health care appointment nearby. The former industrial area is slowly turning into a live-work-healthcare complex. The greenbelt along the river is being added to our urban trail system – though it is surrounded by construction in progress.

Tram tower; clouds reflected in the OHSU buildings.

We encountered a dead end at the south side of the trail.

We walked north, and looked at Portland from a new perspective.

Down the ramp to views along the Willamette River and under the Ross Island Bridge.

Tilikum Crossing Bridge beyond the Ross Island Bridge

The historic Queen Anne Poulson House at the end of the bridge.

It’s getting a new roof.

Up river view – Ross Island.

An art installation called ‘Cradle’ honors the indigenous people and natural world.

Cedar trees, oyster shells, cement, rebar.

Walking back upriver, we tried all the chairs in the greenbelt park.

The cement loungers were the most comfortable.

More flowers and reflections on this sunny/cloudy day. The residents of these apartments and condos have a lovely outdoor space. Someday I hope the path will connect farther north and south along the river.

May 7: Canemah Bluff Nature Park – This park is on a bluff above the Willamette River in Oregon City. I had heard that it is a great location to see native camas flowers in bloom, so we stopped by for a short walk when we were visiting Bosky Dell Native Plant nursery. We did see the last of the camas blooms.

From the bluff there are views downriver, toward Willamette Falls,

and upriver, across to West Linn.

Camas blooming on the rocky outcrops.

Camas, rosy plectritis and the nefarious poison oak!

May 9: Mother’s Day at home – My two sons joined us for an outdoor meal – our last “Covid” style meal before son #2 had completed his full two week vaccination window. My daughter joined us in spirit by having a decadent eclair delivered as I was speaking to her! It was delicious, shared four ways!

Eclaire from St Honore Bakery

May 13: Portland Art Museum – Friends had reserved tickets to the ‘newly reopened with limited entry’ Portland Art Museum. When their son couldn’t join them, we eagerly accepted a last minute invitation to see the new Ansel Adams Photography Exhibit. I have seen many Ansel Adams exhibits over the years. His name is almost synonymous with Yosemite National Park. As a child, my family camped in Yosemite every year, in the high alpine Tuolumne Meadows area. We hiked, fished and photographed the park. It is part of the lifeblood of my family. My father pursued photography with great passion, and followed Ansel Adams’ work. My husband and I used Ansel Adams Yosemite note cards as invitations to our very small home wedding in January of 1985, and spent our honeymoon at Yosemite Lodge. We purchased a print of an Ansel Adams Cathedral Lakes image with wedding gift money from my mother. I haven’t been back to Yosemite since 2006, but there is nothing like an Ansel Adams exhibit to fill me with that Yosemite feeling. How wonderful to walk among the large, beautiful images of his work, transported out of pandemic claustrophobia. Of course there were images of other places, and images by other artists, as part of the exhibit. This was one of those times when I marvel at the beauty and creativity of the human spirit.

Exhibit entrance

Lightening/shadow projected on the wall.

Sand dunes in the stair well.

May 30: Eugene, Oregon – Only two hours away, yet I had not seen my brother and his family since before the pandemic. We drove down, just for the day, had a lovely lunch in their garden, and took a walk through Hendricks Park, at the tail end of rhododendron season.

Sandy’s buddha

Astrantia

Primroses and rhodies

Stone wall

Of course we talked about old times, and my brother showed me our father’s slide rule, and some of his old campaign buttons.

May was a good month. Of course I know that not everyone is fortunate to be vaccinated yet. The pandemic and many other problems still/will always plague the world. We help where we can, but try to live as fully as possible, because that may not always be possible. The next post will include crafting in May 2021.

Late April 2021

May 8, 2021 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Continuing my neighborhood walks: After the cherry blossoms, the pink snow,

We go from pink trees

to pink sidewalks in a week’s time.

And find them all through the neighborhood.

Dogwood trees and other flowers bloom,

Dogwood

rhododendron

fothergilla

lewisia

Interestingly cracked concrete catches my eye…

We went on two more hikes with amazing wildflowers:

Tom McCall Trail, OR, April 23

When we hiked here on March 11th, the slopes were covered with purple grass widows. Today, the balsamroot is the star!

Starting up the trail with friends.

Lower cliffs, balsamroot and lupine in full bloom!

Eastward view.

Every blade abloom under the oak trees.

Open slopes of balsamroot and Mt Adams.

Continuing up.

Paintbrush in bloom on the upper slopes.

Views from the top:

West to Mt Hood.

North to Mt Adams.

Northeast, to the Cherry Orchard.

More views on the hike down:

Rowena Plateau.

Paintbrush! and the Memaloose Hills, with their yellow backs.

Parsley Alley….

And a few more flowers, for the day.

Chocolate lily and some of that sneaky poison oak creeping in.

Oaks toothwort

Miner’s lettuce

Waterleaf

Orobanche

Baby stars

Bitterroot Trail, Catherine Creek, WA April 26

Aptly lived up to its name – the earlier blooming flowers have faded, but the bitterroot is just getting started today!

We began near the fairy ponds – now filled with camas lilies; the adjacent rock outcrops hosting glorious bitterroot flowers.

Lewisia rediviva

Sprinkled across the basalt; bicolored cluster lilies speckle the meadow beyond.

We wind our way up the slope:

Eastward.

Camas lilies and shooting stars.

Death camas and purple camas lilies

Turn left at the balsamroot, while admiring the windswept views east,

and west…

We drop down the Rowland Wall trail,

One of the largest clusters of bitterroot buds I have seen…

buckwheat

A giant clump of cliff penstomen surprised us!

More bitterroot scattered across the rocky surface along our return trail.

This is their time to rise up!

Meanwhile…

We finally had a chance to see the heritage American Chestnut Tree in the Sellwood neighborhood. It dwarves the house, and there is an enormous stump of another chestnut tree behind it.