A Little Library
2018/04/18: An evenings walk in the rarefied air among the palatial homes of Alameda Ridge in southeast Portland. Our main reason for the walk was to take in all the public stairways in the area. The "official" route is 4.4 miles we made it a bit longer by starting and ending at the Moon & sixpence!
2019/10/19: We harvested our Japanese sweet potatoes, we were not sure how many we would get but it turned out to be not a bad haul! Now follow two weeks of ripening in the dark at 80-90F and 90% plus humidity! They will have cost $5.00 buck each by the time we are done ☺
2019/10/16: Another spectacular sunrise on the way into work this morning! It lasted about 10 minutes from start to finish!
On his travels Pavel sent us a postcard mailed from the Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. All the mail posted there begins it's journey on the back of a mule back out of the canyon!
2019/10/13: Our first hike into Indian Heaven on the Lemei trail. We went as far as the base of Lemei Rock but with clouds & fresh snow didn't scramble up to the summit. On the way out we took the side trip to Wapiki Lake.
22019/10/12 Snapped a few photos of the Sunrise from work yesterday on the corner of Altman & Revenue Roads.
2019/10/11: A lovely October day! I left work at 4:30 and headed straight up to Trillium Lake. Hung out for about an hour and a half as the Sun set on the Mt.
2019/10/06: Our first foray onto the whitewater trail. An early start and a long drive had us at the trailhead just after 9:00am. 35F when we set out, 65F by the time we returned. A perfect PNW Autumn day!
Kazuko getting wet! © Chiyoko Meacham
2019/09/28: Another terrible weather weekend! Torrential downpour followed by hail!
2019/09/29: Some Chanterelles, bounty of our hike today!
2019/09/21: © Jane Meacham "A lovely stroll last Saturday morning, in brilliant sunshine, along the old Arnside railway track. Completed naturally with an ice-cream on the prom"
2019/09/29: This giant old growth Cedar is hidden almost in plain sight not too far off the Larch Mt Rd. Good luck finding it though if you don't know the spot! When all the trees around it we cut down around a 100 years ago this tree was spared. Probably because it was less valuable because of it's triple top!
2019/09/25: Post Hike refreshment at the Mt Hood Brewery!
2019/09/25: The final rays of sun as we hike back down to Timberline from 7500'.
2019/09/25: So yesterdays after work plan was to hike the recently reopened Wahclella Falls trail in the Gorge but the Sun was out and after so many rainy days I was in need of big sky & big views! So we drove up to Timberline the hiked up the East side climbers trail up to about 7500' for a view of the White River Glacier and the sunset. Set out at 5:30 turned around at 6:45 and made it back the car in pretty much darkness at 7:45! A truly wonderful way to spend a sunny fall evening!
2019/09/21: Pascal & Akitomo in the great Paella cook off! A great evening was had!
2019/09/22: These rainy Sundays are playing havoc with our September hiking plans! Still we are finding new river hikes we haven't done before which offer some interest and protection on a rainy day! Our first visit to Opal Creek, the price of entry is a NWFP and another horribly pot holed road to negotiate. For such a high use area does USFS leave roads like this deliberately! We were hoping to reach Cedar Flats but a delay to put out an abandoned camp fire and increasing rain had us turning around about half a mile before we got there! Something for next time.
2019/09/22: I could have spent the whole day poking around Jawbone Flats looking at all the old machinery and derelict cars even though it was raining. Chiyoko was less enthusiastic though!
2019/09/18: A quick after work hike up to the Silcox Hut taking Meiko's new shoes for a test drive! We were hoping to walk on some new snow but it's still a few hundred feet in Elevation above the hut & the Rams Head bar was calling our names!
The Maple House: 1986, Guy Ed & Phil. 2019: Guy, Pavel & Pascal!
2019/09/14: A good spread for Pavel's goodbye party!
2019/09/15: Pascal leads the way out of the Tiny Chamber back the main cave.
2019/09/15: At what is traditionally the end of lower Ape cave is a tunnel only 15 - 18" high that continues on. Most folks stop here but if you belly crawl through this for a 100' or so you reach the true end of the cave in the Tiny Chamber!
2019/09/15: Today was our last hike and post hike drink with Pavel for some time at least as his internship comes to an end and he heads back to Czech.
2019/09/15: At a trail of two forests you can crawl through a tunnel made 2000 years ago when lava poured over a couple of fallen trees which later rotted away leaving their casts behind!
2019/09/03: No sitting around in these hot Springs! The water bubbles up near boiling point.
2019/09/07: Our Annual company picnic at Oaks Park. Only Chiyoko braved the roller coaster!
2019/09/08: First Fire of the season was early this year1 We returned from a wet hike in the woods to a cold house. Had to light the fire!
2019/09/03: Borax Lake, the only home on earth to the Borax lake chub fish.
2019/09/04: Just outside Crane Oregon we can highly recommend the home cooked food of the Crane Cafe for the hungry traveler and local alike!
2019/09/04: At $30.00 a night we can't recommend the camp site!
2019/09/04: The last day of our Steens Mt trip. Up early after a very windy night in the tent at Alvord Hot springs. A morning soak then on the road for the 380 mile drive home the first 50 of which were still on gravel! By 9:00am we had reached Crane and stopped at the Crane Cafe for breakfast. We can highly recommend the Crane cafe's home cooked food for hungry travelers and for locals alike.
2019/09/03: Sunrise in Frenchglen
2019/09/03: Stars on the Alvord Desert
2019/09/03: A spin on the Alvord Desert!
2019/09/03: Mickey Hot Springs, no soaking here, the water comes out the ground at about 185 degrees.
2019/09/02: Malheur from the Buena Vista Overlook.
2019/09/02: Population decline..
2019/09/01: Later that evening we drove back up to the Summit of Steens Mt. to watch the Sunset and take some star pics. Taking care when driving back down the 25 mile road to avoid road walking black cows!
2019/09/01: Day 3, we set out from Page Springs Campground for a hike out of South Steens Camp. Our choices were either Blitzen Gorge or Big Indian Gorge, we flipped a coin and hiked a 10 mile out and back in Blitzen Gorge. Pretty darn hot & overheating by the time we got back to the car! Later that evening we drove back up to the Summit of Steens Mt. to watch the Sunset and take some star pics. Taking care when driving back down the 25 mile road to avoid road walking black co
2019/08/31: Day 2 of our trip we were on the road by 7:30 driving south the Frenchglen. Once there we set up camp in the lovely Frenchglen campground before embarking on the 59 mile all gravel Steens Mt Loop rd. up the the summit of the Mt. above 9500' and back.
2019/08/31: While up on Steens Mt we also hiked the rather rough trail down to Wildhorse Lake about 1100' below the summit. Going down was easy but it was a bit of a slog back up in the heat of the afternoon sun!
2019/08/31: On the first day of our Steens Trip we left home at Noon on the Friday and drove the 280 miles to Crystal Crane Hot Springs. where we set up camp for the first night including both an evening and early morning soak in the hot springs pool!
2019/08/25: Fumi 7 Akitomo enjoying the view! © Chiyoko Meacham
2019/08/25: We found something new to do on Mt Hood this week. A slog up Heather Canyon to its headwaters at the top of the canyon, about a 2000' climb from the Timberline trail. Also joining us this week friends Kim & Connor.
2019/08/17: Some night pics taken North of Mt Hood on the Eliot Creek where it crosses the Laurance Lake Rd.
2019/08/18: Pascal makes a bridge as we hike around Laurance Lake!
2018/08/18: Negotiating the 7000 year old Parkdale Lava Flow.