Christmas in the Northwest

On the way to the river

 

Christmas this year was a trip to Seattle, Bainbridge Island, and the Olympic Peninsula.  We spent the morning of the 24th driving the I-5 corridor in pea soup fog from Eugene to Olympia, with only a brief break in the Portland area.  I was so happy to see sun and blue skies in Seattle when we arrived in the afternoon that I could almost kiss the pavement.  It was good to get back to Washington for a few days.  I even got to hike a few miles of the Bogachiel River trail to the boundary of the park.  Hard to believe I have been coming out to the Bogie for almost twenty years and I had not hiked that trail.  Nice to get out.  When I drove back to Eugene on Monday I hit fog again at Salem.  Horrible weather.  A storm is pushing its way into western Oregon right now so it is clearing out.

 

 Wilson Springs Creek and the Bogachiel River

 

 Green and lush

 

 

Second Beach, Olympic National Park

Warm, wet December weekend in central Oregon

 Mt Bachelor hides under a cloud cap

We spent the pre-Christmas weekend at Sun River, hoping to do a little skiing and playing in the snow.  The weather was way too warm for that.  We completely bailed on skiing at all this weekend - too warm and wet up there.  Still, we had a great time over in central Oregon.  It is always nice to head over the mountains and smell the juniper and sagebrush.  

 

Paulina Peak and Newberry Caldera in the distance

Deception Peak hike

Near the summit of Deception Peak

Yesterday I hiked to the top of Deception Peak, along Deception Creek near Oakridge.  It was an eight-mile round trip hike along a fairly tough trail, very steep near the top.  As usual, there were no other cars at the trail-head and we saw not a soul the whole way.  The trail follows Deception Creek for a mile or so before heading up the ridge at the point where two forks of the creek join.  The variety of vegetation along the trail and, especially, at the summit was the highlight of this hike.  The summit of Deception Peak contains a mix of incense cedar, sugar pine, madrona, fir, and many interesting grass and forb species.  It would be a good destination for spring wildflower viewing.

Deception Creek

The Cascades (Diamond Peak) in the distance

Thanksgiving in Portland

Downtown Portland from the aerial tram

I spent a couple of days in the Portland area after Thanksgiving, meeting up with a group of old friends.  On Saturday we walked the "4-T" trail from Beaverton to downtown and back.  The 4-T encompasses a Trail, light rail Trains, the OHSU Tram, and a Trolley (streetcar) to link together a loop.  It was a fantastic day and a very enjoyable urban adventure.  I always enjoy Portland and this outing is one of the reasons why.  There is no other city in the U.S. where such a walk could be undertaken.  It was my first ride on the aerial tram and it brought back memories of trip to the Alps, albeit without the mountain scenery. As always, the light rail and streetcar connections were a joy.  The hike portion of the loop was a four-mile trail up and over Council Crest to OHSU. 

South Waterfront district and streetcar tracks

Max line at the Zoo station, hundreds of feet underground