Tag Archives: day hike

Wild Eastern Oregon

For the 4th, Catherine and I were kindly invited down to central-eastern Oregon for some off the beaten path relaxation. Catherine’s Aunt Nancy and her fiance Dwayne took us in and showed us what Eastern Oregon is all about: trap shooting, off-roading, hikes, and planned siestas.

We split our time touring and sightseeing places like Dixie mountain, Strawberry Lake, and being introduced to shooting Trap, as well as getting shown around a ranch riding ATVs. It was a blast, and we took it easy, which was great. There’s nothing like hanging out on the 4th, and a watching light-your-own fireworks show.

Nancy and Dwayne were great hosts, who played card games with us like Crap on your neighbor and Sequence. Here’s some photos of the trip.

Sadly, Catherine and I had to leave all too soon, especially with the long drive home. We made the most of it, and took a recommendation from Nancy and Dwayne to stop at the John Day Fossil Beds on the scenic route back. The Fossil Beds had an amazing visitor center, and the landscapes is home to fossils dating back to 65 million years ago, with species that cannot be found anywhere else. The fauna was preserved by 60 successive lava flows spaced out approximately 8,000 years apart. As the canyons have eroded, it’s revealed the history.

Not long after leaving the Fossil beds, we passed through Cottonwood Canyon and got a look at Mt. Jefferson, Hood, Adams, and St. Helens all at once.

Needless to say, the drive was worth it, and we’d go back in a second!

Rain and Cascades

…are two things that I’m hoping don’t always go together, This past weekend Catherine and I went for a jaunt on the edge of the Northern Cascades, in search of “Lake 22”. Similar to several previous fall hikes, we knew we were in for a bit of wet weather, and this time we made the day more about exploring old growth than bee-lining for a high alpine ridge.

Before embarking we discovered a swollen Creek 22, right next to the road.

As we ascended through fantastical, and dripping, forests, I contemplated bringing mylar umbrellas on the next rainy hike, something that Ray Jardine considers essential.

The moderate ascent was enjoyable, although the trail was quickly becoming it’s own cascade in sections, but before too long, we had reached the lake.

Imagine a glassy surface with the towering shoulder of Mt. Pilchuck on the right, and bald steep faces all around. Still, even on a rainy day, it was a hidden gem, and we hung around long enough to snack before turning around.

The photos were limited to quick shots from my phone, as we deemed it too risky to soak anything else. We’ll see what next weekend brings!

2013 Roadtrip: Grand Teton NP

We made it to Wyoming and the Tetons by Tuesday afternoon (Day 4), and I was definitely not prepared for the gorgeous views.

The Tetons, which seem to pierce the sky, have no foothills blocking them.

The first ‘view’ at Oxbow Bend.

Heading into Jackson, we stopped to catch the sunset. After experiencing the town a bit, the next day we went for a long hike along Jenny and it’s neighboring lakes.

One of my favorite views was Cascade Canyon, which we hiked up into a bit in the afternoon.

We doubled back near Bear Paw lake, to cross over to the western side of Jenny lake.

Mt. Moran interested me almost more than the Grand, due to its sheer mass and many glaciers.

The Tetons proper.

We saw lots of wildlife, much more than you expect to see on an outing in the East.

Sadly, we had to continue onward, all to soon. We’ll be back though. The allure of the Tetons makes me want to stand on the top of them.

2013 Roadtrip: Glacier NP

Last major stop: Glacier. Unlike any place we’d been to yet, we arrived Friday the 13th and spent the first day sightseeing.

Glacier felt big, and begging you to explore the glacial basins and tall peaks.

We drove up Going-To-The-Sun road, and tried to take it easy with our laden-down Subaru.

The alpine meadows at the top of the pass were incredible.

Descending was just as cool, hugging the base of Garden Wall’s knife-edge peaks.

The next day we hiked around Avalanche Lake. We were hoping to do a longer hike but worried about the remaining drive, as we wanted to be in Spokane, WA that night.

Luckily it did not disappoint.

That was our last National Park, and last big travel day. With no mishaps, we wrapped our the trip.