This past weekend found us escaping the heavy blanket of winter fog that had settled in, to seek out sun, sand, and surf. Often when a low cloud layer sets in to the Willamette Valley like this, it is just the opposite out at the coast, and can be as warm as 60 degrees in late January. In my eagerness to feel the sun's warmth on my face again and soak up some Vitamin-D, I got a last minute ...
Hiking
A Frost Fantasia
For several days now, we have been socked in under a layer of frozen fog here in the Willamette Valley, and although this has been a somewhat cold and dark mid-winter experience, I have been noticing some breathtaking frozen formations on the trees, plants, leaves, spiderwebs, and even tiny water drops of fog. I often find a lot of cheer in taking the time to notice these things when Winter is ...
A Moonlit Hike
Last weekend, I headed out for a Winter adventure up the Mckenzie River to see the Blue Pool in the snow. Blue Pool, also called Tamolitch Pool (from the Chinook word for "bucket"), is the site of an old waterfall where the Mckenzie River emerges from beneath basalt lava flows, forming a clear blue pool before tumbling along on it's course. In low water flows, the water follows the path of ...
Backpacking Carl Lake
For my last backpacking hurrah of the season, I headed up with some friends to Carl Lake in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness last month. September is such a golden, wonderful time to get up into the mountains. The days are perfectly sunny and warm, and the nights crisp and clear but not too cold. I am often so busy with harvesting, gleaning, gardening and preparing for winter that I have rarely ...
Backpacking Vulcan Lake
Nestled at the foot of a peak high in the mountains of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness in Southern Oregon's coast range, lies a turquoise blue jewel of a lake, and one of the finest backpacking destinations I've had the pleasure of visiting. I discovered Vulcan Lake a few years ago while on a dayhike excursion from Quail Prairie Lookout Tower and decided it was definitely a place I needed to come ...
Backpacking Bullpup Lake
I couldn't even tell you how many hot summer days I spent swimming all day in mountain lakes on backpacking trips when I was growing up, and it is a soul satisfying experience to watch my children do the same thing. We spent the weekend backpacking with a group of friends to a little lake tucked in the forest up the Umpqua River drainage, and aquatic fun abounded. I always enjoy getting folks out ...
Backpacking Shi Shi Beach: A Tidepool Odyssey
Washington's Olympic Peninsula was a wonderful place to grow up, and although I now call the Willamette Valley of Oregon my home, I love heading north for trips to visit all of my favorite places with my children. On our trip in June we met up with my parents for a backpacking trip to Shi-Shi Beach out on the section of coastline that is part of the Olympic National Park. We used to do this hike ...
Backpacking the South Fork Hoh River, Mama Bear Style
I recall some chapter headings in Jean Craighead George's Book, My Side of the Mountain, to the effect of "In which I Capture and Tame a Falcon" and "In Which I Build my Shelter in a Tree." In keeping with that theme, the title of this chapter in my life's story would be something like "In Which I Take Three Children Backpacking By Myself in a Remote River Valley, Scare Off a Bear, Forge ...
April Backpacking in the Oregon Dunes
I can't recall an April backpacking trip that wasn't characterized by being wet, so when planning a spring break backpacking trip with my kids and friends, I prepared for rain. We brought tarps, we brought ridiculous amounts of spare socks and pants, we brought books and things to pass the hours sitting inside the tent, we picked a hike in the sand dunes figuring the water would seep down into the ...
Animal Tracking at the Oregon Dunes
It's quite a feeling to be out walking on a wild stretch of beach and realize a whole array of wildlife was walking in the same place just before you came along. People tend to be so bumbling and noisy, we may never see the other creatures occupying the same space, but if you look closely you can find signs of who was there. Beaches and sand dunes are excellent places for animal tracking ...