Scott and Angie's Blog

Heart Lake Backpack, Yellowstone National Park

2011-08-31T17:17:00.001-07:00

In mid August, we backpacked to the Heart Lake Basin in Yellowstone National Park. We spent 4 days/3 nights in the Yellowstone backcountry and had a wonderful time. Total backpacking distance was ~23 miles.

Backpacking in Yellowstone is done on a permit system. Hiking and backpacking info from the National Park Service is available here. We submitted our permit request in January and found out in early April that we were awarded permits for the dates and route we submitted.

Saturday, August 13th, 2011
Heart Lake Trailhead to Heart Lake Campsite 8H3
9 miles

The trail into Heart Lake Basin travels through an area that was nearly obliterated by the 1988 fires. The lodgepole pines are growing back slowly, but are only ~15-25 feet tall and don't provide much shade. We did the hike during the mid day hours and found it to be very hot due to the sun beating down on us.

Factory Hill on the trail into Heart Lake Basin. The lake can be seen in the distance. Damage from the 1988 Yellowstone fires is visible on the slopes of Factory Hill on the right.

Nice thermal feature along the trail

We arrived at our campsite in the early evening. While we were setting up camp, an American Marten (aka pine marten) came by to check out a squirrel nest in a snag.

Pine Marten investigating the squirrel nest.

Very unhappy Mama squirrel.

Pine marten close up. A rented Nikkor 80-400mm lens helped get close to this little guy.

Apparently raiding squirrel nests is very hard work and quite tiring to pine martens!

"This is my camp!" Pine marten with a crazy look in his eye.

This stream ran through our campsite and created a beautiful soundtrack for sleeping. Mt Sheridan is the mountain in the background.

Full moon rising over Heart Lake.

Full moon close up

Sunday, August 14th, 2011
Exploring Rustic Geyser Basin and
Eastern Group Geyser Basin

Sunrise near our campsite.

Paintbrush and other assorted wildflowers

Lots of birds near camp

On the trail to Rustic Geyser Basin

Rustic Geyser Basin. This was a really cool experience for us and was one of the highlights of the backpacking trip. This basin has several beautiful pools and a good sized geyser. There were no boardwalks and no people, so we were free to explore the entire basin. This is quite a contrast to the hoards of people and boardwalks at the front country geyser basins.

Columbia Pool. The water looks refreshing, but looks can be deceiving, since the water temp is 189 degrees F.

Scott and Angie at Columbia Pool

Scott and Columbia Pool

Bubbling thermal feature

Angie exploring the basin with camera in hand. Her goal was to get an image of every thermal feature in the basin. She succeeded.

Rustic Geyser eruption. Rustic Geyser erupts for about 40-60 seconds every 10-90 minutes. While we were there is was going off about every 30-45 minutes. The eruption lifted the water about 20-30 feet in the air.

Angie's video of Rustic Geyser erupting

Amazing colors around the thermal features

After having lunch and watching Rustic Geyser erupt 4 times, we headed over to the Eastern Group Basin.

Eastern Group Basin

Scott near a small pool.

Scott composing an image.

End result.

On our way back from the geyser basins, we ran into a pair of sociable backpackers from Eastern Texas. They had arrived that day and told us they saw grizzly tracks for about 2 miles on the trail coming into the Heart Lake Basin! They never saw the bear, but had their bear spray ready. They also told us the Park Service had dispatched several rangers into the area near our campsites to look for a missing moose calf. Apparently the moose calf had gone missing sometime during the previous few days and the mother moose was still in the area. The rangers were worried that the calf may have perished and that wolves and bears might converge on the area...not good! They spent most of the evening looking for the moose calf (they never found it) and trying to scare the mother moose away from the campsites. They actually went as far as to shoot shotgun blanks into the air to try to spook the moose. We thought we might have problems sleeping that night, but amazingly once we went to bed, we were out.

Back in camp. Angie and the campfire she built all by herself. Single match!

Angie's favorite part of the 8H3 campsite was the new composting toilet which was just installed this year. Check out her video tour below.

Sunset near our campsite. The wildflowers were at peak bloom while we were in the area This was quite a treat, since the flowers usual peak several weeks earlier. A hard winter and cool spring kept significant snowpack over Yellowstone until late June, which contributed to the late wildflowers.

Night image of the stream near our campsite

Camping under the stars

Monday, August 15th, 2011
Backpacking from site 8H3 to 8J1 - 3.5 miles

The following morning, we got up early expecting to climb Mt Sheridan (10,308 feet). Everything looked good early, but as the morning went on thunderstorms began to build. Once we started hearing thunder and seeing lightning, we decided to skip the climb and explore the area around our campsite.

Thunderstorms over Heart Lake

Small stream coming down the slopes of Mt Sheridan. Thunderstorms building in the background.

A beautiful moment between thunderstorms

Scott and Angie at Heart Lake

On the way to our campsite on the other side of the lake, we spotted the moose that had been hanging out in the area. Apparently it was not afraid of the shotgun blasts! We saw this moose at about 100 yards, which was about as close as we would want to be in the backcountry.

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011
Campsite 8J1 to the Heart Lake Trailhead - 9.5 miles

Down on the beach near campsite 8J1, we found grizzly tracks in the sand. From the look of the track the bear must have come through the area sometime during the previous day. Seeing a track like this definitely grabs your attention!

Scott's self portrait (Angie slept in). Heart Lake and Mt Sheridan are in the background.

Moonset over Mt Sheridan

Looking all the way across the lake to our previous campsite (8H3)

Snowshoe Hare in summer clothes

Wildflowers near our campsite

On the hike back to the trailhead, the trail follows the beach on the north end of Heart Lake for about a mile. Hiking in sand with a backpack on is seriously hard work!

Parting shot from the Heart Lake Basin...doesn't get much better than this!

This was an outstanding backpacking trip. We really enjoyed all of the thermal features and wildlife in the area. Spending four days in the Yellowstone backcountry is an experience we will always remember. If you ever have an opportunity to get into the backcountry at Yellowstone, take it!

Grand Teton National Park & Jackson Hole

2011-08-24T16:03:00.000-07:00

Angie and I just returned home from a 10 day trip to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. We spent the first 3 days of our trip in Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park. Here are a few images to enjoy.

Sunrise light and the Teton Range from the Glacier View Overlook. Grand Teton (13770 feet) is just right of center.

We started of our time in Jackson with an awesome whitewater rafting trip on the Snake River. Here is a link to photos of our raft running the Lunch Counter Rapid. In the photos we are at the back of the raft.

Later that day we went on a driving trip around Grand Teton National Park.

Angie and the Teton Range

Scott

Crazy light over the Tetons just before sunset.

Snake River Overlook

Angie and the full moon

We spent the following day seeing all of the sights around Jackson, Wyoming. Jackson is a really cool and outdoorsy town nestled at the base of the Tetons.

Hot air balloons above Jackson.

Elk!

Scott in the Bear Chair

Angie in the Bear Chair

Later that evening we took the gondola up from Jackson Hole to eat dinner at The Deck restaurant. You get to ride the gondola for free if you eat dinner at the restaurant. Surprisingly the prices at The Deck were really no different than anywhere else in Jackson.

Riding up in the gondola

Table with a view....awesome!

Another gondola arriving. The place was packed.

Scott and Angie

We have many more photos to come. Check back here soon.

Mt Hood Climb

2011-07-01T22:06:00.000-07:00

Scott, Matt, Brian and Sean climbed Mt Hood (11,237 feet) on Saturday 6/25/11. This was our second attempt on Mt Hood this year. Our first attempt was ~10 days prior, but we never got out of the truck in the parking lot due to very high winds and rain. For our 2nd attempt, the weather forecast was improved (no moisture), but we still had to deal with high winds (20-40mph).

We decided that since we were climbing on Friday/Saturday we should get an early start to beat the crowds to the top. We left Portland at 10:00 PM and arrived at Timberline Lodge at 11:30 PM. We started the climb at just after midnight.

Brian near Timberline Lodge. Notice the flag blowing in the background.

Matt, Brian and Scott during a food and water break at 2:30 AM

Sean

"Hey guys, I can't feel my hands". Matt trying to regain feeling in his hands. He was only wearing medium weight gloves and the cold temps and wind were stealing all the heat from this fingers. Luckily as we climbed higher the winds decreased and the cold hands were soon forgotten.

Brian making his way up to the hogsback.

Twilight moon near the Hogsback - 4:31 AM - 10,500 feet

Sunrise light while ascending the old chute. 5:00 AM. ~10,800 feet.

Sean and Brian ascending the old chute. Notice all of the climbers on the Hogsback (middle left). Our group ended up being the 2nd group to reach the summit. Luckily we didn't get caught in the traffic jam.

Matt in the old chute. Notice all of the rime ice on the rocks near the horizon. This is not normal for the last week in June...it usually would be all rock by now.

Mt Hood Sunrise - 5:40 AM - 11,237 feet

"Stands in Silence" As the sun rises behind Mt Hood, a perfect pyramid shaped shadow is cast upon the surrounding landscape. Definitely my favorite image from the climb!

A view of the Cascade Range looking south from the Summit. Mt Jefferson is the first peak (~50 miles away) and the Three Sisters and Broken Top are further back. A nice fog layer was filling the valleys below.

Brian and Matt

Sean

Scott

Brian, Matt, Sean

Brian

Sean and Matt.

Matt preparing his pack for the descent.

Brian, Sean and Matt on the summit ridge. The summit ridge has a knife edge this year. One wrong step in this area would not be good!

Looking down the northeast face of Hood. It is a LONG way down from here!

Old chute traffic jam. This is why we started early. There are 35 climbers visible in this photo and there were about another 20 who had just reached the top.

Looking up the hogsback to the bergschrund.

From here Matt and Brian skied down and Scott and Sean descended on foot. It was too cold to glissade so the descent took a bit longer than anticipated. Everyone was down by ~9:15 and we were on our way back to Portland by 9:45 AM.

Rogue River Whitewater Kayak

2011-05-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

In mid April, Matt, Kelly, Scott and our new friends Ben and Aaron floated the Wild and Scenic Section of the Rogue River in inflatable kayaks (IKs) and rafts. The Rogue River originates near Crater Lake in southern Oregon and flows westward about 215 miles into the Pacific Ocean. Our trip covered 37.9 miles, including all 34 miles of the pristine and rugged Wild and Scenic section. We all enjoyed the trip immensely, but it almost didn't happen.

The Rogue had been running high all spring due to cool and wet weather and a tough decision about whether or not to do this float in high water had to be made. Luckily, Matt was contacted by Ben and Aaron through mountainbuzz.com about meeting up for a group trip. After a few emails and phone calls, Ben and Aaron graciously offered to haul the majority of the gear on their rafts. With raft support in place, everything was set to go.

Thursday, April 14th
Almeda Bar to Wildcat Campsite - 8.8 miles
River Highlights: Grave Creek Falls (Class III),
Rainey Falls (Class IV+), Tyee Rapids (Class III+)
Swims: Grave Creek Falls (Matt)

Here is a graph of the water flow at Agness during our float. We were on the river April 14-17 (Blue line = actual flow rate, Triangles = historical average)

Matt and Kelly surveying the river from the Rogue River Trail prior to our launch. Grave Creek Rapid at ~6500 CFS is seen below.

Ben, Scott and Aaron discussing the trip at the Almeda boat launch ramp. (photo by Matt)

Aaron approaching the fish ladder around Rainey Falls (class IV+). In the 1950s Glen "Boom Boom" Wooldridge blasted the fish ladder as a way for drift boats to portage around Rainey Falls. Everyone in our group took the fish ladder. (photo by Matt)

Matt at Rainey Falls. Aaron and his raft can be seen exiting the fish ladder on the far side of the river.

Scott and Kelly, Rainey Falls at ~6500 CFS

Scott and Matt

Matt and Kelly

We stopped at Whiskey Creek for lunch. Matt and Scott hiked up to the Wiskey Creek Cabin to take a look around. The cabin was built as a prospectors home in the 1880s and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Whiskey Creek from the bridge leading up to the cabin.

Whiskey Creek Cabin

Ben on the water below Whiskey Creek. (photo by Matt)

We spent our first night at the Wildcat Campsite overlooking Russian Rapid. This was a great campsite with a nice sandy beach and lots of open space.

Matt trying to explain why he ran into Aaron's raft in Lower Grave Creek Rapid...Aaron not buying it!

Wildcat Campsite

Friday, April 15th
Wildcat Campsite to Mule Creek Campsite - 14.4 miles
Rapid Highlights: Slim Pickens Rapid (Class III), Upper and Lower Black Bar Falls (Class III+), Horseshoe Bend Rapids (Class III)
Swims: Lower Black Bar Falls (Scott)

Scott relaxing in a quiet stretch of the river after taking a swim in Lower Black Bar Falls. The diagonal standing waive in the Lower Black Bar knocked him clean out of the boat. Luckily it was a short swim. (photo by Matt)

Shore lunch just above Horseshoe Bend Rapids. We combined our food to make the best sandwich tortilla wraps!

Aaron and Ben in their rafts

One of the hundreds of streams that flow into the Rogue in the Wild and Scenic Section.

Zane Grey's cabin at Winkle Bar. Zane Grey (1872-1939) was a popular writer who wrote many novels about the American West. After a Rogue River trip in 1925, Grey purchased land and Winkle Bar, built a cabin and wrote the novel Rogue River Fued.

Zane Grey's Cabin at Winkle Bar.

One of Zane Grey's original drift boats.

Inside an old storage shed near Zane Grey's Cabin.

"Confluence" The confluence of Mule Creek and the Rogue River. Our campsite on the second night was close to this area.

Saturday, April 16th
Mule Creek to Tate Creek - 8.8 miles
Rapid Highlights: Mule Creek Canyon (Class IV), Blossom Bar Rapid (Class IV), Devils Staircase Rapid (Class III)
Swims: Upper Mule Creek Canyon (Matt), Blossom Bar Rapid!!! (Matt), Devils Staircase Rapid (Matt)

Scott got up early to photograph the fog near Mule Creek Canyon. It had rained off an on all night, but by morning the clouds were breaking up and the sunlight shining through the fog was beautiful.

The view from outside our tents. Pretty nice place to wake up!

"Five Drops" Spring leaves surround five water droplets.

"Rogue Mystery" The fog and mist add depth and a sense of mystery to the scene. Who knows what's hiding up in those hills.

"Rogue Mystery 2"

"Mule Creek Spring" Spring greens along Mule Creek.

"Waiting for Spring" Spring flowers waiting for warmer temperatures along Mule Creek near Marial.

Our campsite at Mule Creek.

Scott at Stair Creek Falls in Mule Creek Canyon (photo by Matt). Mule Creek Canyon was a very intense stretch of the river where the canyon walls narrow down to ~15 feet apart in places. With almost 10,000 CFS of water flowing through, the water was very turbulent with lots of boils, whirlpools and water seemingly defying the laws of physics.

Aaron near Sports Illustrated Rock (photo by Matt)

Blossom Bar Rapid at ~9500 CFS. Blossom Bar Rapid is the most technical rapid on the Rogue and demands the most respect. A perfect approach and perfect strokes are required to successfully navigate the rapid. The group stopped at Blossom Bar to scout the rapid from the north side of the river. After significant contemplation, Scott decided to ride with Ben and Aaron on the rafts and Matt and Kelly went down in the IKs. Kelly (the expert IKer) made it through without issue, but Matt lost it at the very top of the rapid and ended up swimming almost the whole thing. The high water was actually a good thing here, since the dangerous "picket fence" was submerged. Matt was in good spirits after the swim, but then promptly swam the next rapid (Devils Staircase) due to fatigue. After Devils Staircase he was completely exhausted and hitched a ride on Aaron's raft down to Paradise Lodge.

Close up of Blossom Bar Rapid. The photograph does not convey the raw energy of this area. The rumble coming from this rapid was both impressive and intimidating.

High water marks at Paradise Lodge. This sign is nearly 40 feet above the river. In January 1997 the Rogue was at 39.60 feet at the Agness gauge. By comparison, the river was at about 11-15 feet on the Agness gauge during our trip.

In December 1964 the Rogue was at 68.03 feet at the Agness gauge!!! These river levels are beyond comprehension and would be amazing to see.

Sunday, April 17th
Tate Creek to Foster Bar - 5.9 miles
Rapid Highlights: Clay Hill Rapid (Class III)
Swims: None

"Tate Creek Falls" This was a stunning waterfall near our campsite on the third night.

"Tate Creek Waterfalls"

Matt showing off his new IK.

Matt and Kelly paddling on the last river day.

Kelly, Scott and Aaron (photo by Matt)

The view from Scott's IK.

Matt unloading gear at Foster Bar.

Scott, Kelly, Aaron, Matt and Ben at Foster Bar.

A special thanks goes out to Kelly for suggesting the Rogue trip and letting Scott borrow the IK. Thanks to Matt for taking care of the logistics of the trip. Matt, Scott and Kelly would also like to thank Ben and Aaron for hauling our gear and agreeing to float with us. We hope to meet up with you guys again soon.

Recommended Reading

Rogue River Fued by Zane Grey
The Rogue, Portrait of a River by Roger Dorband
Tall Tales from Rogue River, The Yarns of Hathaway Jones by Stephen Dow Beckham
Rogue River - A Comprehensive Guide from Prospect to Gold Beach by Matt Leidecker
Floating and Fishing Oregon's Wilderness River Canyons by Melinda Allan

Worth a Click Websites

Save the Wild Rogue

Oregon Wild - Rogue River

USGS Rogue River gauge at Agness

American Whitewater Rogue River Page

Cannon Beach Trip

2011-03-31T20:33:00.000-07:00

Angie and I took the dogs out to Cannon Beach for an overnight trip in January. The weather was great at the beach and the high temp was around 60 degrees. This is really good for the Oregon Coast during the winter. Here are a few pictures from the trip.

A night image from our balcony at the Hallmark Inn.

"Haystack Morning" The moon and surf at low tide.

Sunrise at Cannon Beach

We hiked down to Crescent Beach at Ecola State Park to spend the afternoon in the sun.

Cami playing with a tennis ball...her all time favorite game.

Angie near where we got engaged in 2004.

Scott near a waterfall on Crescent Beach. It was so bright!

Angie waiting for the sunset.

"Coastal Dream" Sunset above Crescent Beach.

Sunset light.

Mt Hood/Columbia River Gorge Photography

2011-03-09T18:00:00.000-08:00

It's been quite a while since we have posted any new content on the blog. We have several posts lined up and just need to get them online.

Here are a few images from Scott's "photography day" in January.

I had a full day and decided to focus on the Mt Hood area. My plan was to get up early and catch the sunrise from White River Sno Park, then snowshoe to Tamanawas falls, then photograph a few waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge. Amazingly, I was able to visit all of these areas in a single day. Here are a few images from the day.

"Winter Majestic" Sunrise alpenglow on Mt Hood from White River. To read more about this image please see the blog post on Scott's Photography Blog

"Fresh Fallen" Fresh snowfall in White River Canyon near Mt Hood.

"Tamanawas Falls in Winter" At the end of a 2 mile snowshoe is beautiful Tamanawas Falls.

"& the Creek Don't Rise" A secluded waterfall deep in the Columbia River Gorge. The green moss in the Gorge was quite a contrast from the snow up around Mt Hood.

Alvord Desert Road Trip

2010-12-11T15:34:00.000-08:00

Over Thanksgiving weekend we went on a driving tour of Southeastern Oregon with our dogs Cami and Warren. It was a very relaxing and enjoyable trip. We visited the Alvord Desert/Steens Mountain and the John Day Fossil Beds. As you will see from the pictures, this part of Oregon is a little different from what we are used to in Portland. Eastern Oregon is commonly referred to as "Oregon's Dry Side" due to the relative lack of rainfall, when compared to Oregon's western side. The area really reminded us of the deserts of the Southwest...just a little bit colder!!!

Just before our trip, the Pacific Northwest fell into a severe cold snap. It was 20 degrees F in Portland the morning we left, and as we drove towards the Alvord Desert, it only got colder. By the time we reached our destination of Fields, Oregon, the temperature was 10 degrees F.

Here is a roadside shot of the sunset about an hour north of Fields, Oregon.

Fields (population 12) sits at the southern end of the Alvord Desert and is a great base from which to explore the area. We stayed at the Fields Station, which is the only gas station, store, restaurant, motel in the area. If you need something, you get it here. This was a great place to stay and we really enjoyed the food and people we met in the restaurant.

The following morning (Thanksgiving Day), Scott got up at early to photograph the sunrise at Borax Hot Springs. Borax Hot Springs is one of the many hot springs in this area. The water here is ~180 degrees F and has 25x more arsenic than is found in normal water, so obviously you don't want to swim in this one! The air temperature that morning was extremely cold (~5 degrees F) and it was tough to stay warm. Here are a few photos.

Sunrise at Borax Hot Springs

Borax Hot Springs

We spent the rest of the day exploring the Alvord Desert. Our next destination was Mickey Hot Springs at the northern end of the Alvord Desert. The water in this one is ~220 degrees F...again no swimming here!

Steam rising off Mickey Hot Springs

Scott and Angie in the steam at Mickey Hot Springs

After visiting Mickey Hot Springs we drove out onto the alkali flats of the Alvord Desert. This place was amazing. The dogs went crazy here chasing their tennis balls. With the "Chuck It" we could throw the ball a mile. Here are some photos of us enjoying the Alvord Desert.

Scott and Cami

Angie, Warren and Cami

Scott and a couple of crazy beasts!

Cami

Warren and Cami

Angie, Warren, Cami

Steens Mountain/Alvord Desert

After our drive out onto the flats we stopped by Alvord Hot Springs. This is a unique hot spring which looks out over the Alvord Desert. Although Alvord Hot Springs is on private land, the owners allow visitors access to the area. If you visit here, please help to keep the place clean, so the owners continue to allow access. Unfortunately the people who visited the springs before us left the hot water pipe open, making the main pool way too hot. The temp in the main pool was ~112 F, which was a little too warm for us! We spent about 15 minutes in the secondary pool, but found the water a bit too cold in this one. Sounds a little like Goldilocks!

Angie at Alvord Hot Springs. Yes, that is snow on the ground!

Steam rising off Alvord Hot Springs. The air temp was ~25 degrees F.

Later that evening, Tom and Sandy (the owners of Fields Station) invited us to the community Thanksgiving Dinner at the restaurant. Hanging out with the locals was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. The food was amazing and Scott had a chance to play guitar with the local band.

The following morning Scott got up early again to photograph the sunrise at Borax Hot Springs again. It was slightly warmer that morning (~10 degrees F).

Sunrise at Borax Hot Springs

"Radiant Glow" Alpenglow on Steens Mountain from Borax Hot Springs.

Beautiful grasslands around Borax Lake

After eating a delicious breakfast at Fields Station (Angie had the biggest omelet we have ever seen) we began our drive north to the town of John Day. We couldn't resist driving out onto the Alvord Desert one last time. It was a perfect day out on the flats. We were amazed by how quiet it was out there that day. There was no wind and absolutely no ambient noise. One interesting thing was that we could hear random booming sounds out in the middle of the desert. According to the local lore, these booms are due to seismic activity beneath the floor of the Alvord Desert. Kind of creepy!

Angie and Warren

Scott, the dogs and the Steens

Warren

Scott's Honda Ridgeline in the Alvord Desert. This should give you a sense of scale for this area. Angie thinks the truck looks like a matchbox car!

Scott and Angie (as featured on our Holiday Card)

Thanks for reading. We hope you enjoyed the pictures. If you ever think about planning a trip to this area, pack up you things and just go. You won't regret it!

Fall in the Columbia River Gorge

2010-12-10T08:36:00.001-08:00

Here are a few images from a beautiful fall day in the Columbia River Gorge in October. These waterfalls are about a 60 minute drive and a short hike from Portland. It was a very nice fall day and the water levels were high from the rain we had a few days before.

Elowah Falls

Metlako Falls

Metlako Falls

Mike and Kylie's Wedding

2010-10-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Angie and I attended Mike and Kylie's Wedding at DC Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was an amazing wedding and the location was absolutely beautiful. It was great to catch up with our Arizona friends and meet the families of the bride and groom. Congrats again to Mike and Kylie. We wish you both a lifetime of love and happiness.

Here are a few pictures from the ceremony and reception.

Mike

Ryan and Kylie's sister

Kylie and her Dad.

Mike and Kylie

Mike and Kylie

Patrick, Julie and Kelley at the reception.

Karen and Angie

Scott and Ryan

Mike on the move.

Angie and Mike.

White Clouds Backpack

2010-10-13T09:37:00.000-07:00

In early September, Scott backpacked with Matt, Aaron, Jimmy, Clint, Chance and Keith in the White Clouds Range of Idaho. The White Clouds Range sits inside the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, but amazingly the area is not currently designated as a wilderness area. It should only be a matter of time before this range is given protected wilderness status.

The White Clouds get their name from white color of the higher peaks. These peaks are made up of significant amounts of limestone and other light colored minerals like quartz, feldspar and mica. From a distance the white color of the mountains is nearly identical to the color of high clouds, thus the name White Clouds.

We didn't initially plan on going all the way to Idaho for this backpack. Our original plan was to backpack in Olympic National Park in Washington, but a forest fire closed the trail we were going to use. Our 2nd option was the Goat Rocks Wilderness in Washington, but unseasonably cool and rainy weather in the Pacific Northwest forced us to look at other options. Matt and Chance found us a great trip to the White Clouds and the trip turned out to be a very good choice.

From a photography standpoint, the light never quite went off like I wanted it to, but there are still a few outstanding photos from the trip. I probably got spoiled by the light a few weeks before in the Wind Rivers!

Here is a link to Matt's photos from the trip.

Sunday, September 5th - Day 1
Livingston Mine Trailhead (7160 feet) to Island Lake (9240 feet) - 6 Miles

The group on a bridge over Big Boulder Creek.

Jimmy and Keith on one of the several log bridge stream crossings

"Island Lake Sunset" - 2 exposure blend for dynamic range 1/10 sec and 1 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer. This spot was not far from our campsite at Island Lake.

"Campfire Under the Stars" 2 exposure blend - 30 sec at f/4, ISO 400 and ISO 800.
The stars on this trip were phenomenal. The Milky Way was about as clear as I have ever seen it.

The temperature the first night was quite cold and windy and we needed the campfire after the sun went down to stay warm. I hung my watch inside the tent vestibule and checked the temperature at 5AM. I was a little shocked when it read 24.2 degrees F...inside the vestibule. We estimated that the temp outside the tent was ~15-20 degrees. Everyone's water bottles and water bladders were frozen solid when we got up in the morning. I'm not sure how the Texas guys survived the night!

Monday, September 6th - Day 2
Island Lake (9240 feet) to Sapphire Lake (9888 feet) - 2.5 miles

Leaving Island Lake

Boulders! A huge boulder field above Island Lake.

Scott with Cove Lake in the background.

Cove Lake

Aaron and I spent the afternoon fishing Cove Lake and caught ~20 cutthroat trout. We kept a few of the bigger ones and had enough for a nice fish fry that evening.

Aaron with the day's catch.
Scott
Cutthroat trout.

"Milky Way Over Sapphire Lake" 2 exposure blend. 1st image taken during twilight to capture some detail in the mountain/lake, 30 sec at f/4, ISO 800. 2nd image about an hour later, 30 sec at f/4, ISO 1000

Tuesday, September 7th - Day 3
D.O. Lee Peak (11342 feet) and WCP-9 (11263 feet) Climbs

I got up early to photograph the sunrise over Sapphire Lake. Here are my 2 favorites from that morning. There was a beautiful stream rushing down into the lake that made for a nice foreground in these images.

"Sapphire Lake Sunrise" 2 exposure blend for dynamic range, 4 sec and 1/3 sec at f/16, ISO 200

"Early Morning at Sapphire Lake" 1/10 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer.

We spent the 3rd day of the trip climbing D.O. Lee Peak and WCP-9, swimming in Sapphire Lake (wow that water was cold!) and fishing.

Keith, Clint and Chance on the climb.

Clint below D.O. Lee Peak

Scott, Chance, Matt, Clint on the saddle between D.O. Lee Peak and WCP-9

Keith, Chance, Matt, Clint

D.O. Lee Peak

Matt and Keith near the summit of D.O. Lee Peak. They eventually made it to the summit while the rest of us stayed back and watched.

WCP-9

Scott, Chance, Clint Keith

Matt and Scott

Cirque Lake, Sapphire Lake, Cove Lake and Walker Lake

Looking out at the Sawtooth Range

Descending D.O. Lee Peak

Bighorn sheep....waaaay down below us in the basin

Descending D.O. Lee Peak

Clint, Scott, Keith, Matt and Chance on the summit of WCP-9.

Scott on the descent from WCP-9

Sapphire Lake

Matt, Jimmy and I fished again in the afternoon and caught a bunch more cutthroat trout. Aaron and Keith fished Sapphire Lake and caught a few as well.

That evening the weather started to change as a front moved into the area. The temperature started to fall and clouds began rolling in from the west.

"Alpine Storm" 2 exposure blend, 5 sec and 2 sec at f/16, ISO 100

Wednesday, September 8th - Day 4
Sapphire Lake (9888 feet) to Livingston Mine Trailhead (7260 feet) via Walker Lake - 8 miles

On our 4th day, we awoke to much cooler temperatures and threatening skies. We had the option of camping 1 more night, but instead decided to push out to the trail head. Aaron and I drove back to Portland that afternoon/evening and the rest of the group drove to Bend, OR.

Heading down the trail in the Walker Lake Basin.

Small stream along the trail

Walker Lake. You can't see it in the picture very well, but it is snowing.

Wind Rivers Backpack

2010-08-31T19:46:00.001-07:00

In mid August, Angie and Scott backpacked with Matt, Jaclyn, Chance, Steven and the dogs Cami, Warren, Cirque and Cole in the Wind River Range of Wyoming. We completed the Hailey/Washakie Loop (5 days, 40 miles) in the Bridger Wilderness. The drive from Portland was ~15 hours to Pinedale, Wyoming (the closest town to the trailhead). Chance and Steven drove 22 hours from Texas to join us on the trip.

A big thanks goes out to Matt for planning this trip. Without his diligent and thorough planning this trip would not have been possible.

Here is a trip report and a bunch of photos from the trip. We think the photos definitely do this area justice, but it's hard to capture the massive scale of everything with a camera. After visiting the Wind Rivers, Angie and I feel these mountains are some of the most beautiful in North America. Hopefully these pictures show you why we feel this way.

Sunday, August 15 - Day 1
Big Sandy Trailhead (9,100 feet) to Marms Lake (9,878 feet) - 7.1 miles

The trip started off at the Big Sandy Trailhead at an elevation of 9,100 feet. This is the highest starting elevation we have ever had for a backpack. The thinner air made it a little harder to breathe and catch your breath after exertion. We moved fairly slow on the first day, but arrived at Marms Lake by mid afternoon. Matt and Scott fly fished the lake and caught a few small cutthroat trout. Angie and Jaclyn relaxed in the sun. Chance and Steven rested to recover from their long drive from Texas.

Angie, Jaclyn, Steven, Matt, Chance at Mirror Lake. The first of many lakes we saw on this trip.

Marms Lake Sunset. The thunderstorms built up right at sunset and created some dramatic lighting. (0.8 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer)

Monday, August 16 - Day 2
Marms Lake (9,878 feet) to Pyramid Lake (10,570 feet) - 5 miles

We got up at 6AM the next morning to try to get to Pyramid Lake early, because it looked like thunderstorms were a possibility. We really didn't want to get pinned down on the trail by a thunderstorm at 10,000 feet!

Leaving Marms Lake very early.

Marms Lake.

Jaclyn and Angie crossing Washakie Creek

Angie, Scott, Steven, Chance, Jaclyn at Mays Lake with Pyramid Peak and Mt Hooker in the background.

We never got hit by any big thunderstorms that day, but there were several rumbles of thunder around us. It seemed like every hour the weather was changing. We saw everything from thunderstorms to completely cloudless skies during the day. It's amazing how fast mountain weather can change.

Pyramid Lake sits right at the treeline and the air here felt quite thin to us. By the time we reached the lake everyone had a headache and was lightheaded. It took us about twice as long as usual to set up camp. Luckily, by the next morning everyone was feeling strong and acclimatized to the high altitutude.

Pyramid Creek just below Pyramid Lake. (1/15 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer)

Wildflowers at Pyramid Lake. 2 exposure blend for exposure and depth of field. (1/200 sec at f/4, ISO 100 and 1/30 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer)

Steven and Jaclyn discussing the mosquitoes. The bugs were never really too bad, mostly due the breezy conditions at the lake.

Chance preparing dinner surrounded by Cole and Cami. The dogs thought that every bit of food that was prepared was for them. It didn't matter who was making the food....the dogs wanted to eat it!

Mt Hooker and clouds over Pyramid Lake. (1/6 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer)

Sunset at Pyramid Lake. (1/3 sec at f/16, ISO 100)

Sunset at Pyramid Lake. 2 exposure blend for exposure. (1/13 sec at 1/4 sec at f/16, ISO 100)

"Bark at the Moon". Cami and the moon.

Hanging food around treeline proved to be a challenge. Matt found this rig to string the food up on top of a massive boulder. No bears or vermin messed with the food overnight, but Matt was convinced that something came into camp that night to check the food out. Apparently this kept him up half the night, but no one else heard a thing!

Tuesday, August 17 - Day 3
Pyramid Lake (10,570 feet) to Baptiste Lake (10,828 feet) over Hailey Pass (11,600 feet) - 5.4 miles

Matt and Scott got up early the following morning to explore the Raid Valley near Pyramid Lake. The Raid Valley was an amazing valley of massive, near vertical granite cliffs. The early morning sunlight illuminating these rock faces was amazing.

"Morning Glow on Raid Peak" (1/6 sec at f/16, ISO 100)

Matt at a small tarn on the way back from the Raid Valley

Morning at Pyramid Lake

Angie working her way up the trail to Hailey Pass.

Warren cooling off at Twin Lakes.

The dogs found this patch of snow on the shore of Twin Lakes. As soon as their paws hit the snow the situation turned to pure madness! They spent a good 10 minutes running, wrestling and digging in the snow. We were amazed that they still had the energy for this at 11,000 feet.

Steven checking out the view from Hailey Pass.

Chance, Matt, Steven at Hailey Pass.

Angie and Scott

Angie, Warren, Cami.

Angie and Jaclyn relaxing on a rock in Baptiste Creek.

"Wind River Paradise" (1/3 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer, 4 stop ND filter, 3 stop soft GND filter). To us, this photo really captures the essence of the Wind Rivers.

Mt Hooker from the trail leading up to Baptiste Lake.

The moon and Mt Hooker above Baptiste Creek (2.5 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer)

Cami and Mt Hooker Alpenglow. (0.4 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer)

Stars over Baptiste Lake. (30 seconds at f/4, ISO 400)

Wednesday, August 18th - Day 4
Baptiste Lake (10,828 feet) to Ranger Park (10,110 feet) - 6.2 miles

Matt and Scott got up early again to photograph the sunrise around Baptiste Lake.

"Arise" Early morning sunlight illuminating the face of Mt Hooker. The north face of Mt Hooker is 1800 feet tall and is one of the largest chunks of granite in North America. This was an absolutely beautiful scene to witness. (10 sec at f/16, ISO 100. Polarizer. 4 stop ND filter)

Small cascade on Baptiste Creek. (1/4 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer)

Our campsite at Baptiste Lake. Note the tents on the right hand side to get a sense of scale here. This was a beautiful area, but the wind blew the entire time we were there. The wind kept the bugs away, but made it slightly uncomfortable to be outside the tent for extended periods.

We thought this day was going to be an easy one, but it turned out to be the hardest day for most of us. It was 6.2 miles mostly downhill, but the temperature was quite warm that day which made for some tough hiking.

Waterfall on Baptiste Creek near Graves Lake.

Graves Lake

Bridge over Grave Creek

"The Last Light" This was another amazing sunset in the Winds. Initially it didn't look like there was going to be much color at sunset, but just before the light faded away the sun made its way through the clouds to create these brilliant colors. (5 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer)

Thursday, August 19 - Day 5
Ranger Park (10,110 feet) to Big Sandy Trailhead (9,100 feet) over Washakie Pass (11,600 feet) - 15.5 miles

We awoke early on Thursday to overcast skies and significantly cooler temperatures. Our initial plan on this day was to hike up over Washakie Pass and then camp at either Skull Lake or Shadow Lake. The weather turned to crap just as we were working our way up Washakie Pass. By the time we came over the pass we were into heavy winds and horizontal rain. Due to the conditions, we all made the decision to cut the trip short and head all the way back out to the trailhead. This made for a brutal day of backpacking, but it was nice to get back to Pinedale for a hot shower and good food.

Angie preparing for the hike up over Washakie Pass.

On the trail around Washakie Lake

Scott near the top of Washakie Pass. The wind was howling up over the pass (~40 mph)

Angie and Chance working up over a snowfield on Washakie Pass.

Pass Lake and Washakie Lake from Washakie Pass.

Heading back down the other side of Washakie Pass and back to the Big Sandy Trailhead.

Thanks for reading. We hope you enjoyed the photos.
-Scott and Angie

Jefferson Park Backpack

2010-08-07T11:30:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from Scott's solo backpacking trip (Angie couldn't make it due to work) to Jefferson Park in late July.

Jefferson Park is one of the most popular backpacking destinations in Oregon and the weekend crowds here can be overwhelming. I was able to get 2 days off mid week, which made this a very nice trip since there were very few people out. I only saw about a half dozen other backpackers on the night I was there. On the way out I passed ~30 people heading into Jefferson Park and it was only Thursday! I can only imagine how many people were there for the weekend. On the trail out I ran into Matt and Chris who were headed in that day for an overnight trip.

This was an amazing trip from a photography standpoint and the pictures definitely show it. It was basically an "early season" trip due to the amount of snow we had this past winter combined with the cool spring. The bugs were pretty bad in the evening (think head net, long sleeves and deet), but the scenery made up for it. I hope you enjoy the photos.

"Fractured Ice" 1/30 sec at f/16 ISO 100, polarizer. This scene worked perfectly in black and white. The ice crack was on an "iceberg" floating in this small tarn below Mt Jefferson.

"Thunderstorm Over Mt Jefferson" 1/20 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer. During the afternoon some fairly large thunderstorms built up over Mt Jefferson. Listening to the thunder rumbling in the distance was quite relaxing.

"Gently Down the Stream" 3 exposure blend for depth of field and exposure. 0.25, 0.5, 0.8 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer. This was a beautiful spot where I spent the evening photographing the sunset...and trying to keep the mosquitoes from carrying me away!

"Stars Over Mt Jefferson" 30 seconds at f/4, ISO 400. This was from a small tarn near my camp at Russell Lake.

Self Portrait. 1/4 sec at f/16, ISO 200. Not a bad place to spend a morning!

Sunrise light on Mt Jefferson. 0.6 sec at f/16, ISO 200, polarizer, 3 stop GND filter. This is from the same area where I shot the sunset the night before.

Frog hanging out in the stream.

"Veratrum and Wildflowers. I really liked this scene. 1.8 sec at f/16, ISO 100

Mt Jefferson above Jefferson Park. Taken from the Park Ridge Trail north of Jefferson Park.

"Paintbrush and Mt Jefferson" It was a bit early for wildflowers in the park, but in the next few weeks this place will look incredible.

Middle Rock Lake Backpack

2010-08-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

Angie, Scott, Cami and Warren backpacked to Middle Rock Lake in the Mt Hood Wilderness in mid July. This was a fairly short backpack for us (~4 miles round trip), but the hot weather (~95 degrees) that weekend convinced us that a short backpack was a good idea. We enjoyed a nice day at the lake with the warm water and sunshine. The mosquitoes were pretty bad on this trip, but with enough deet on they mostly left us alone. Here are a few pictures from the trip.

Middle Rock Lake is currently the central location of a search and rescue operation for a guy who has been missing since early July. He was reported missing the day we arrived at the lake. Other than his tent, we didn't see any sign of him. Hopefully they figure out what happened to him.

Large rock slide on the slopes around Middle Rock Lake.
Some wildflowers at Middle Rock Lake. 2 exposure blend, 1/3 sec and 1/13 sec at f/16, ISO 200.
Rhododendrons in bloom.
Upper Rock Lake. The lake was like a mosquito breeding pool and Scott was bitten about 6 times just trying to get this picture!
Middle Rock Lake looking east.
Warren and Cami both playing with the same stick.
Cami, Scott, Warren
Cami, Angie, Warren
Sunset at Middle Rock Lake. 1.3 sec at f/22, ISO 100
Campfire under the north star.
There was another group of backpackers across the lake who were in perfect position to capture this photo. This is a 5 exposure blend to capture the glow of the fire and the motion of the stars rotating around the north star. Exposure 1 (34 sec at f/4, ISO 100) was taken at twilight to capture some of the glow in the sky. Exposures 2-5 were started ~30 minutes later. Each exposure was ~22 minutes at f/4, ISO 100.
Cami watching the fish rise at sunrise.
Middle Rock Lake Sunrise
Bear grass

Warren - Our New Dog!

2010-08-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

We recently adopted a new dog named Warren. He is a 3 year old blue merle mini-Aussie. He is similar to Cami, but a little bigger (Warren is ~30 pounds, Cami is ~15). He needs a lot of training, but has been a great dog so far. Here are a few pictures.

Warren out on the deck.
Cami trying to steal some attention away from Warren. She didn't care for him much at first, but she seems to be slowly warming up to him. She probably thinks that we will be taking him back any day now!
Warren hiding behind the safety of a chair leg. He was a little afraid of the camera initially.
Warren showing off those eyes and coat.

Upper Twin Lake Backpack

2010-07-08T18:25:00.000-07:00

Angie, Cami, Kurt and I backpacked to Upper Twin Lake in late June. Upper Twin Lake (elev 4388') is located in the Mt Hood Wilderness, south of Mt Hood. The trip was ~9.5 miles round trip with ~1500 feet of total elevation gain. We also made a side trip to Palmateer Point (3.4 miles round trip).

Upper Twin Lake is a very nice shallow lake. The lake doesn't hold many fish because it usually freezes solid in the winter. The lake has a partial view of Mt Hood from the very southern end of the lake. There were 3 other groups of backpackers at the lake, but we arrived first and got the best campsite on the east end of the lake.

This was an enjoyable backpack with minimal bugs and almost no snow. It's good to see the mountain snow is finally starting to melt out.

Angie enjoying the afternoon sun at the lake.
Cami, Angie and Kurt
Cami
View of Mt Hood along the trail leading to Palmateer Point. Mt Hood usually doesn't have this much snow in late June, but our cool spring with lots of rain/snow has kept the mountain covered.
Palmateer Point. Elev 4410'
The only wildflower I could find on Palmateer Point!
Cami making a bed in the beargrass.
Cami looking hungry.
Kurt cooking on his new MSR stove.
Angie's bug hat.
Partial view of Mt Hood from Upper Twin Lake. 3 exposure manual blend in Photoshop. 1/20 sec, 1 sec at 1.6 sec at f/16, ISO 100. Not much of a sunset, but I still like the photo.
Moonrise over Upper Twin Lake. 3 exposure manual blend in Photoshop. 1) 5.5 sec at f/16, ISO 100 taken during twilight to maintain some texture in the water/trees/logs.
2) 30 sec at f/4, ISO 200 - 30 minutes later for the stars/sky.
3) 27 sec at f/22, ISO 400 - 45 minutes later for the "moon star".
Early morning at Upper Twin Lake.

Salmonberry River Backpack

2010-06-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

Angie, Scott, Matt, Jaclyn, Cami and Cirque backpacked to the Salmonberry River over the Memorial Day Weekend. The Salmonberry River is small river found in the northern Oregon Coast Range. The backpack was ~3 miles and was relatively flat except for the trail going down to the river. This was a relatively easy backpack, but the challenge was fording the Salmonberry River. Everyone made it without going for a swim, but there were a few close calls. Here are some photos from the trip.

Cami having fun chewing on a stick.
Snake! Angie found this little guy near the river. We believe this is a Northwestern Garter Snake.
Cirque, Jaclyn, Angie and Cami around the campfire.
Cirque looking hungry.
Angie and Jaclyn laughing at Matt's sock. See next photo.
Matt's sock. He was trying to dry his socks around the fire after fording the river earlier in the day. Unfortunately the fire was a little too hot and melted the Smartwool.
Salmonberry River.
The following morning we explored some of the abandoned railroad tracks/tunnels in the area.

Train Tunnel. 2 exposures manually blended in photoshop. 1/2 sec and 9 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer.
Group photo outside one of the railroad tunnels.
Damaged railroad tracks on the Salmonberry River. The tracks are suspended ~20 feet above the water and are only supported by the strength of the steel tracks and the railroad ties. In December 2007, this area was significantly damaged by heavy rain. The rain was due to 2 typhoons that combined in the Pacific Ocean and then slammed into Oregon/Washington. The mountains in the coast range received 10-14 inches of rain in a 60 hour period from December 1-3, 2007. The question now is what to do with this rail line. I'm in favor of retiring the rail line since the cost of fixing the damage is likely greater than $25 million and the Salmonberry River is home to one of the largest wild steelhead runs in the Pacific NW.

1/5 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer.

Matt, Jaclyn, Cirque.
Scott and Angie

Wailea, Maui

2010-05-24T22:19:00.000-07:00

We spent the last 4 days of our trip in Wailea, Maui. The beaches are great here and the condos and houses are amazing. Wailea reminded us a lot of Arizona since it is climate is very warm and dry.

The view from the lanai at our condo in Wailea. We stayed in Ekahi Village in Wailea. The trade winds were really going this day. You can see the wind in the coconut trees in the distance.
Angie and Scott hanging out with the locals at Ulupalakua Ranch
Wailea Sunset. This was at the beach near our condo.
2 exposure blend, 1/20 sec and 1/2 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer.
Green Sea Turtle at the Maui Ocean Center
Angie and Scott at the Maui Ocean Center.
Wailea Sunset - Another one from the beach near the condo.
1 sec at f/22, ISO 100, polarizer, 3 stop reverse graduated neutral density filter
Maui Taco on the beach in Wailea. Their fish tacos are amazing. We went there two days in a row for lunch. You wouldn't think Maui would be the best place for Mexican food, but Maui Taco is actually quite good.
Plumeria flowers.
Scott and Angie on the beach in Wailea.
Coral and Waves - 1/4 sec at f/11, ISO 100
Wailea Sunset
1/2 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer, 3 stop reverse GND filter
Scott and Angie on the beach in Wailea on our last night in Maui.
Wailea was our last stop on Maui before we headed back home. We really enjoyed our trip and can't wait to get back to Hawaii.

Hana, Maui

2010-05-24T21:25:00.000-07:00

We spent 3 days 2 nights in Hana during our trip around the island of Maui. Hana was one of the most relaxing places we have ever visited. The local people here a so laid back it is almost ridiculous. Its an excellent place to unwind and get away from it all.

The beach at Hana Bay.
Sea shells
Angie outside our condo in Hana. We stayed at Hana Kai which was a very cool place.
Ocean view from inside the condo.
Sunrise view from the lanai at the condo. Scott is down on the rocks photographing the sunrise.
Hana Sunrise.
2 exposure blend. 1/3 sec and 3 sec at f/22 ISO 100, polarizer.
Waves and Rocks
1 sec at f/11, ISO 100, polarizer
Black Sand Beach near Hana
1/4 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer.
Pools of Oheo, Haleakala National Park, Coastal Area
2 exposure blend, 1/30 sec and 1/4 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer
Scott and Angie at the Pools of Oheo
Hana Sunrise - Black and White
1/8 sec at f/16, ISO 200
Red Sand Beach
Heart shaped coral on red sand
1/3 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer
Another heart shaped coral on red sand.
1/6 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer
Scott and Angie at Red Sand Beach

Road to Hana

2010-05-01T10:43:00.001-07:00

We drove the road to Hana after we left Paia. This was an amazing drive through the rain forests of Maui. The road had numerous 1 way bridges and hairpin turns. The total drive time was about 3.5 hours including several stops along the way.

Rainbow Eucalyptus Grove. These trees are very unique due to the rainbow colors found on the bark of the trees.
Scott and Angie

Lots of cows grazing along the road.
One of the many waterfalls along the way.
Scott at one of the overlooks above the ocean.

Paia, Maui

2010-05-01T09:33:00.000-07:00

We spent 2 days in Paia, Maui after our backpack in the Haleakala Crater. Paia means "noisy" in Hawaiian and the town is referred to as Maui's Coolest Little Town. We liked Paia because it is quite different from the big resort towns in Hawaii. There are lots of interesting people that live here. It's like a windsurfer/hippie colony. Lots of great food and interesting shops.

Angie on the beach in Paia.
Interesting mural on an old structure on the beach. We believe these were structures from the old Paia Sugar Mill.
Relaxing on the beach.
Scott photographing the sunset.
Nikon D80, 1.8 sec at f/22, ISO 100, 3 stop soft GND filter.
Nikon D80, 1.6 sec at f/16, ISO 100, 3 stop soft GND filter.
Angie outside our hotel in Paia. We stayed at the Paia Inn which was one of the coolest hotels we have ever stayed in. The hotel is in the middle of downtown Paia above the shops on the street. Everything you need is within walking distance (beach/food/shopping).

Haleakala National Park Backpack

2010-04-23T18:25:00.000-07:00

Angie and I backpacked from April 11-13th at Haleakala National Park in Maui, Hawaii. Haleakala is a dormant volcano located in southeastern Maui. The crater area is a drastically different from the beaches and tropical climate found in the lower elevations of the Hawaiian islands. This was a very unique backpacking experience due to the extreme variations in the terrain. The crater has everything from lush rain forests to desolate areas of volcanic cinders. The Haleakala crater offers one of the few multi-day backpacks on Maui. We did this backpack over 3 days and covered 20.6 miles.

Sunday, April 11

Our flight from Portland arrived in Maui at ~1100 AM on Sunday. We picked up our rental car then headed to the Sports Authority Store in Kahului to buy a MSR backpacking stove and fuel. We ended up buying a stove, since we couldn't find anywhere to rent one on Maui! Our next stop was in Paia to drop off our luggage at the hotel. We then set off for the Haleakala Park Headquarters to get our wilderness camping permits. The permits are free and are issued on a first come/first severed basis after watching a 10 minute orientation video at the ranger station. There are 25 permits available for each backcountry campsite at Holua and Paliku. There are also backcountry cabins available at Holua, Paliku and Kapalaoa which can be rented from the NPS. Click here for more information about cabin rentals. For more information about backcountry camping/backpacking visit the NPS website here. There is water available at both campsites, but the water should be filtered, treated or boiled before drinking.

After obtaining our permits we drove up to the Halemau'u Trailhead at 7990 feet above sea level. The temperature at the trailhead was a comfortable 65 degrees F. Our destination was the Holua backcountry campsite which was located 3.7 miles and ~1000 feet below. We set off at ~3:30 PM hoping to make it to Holua by dark. The first mile of the trail wanders through native shrubland and some very rough volcanic rock on the outer slopes of the volcano. As the trail approaches the rim of the crater, the first views into Haleakala appear.

Scott near the crater rim.
Angie.From here the trail makes several switchbacks as it winds down to the crater floor. It was difficult to get good footing as we descended, since the trail was covered with small rocks which always seemed to slip out from beneath our feet. We were glad to have our trekking poles, but wished we had our hiking boots. We did this backpack in trail shoes, but in hindsight we should have worn our boots to protect our feet from the tough volcanic rock. We passed a few day hikers ascending the trail back to the trailhead.

We arrived at Holua with plenty of time to spare before dark. There was only one other backpacker camping at Holua. We ate our dinner and watched the sunset from our campsite. Shorty after sunset the ua'u (Hawaiian Petrel) birds began returning to their nests after spending the day out at sea. Ua'u are medium sized gray and white seabirds which are unique to the Hawaiian Islands. The birds usually leave by sunrise unless caring for an egg. It's incredible that these birds come all the way from the ocean to the crater to reach their nests. Listening to the calls of hundreds of ua'u in the dark was a very cool experience.

Once the twilight faded, the stars came out and were absolutely stunning. There is something to be said about the stars in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on a moonless night! Once it got dark the temperature quickly dropped into the mid 30s.

Here are a few night photos from the Nikon D80.

25 second exposure at f/1.8, ISO 400, Nikkor 50 mm f/1.8 lens
Photoshop blend of 2 exposures of ~30mins each at f/4.0, ISO 100, Nikkor 12-24 dx lens. The first exposure was started during twilight to pick up some of the magenta color in the sky.

Monday, April 12

The following morning we got up early for sunrise (~6AM) and caught a pretty good sunrise with the misty clouds spilling over the crater wall.

Scott's camera/tripod tipped over on the rock in the foreground in the photo below and demolished the polarizer. Luckily minimal damage was done to the actual lens! Not the best way to start the morning, but at least the photo looks good!

Photoshop blend of 2 exposures, 1/30 sec and 1/4 sec at f/16, ISO 400.
After eating breakfast, we broke camp and started heading to the Paliku backcountry campsite which is located 6.6 miles down the Halemau'u/Sliding Sands Trails. After hiking for about a mile we entered the middle of the crater where there is very little vegetation, but lots of volcanic rock/sand/cinders. The cinders are up to 3000 feet deep in this area. The rain that falls here quickly percolates down through the cinders and doesn't leave much water near the surface for plants to grow.

Angie hiking across the crater. Looks like it could be the moon or Mars!
Looking up the crater walls to near the summit area.
Halemau'u Trail.
Pele's Paint Pot. The colors here are due to the minerals which are present in the volcanic rock. The camera doesn't really capture the full range of colors seen here.
Another photo of Angie crossing the volcanic plains.
Kawilinau, aka the bottomless pit. This vent is ~65 feet deep and was created by super heated gases which blasted though the crater floor.After hiking 6.6 hard miles across the crater floor we arrived at the Paliku backcountry campsite. Our feet were very sore from walking over the volcanic rock. We only saw one other backpacker at Paliku.

Paliku gets ~200 inches of rain a year and is very green and lush. As expected, there were intermittent showers all afternoon. The cool thing about the showers is that every half hour there would be a new rainbow.

There is a pasture area near Paliku for all of the stock animals which bring riders into Paliku. Here is a photo of Angie trying to sweet talk the burro into giving here a free ride out of the crater....it didn't work!
We spent most of the afternoon exploring around Paliku and ventured part of the way up the Lau'ulu trail. This trail was park hike, part rock climb and was pretty crazy. We also saw a pair of nene (native hawaiian geese) which loved to eat the grass near our tent. Although the nene are endangered, it is fairly common to see them in the park. They are notorious beggars, but should never be fed by backpackers/hikers, since they have plenty of natural food available.

Tuesday, April 13

The following morning at Paliku was very pleasant, because we didn't have much rain. It had rained most of the night, but we were nice and dry inside the tent. Our plan that morning was to hike back to Holua and camp there for one more night before hiking back out the trailhead the following morning.

Paliku backcountry cabin.

Scott and Angie at Paliku with the Kaupo gap behind. The Kaupo gap has been formed by millions of years of erosion to the crater wall by the constant rains in the area. The rains are created by the warm ocean air cooling and condensing as it rises up the side of the volcano.
Interesting lava formation near the trail in the Paliku area.
Angie on the trail...note clouds beginning to form...more on this in a bit!
Scott at the junction of the Halemau'u and Sliding Sands Trails.
One of the few bird shots we got. This is a chuckar. These birds love to hang out in the bushes on the sides of the trail. As you walk by they blast out of the bushes making their chuck-chuck-chuckar-chuckar calls.
Angie on the trail again.
When we reached the middle of the crater on the way to Holua, the weather changed abruptly. The wind picked up and it started to rain. Here you can see the rain starting to fall...not good!
Angie hiking in the rain.
On our way Holua, we stopped by the Silversword Loop Trail for a few pictures. The silversword is a very unique plant which is only found inside Haleakala crater. The plant is a relative of the sunflower, but looks very similar to the yucca and century plants found in the southwestern U.S. deserts. The plants were not blooming that is time, (usually bloom May-October) but the silver color of the plants was amazing.

Shortly after the silversword loop trail, the wind picked up even more and started blowing the rain horizontally. We were starting to get quite wet, since the rain was finding a way around our rain gear. By the time we reached Holua, the rain/wind had not let up one bit, so we decided to press all the way out to the trailhead to avoid spending a cold night in the tent. This would make for a 10.3 mile day, but we were both ready get to the beach!

A view of the Halemau'u Trail switch backing up the crater wall. This trail was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
A small landslide on the trail. The constant rain had saturated the soil.
Angie on the Halemau'u trail near the trailhead. The trail was literally a stream, and our feet were completely soaked. This area was dry on our way down.
Despite getting rained out, we really enjoyed this backpack. Camping inside a dormant volcano is something very few people get to experience. The Haleakala crater is a unique area with some absolutely stunning scenery and stars. If you are considering a backpack here, make sure you bring your hiking boots. Your feet will appreciate it. Feel free to post any questions you have about the backpack in the comments area and I will try my best to answer them.

Aloha and Mahalo, Scott & Angie

Recommended reading;
NPS Haleakala website
"Hiking Maui, The Valley Isle" by Robert Smith
"Maui Trails" by Kathy Morey

Recent photos

2010-03-31T18:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some of our favorite photos from the past few months. We hope you enjoy the photos.
All photos are from the Nikon D80 digital SLR and were processed in Lightroom 2.0 and Photoshop CS4.

White River Sunrise, near Mt Hood. This one is absolutely beautiful!
One Leaning Tree. Above White River, near Mt Hood.
Tamanawas Falls in Winter, again near Mt Hood. I converted to black and white since there was very little color anyway.
Scott and Angie at Ponzi Vineyards on a nice warm winter/spring day in Portland. Note - Angie has a short sleeve shirt on and she wasn't cold!
Opal Creek. The color of the water in this creek is amazing. Angie and Scott backpacked to Opal Creek in February. I will post more photos and a writeup of that trip when I get more time.
Elowah Falls in Winter. Columbia River Gorge.
Ponytail Falls in winter. Columbia River Gorge.

Salmon River Hike

2010-03-31T17:53:00.000-07:00

Scott and Cami hiked the Salmon River Trail with Matt and Cirque in mid March. The hike was ~8 miles and gained ~1000 feet of elevation. The day started off with rain showers, but the sky cleared up as soon as we started hiking.

We hiked up to the Salmon River viewpoint and had lunch in the sun.

Matt at the Salmon River viewpoint.
Scott and Cami.
After lunch we were about to head back to the trailhead, but decided to do some exploring. We had heard that there are lots of waterfalls in this area, but hadn't seen any so far. After a few minutes of hiking in very rough terrain we stumbled across Frustration Falls. This is one of the most spectacular waterfalls we have ever seen. For more info about the waterfalls in the area check out this link

Frustration Falls. 2 exposures manually blended in Photoshop.
Another view of Frustration Falls from the top of another waterfall (lower left hand corner).

Duncan Creek/Beacon Rock

2010-01-24T11:32:00.001-08:00

Angie, Matt and Jaclyn and I took a day trip out to the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge yesterday. We visited Duncan Creek and also hiked to the top of Beacon Rock. Duncan Creek is a beautiful small creek with numerous small waterfalls/slides. Beacon Rock was an interesting hike with lots of stairs, switchbacks and platforms on the way to the top. The hike was 2 miles long and gained ~550 feet of elevation.

Duncan Creek waterfalls.
Matt looking at the stream wondering how he had just slipped into the water (Jaclyn and Angie laughing in the background)! He was trying to cross the stream, but it didn't work out so well.
More waterfalls.
Angie relaxing near Duncan Creek.
One of the slides on Duncan Creek with diffused sunlight filtering through the trees.
Matt, Cirque, Jaclyn, Angie, Cami and Scott on the Beacon Rock trail.

Favorite Landscapes for 2009

2010-01-13T09:17:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. We definitely enjoyed ours.

Here is a compilation of our favorite landscape photos from 2009. We hope you enjoy the photos. All photos are from the Nikon D80 dSLR using a variety of lenses and filters. The photos were processed using Adobe Lightroom 2 and Photoshop CS4.

Lower Latourell Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon - May 2009
Buckhorn Pass, Olympic Peninsula, Washington - May 2009
Ramona Falls, Mt Hood Wilderness, Oregon - June 2009
North Star, Firelight. Soda Peaks Lake, Trapper Creek Wilderness, Washington - June 2009
Sunset, Reservior Decelles, Quebec, Canada - July 2009
Sunset, Crystal Lake, Mt Adams Wilderness, Washington - August 2009
Mt Hood from Burnt Lake, Mt Hood Wilderness, Oregon - October 2009
Unnamed waterfall, Mt Hood Wilderness - October 2009
Wind twisted pine, Sentinel Dome, Yosemite NP, California - October 2009
Vernal Falls, Yosemite NP, California - October 2009
Star Trails above El Capitan, Yosemite NP, California - October 2009
Lower Latourell Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon - December 2009
Alpenglow, Mt Hood, from White River, Mt Hood Wilderness, Oregon - December 2009

Sunset, Indian Beach, Oregon - December 2009
Jupiter streaking above Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, Oregon - December 2009

Redwood National Park, California

2009-12-02T15:14:00.000-08:00

The last stop during our California trip was Redwood National Park. We were blown away by the size and number of these huge trees. We did most of our hiking in Prairie Creek Redwood State Park in the southern section of the park. We also visited the Stout Memorial Grove in the Northern Section. Enjoy the photos.

Vine maple below several big redwoods.
Fall colors.
Scott and Angie
Trillium Falls
More fall colors.
Did we mention these trees are massive?
Stout Memorial Grove. The tree in the center of this photo is one of the biggest we saw during our time in the park. The camera just does not convey the scale of these trees.
Scott and Angie in the Stout Memorial Grove.

Yosemite National Park, California

2009-12-02T14:38:00.001-08:00

We spent 3 days in Yosemite National Park during our recent trip. Yosemite is an amazing place and photographs just don't do it justice. We enjoyed the reduced crowds of the fall season. We did several day hikes in the valley. Here are a few pictures from the trip.

Scott and Angie below the Grizzly Giant in Mariposa Grove. This tree is massive and is ~2700 years old.
Pine cone!
Abstract photo of the detail of sequoia bark
Scott and Angie on Sentinel Dome.
Twisted pine on Sentinel Dome with moon.
High Sierra from Glacier Point.
Half Dome twilight from Glacier Point.
Scott, Angie, Half Dome.
Scott and Angie in Yosemite Valley
El Cap.
Yosemite Falls
Nevada Falls
Vernal Falls
Vernal Falls...this is my favorite landscape shot from the trip.
Star trails, Yosemite Valley. We watched the big wall climbers headlamps on El Cap from this location. It is amazing that people climb the nearly vertical rock face.
Tenaya Lake
Scott and Angie at Tenaya Lake.

Pismo Beach, California Trip

2009-12-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

Angie and I took a week long vacation at the end of October to visit Dad and Sigrun in Pismo Beach, California. We drove from Portland and really enjoyed our trip. Here are a few pictures from the Pismo Beach area. More posts from the trip will follow.

Scott and Angie on the Avila Beach Pier.
Dad and Sigrun
Sea lion.
Pelican
California coast near Avila Beach, CA.
Sunset from Pismo Beach.
Scott and Angie below a cool cloud at sunset.
Pismo Beach Pier at sunset.
Point San Luis Lighthouse at sunset.

Burnt Lake Hike

2009-11-17T18:38:00.000-08:00

Angie, Cami and I hiked to Burnt Lake in the Mt Hood Wilderness in early October. We had a beautiful fall day with lots of sun a warm temperatures. We tried to catch some of the brook trout in the lake, but didn't have any luck. There was already some snow on the ground at the lake. The hike was 7 miles round trip and gained ~1500 feet of elevation.

Mt Hood over Burnt Lake
Scott and Angie
Snow...a sign of things to come. This area is already buried under 4 feet of snow!
Mt Hood again with afternoon clouds.
Pretty waterfall along the trail.

Hamilton Mountain Hike

2009-10-04T17:25:00.001-07:00

Angie, Kurt, Cami and I hiked Hamilton Mountain in May 2009. Kurt just reminded me the other day that I never posted the photos from the hike.

Hamilton Mountain is located in the Columbia River Gorge on the Washington side. The hike gains ~2000 feet and is 7.5 miles round trip.

Hardy Falls

Angie at Hardy Falls.

Angie and Cami.

Hamilton Mountain.

Wildflowers along the trail.

Kurt making his way up the trail to the summit.

Kurt admiring the view from the summit of Hamilton Mountain.

Veda Lake Hike

2009-10-04T16:30:00.000-07:00

Angie, Cami and I hiked to Veda Lake in the Mt Hood Wilderness at the end of September. We headed out of Portland on the last really warm day of the summer (~90 degrees in Portland).

The elevation of the lake is 4270 feet and the hike was 2.8 miles round trip. The fall colors have already started above 4000 feet and will probably peak in the next few weeks. The lake was filled with crayfish and brook trout. We tried to catch the trout with the fly rod, but only had one hit the whole day. The fish were easily spooked by the dry fly hitting the water.

Veda Lake.

Fall color reflection.

Cami watching the crayfish...she almost got pinched by one!

Cami looking happy to be at the lake.

Few-flowered Aster on the shore of Veda Lake. Veda Lake Reflection.

Vine Maple.

Crystal Lake Backpack

2009-09-06T15:51:00.000-07:00

Angie, Cami and I backpacked to Crystal Lake in the Mt Adams Wilderness in August. This was a 15.4 mile trip with ~2000 feet of elevation gain. We started at the Stagman Ridge trailhead on the west side of Mt Adams.

This area is absolutely beautiful. We were surprised by the number of other backpackers we saw at this "hidden lake". We also saw our first black bear in the Pacific Northwest. I was walking near our campsite when I saw movement ~30 yards away in my peripheral vision. Then to my amazement I small black bear wandered out of the trees. He saw me and instantly bolted...which I was very happy about! My heart was racing for a good 20 minutes after seeing the bear.

Here are some pictures from the backpacking trip. We hope you enjoy them.

Sunburst through the forest.

Our campsite above Crystal Lake.

Looking north to Mt Rainier. The lupine was at peak bloom.
More wildflowers. We are not sure what type these are, but they look like miniature bear grass blooms.

Sunset over the Goat Rocks area.
Angie, Cami and Mt Adams.
Angie, Cami, Scott
Alpenglow, Mt Adams.

Sunset over Mt Rainier.

Sunset over Crystal Lake.

Mt Adams during twilight. 30 second exposure.

Lupine and Indian Paintbrush around Crystal Lake.

This was a very nice meadow with a great view Mt Adams. This was on the Stagman Ridge Trail.

Stormy Lake Backpack

2009-09-06T11:59:00.000-07:00

Angie, Cami and I planned a 5 day, 34 mile backpack to Mink Lake in the Three Sisters Wilderness of Oregon in early August. Our starting point was the Irish Lake trail head on the Pacific Crest Trail. It took ~4.5 hours to reach the trail head from Portland. After arriving at the trail head, we were immediately "greeted" by the worst mosquitoes we have ever seen and were bitten several times.

Our goal for the day was to get to Stormy Lake, which was ~5 miles from the trail head. The mosquitoes did not let up one bit while we were on the trail and we soon were wearing long sleeve bug shirts and full head nets. We made it to Stormy Lake just before sunset and the bugs finally let up as we made dinner.

Here is a night photo of the Big Dipper over Stormy Lake. Irish Mountain is in the background being illuminated by the moonlight.

The following morning we awoke to rain hitting our tent and a few rumbles of thunder. There was no rain in the forecast, so we were not sure what was going on. We thought we would wait out the rain and move on to Mink Lake later in the day. Well, the rain didn't let up and we decided we would stay put at Stormy Lake and start for Mink Lake in the morning. The only good thing about the rain was that it completely shut the bugs down.

Here are a few photos from around the Stormy Lake during one of the brief periods where it wasn't raining.

Our tent is the light orange object in the middle of this photo. Yeah I know you can barely see it!!

Scott, Angie and Cami on the shore of Stormy Lake.

We woke up early the next morning expecting the weather to have cleared, but we were disappointed to find it was still pouring rain. We made the executive decision to head back to the trail head that day and spend the rest of our time off in Portland. This was a beautiful area for backpacking and we hope next time to get better weather.

Quebec Fishing Trip

2009-08-25T18:12:00.000-07:00

My Uncle Dick and I traveled to the remote town of Rapid Seven, Quebec, Canada (population 27) for a week of fishing in July. We drove ~13 hours from Warren, Ohio to get to Rapid Seven (~650 miles). We stayed at Camp Denis http://campdenisonline.com/ on the northwest corner of Reservoir Decelles. Reservoir Decelles is a massive lake with lots of great fishing for walleye and northern pike. We mostly still fished from a boat for walleye and casted spoons and spinners for pike. We didn't catch a ton of fish, but the ones we did catch were good size. It was nice to get away and spend a week relaxing and fishing.

Scott with a 3 pound walleye. Very pretty fish.
Dick with our first day's catch of walleyes.

Arctic tern on a small island in Lily Bay.

A little Canadian humor! This bumper sticker was on the fridge in a remote cabin on the lake. We used the cabin as a shelter during a big afternoon thunderstorm on our 2nd day of fishing. When the thunderstorm blew in we were ~12 miles by boat from the camp. We lucked out, because this is the only cabin on the section of lake we were fishing that day.

Dick with a 4 pound walleye

This is Gary from Athens, New York. Gary and his wife Cheryl were the only other people in the camp who spoke English (French is the predominant language in the area), so we traded fishing stories and fishing locations with them each day. Cheryl caught this pike while trolling for walleye. She actually hooked a walleye and then the pike went after the walleye and wouldn't let go. They netted the walleye and pike at he same time. The pike was ~40 inches.

Shore lunch!

Shore lunch with Chuck, Bob, Lodge, Michael, Dick and Scott.

Dick with another 3 &1/2 pound walleye.

A pair of loons out on the lake. It was great to fall asleep the sounds of loons calling each night.

Close up of a walleye. Great color.

Sunset over Reservoir Decelles. This was taken just outside our cabin.

Scott, Dick, Chuck and Bob (Bob is the owner of Camp Denis)

Boat docks at Camp Denis.

A lone daisy on the shore of Reservoir Decelles.

Steam rising from the Winneway River during our drive back to Ohio. Winneway is an Algonquin Indian Village in the area.

Plaza Lake Hike

2009-08-24T19:06:00.001-07:00

Angie, Cami and I hiked to Plaza Lake in the Mount Hood Wilderness in July. It's a long drive to the lake from Portland, but the hike is short (less than 1 mile).

This was a beautiful area along the trail leading down to the lake.

The view from a HUGE tree that fell into Plaza Lake. Cami went out on this log and fell into the water a few seconds after this photo. It was a warm day and the water temp was really nice.

Sternwheeler Cruise

2009-08-24T18:38:00.001-07:00

Angie, Mom and I took a dinner cruise on the Sternwheeler for Mom's Birthday in July. The cruise left from Cascade locks in the Columbia River Gorge and traveled west to Bonneville Dam and then back east to Wind Mountain. The food was great and it was fun to see the gorge from the river.

Scott and Angie at dinner.
Angie, Mom and Scott before boarding the Sternwheeler.

Mom, Scott and Angie at dinner.

The paddle wheel on the boat in motion.

Scott got to drive the boat for a few minutes!Scott and Mom.

Latourell Falls Hike

2009-08-24T18:27:00.000-07:00

Mom and I hiked to upper Latourell Falls in the Columbia River Gorge in July. The hike was 2.3 miles round trip. This is a wonderful waterfall that very few people hike up to see.

Oregon Coast

2009-08-24T17:48:00.000-07:00

Angie, Mom and I went to the northern Oregon Coast in early July. We started near Nahalem and travelled north to Cannon Beach. It was a breezy day on the coast and the temp never reached 65 degrees. The coast was still very scenic with all the fog and clouds and we had a great dinner at the Wayfarer Restaurant in Cannon Beach.

Scott and Angie near Cannon Beach.

Blowing sand in Nahalem Bay State Park.

Sunset at "The Needles" in Cannon Beach. The needles are the rocks surrounding Haystack Rock.

Soda Peaks Lake Backpack

2009-08-24T17:22:00.000-07:00

Angie and I backpacked to Soda Peaks Lake in the Trapper Creek Wilderness in Southern Washington at the end of June. The hike was 4.6 miles rount trip and the elevation gain was ~1600 feet. This was a very nice lake at an elevation of 3770 feet. The water was starting to warm up, but was too cold to swim at the end of June.

Fly fishing for cuthroat trout at the lake. We caught 4 trout. The largest was ~13 inches.
Cami making a bed in the brush.

Night exposure of the north star framed by fir trees. The trees are lit up by the glow of our campfire.

The forest around Soda Peaks Lake at sunrise.

Soda Peaks Lake at sunrise.

Big Huckleberry Mountain Hike

2009-06-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

Angie, Kurt, Cami and I hiked the Grassy Knoll Trail to Big Huckleberry Mountain in June. Big Huckleberry Mountain is located in the Indian Heaven Wilderness in southwest Washington. The hike was 11 miles round trip and started at the Grassy Knoll Trailhead at 2850 feet and ended at Big Huckleberry Mountain at 4202 feet. The wildflowers were amazing on this hike. Enjoy the pictures.

Mount Adams from the cliffside overlook.
Wildflowers on the summit of Big Huckleberry Mountain.

Cami with the wildflowers.

More wildflowers.

Angie and Scott on the summit of big huckleberry mountain. Mt Hood is on the left.

Mount hood on the right.

Wildflowers along the trail.

Angel's Rest Hike

2009-06-21T21:47:00.000-07:00

Angie, Cami and I hiked to Angel's Rest in the Columbia River Gorge in June. The hike is 4.6 miles round trip and gains ~1600 feet. The wildflower bloom was pretty close to being at the peak. We started early and beat most of the crowds. This is a very popular hike due to the proximity to Portland.

Wildflowers

Scott and Angie

Small waterfall near the Angels Rest trail. This is my favorite photo so far this season.

Ramona Falls Hike

2009-06-21T21:30:00.000-07:00

Ryan, Julie, Angie and I hiked to Ramona Falls in the Mt Hood Wilderness in June. Cami led the way and herded any straglers who fell behind. The hike was 7 miles round trip and gained ~1000 feet. Ramona is most scenic waterfall we have seen in the Pacific Northwest. Near the falls the temperature dropped almost 20 degrees and it got downright cold! We planned on eating lunch near the falls, but instead went a few hundred yards down the trail where it was much warmer.

The log bridge near the falls.Cami, Scott, Angie, Julie, Ryan

This was an interesting view of the falls.

The upper Sandy River

Wine Country

2009-06-21T21:16:00.001-07:00

Ryan, Julie, Angie and I went on a wine tour with Eco-Wine Tours in June. This was a great way to see several different wineries and was lots of fun. Our tour focused on wineries near the towns Gaston and Yamhill. We visited Montinore Estates, Patton Valley Vineyard, Plum Hill Vineyard and Willakenzie Estate Winery.

Montinore Estates.

Patton Valley Vineyards

Willakenzie Vineyards The wine bus!

Rose Garden - June 2009

2009-06-21T20:49:00.001-07:00

During Ryan and Julie's trip to Oregon we went to the Portland Rose Garden. The roses were amazing as usual.

Ryan and Julie

Scott and Angie

Julie, Ryan, Scott, Angie.

Buckhorn Pass Backpack

2009-06-01T18:45:00.000-07:00

Angie, Matt, Jaclyn and I backpacked the Tubal Cain Trail to Buckhorn pass in the Olympic National Forest at the end of May. The trailhead is located ~20 miles from Sequim, Washington on the northeast portion of the Olympic Peninsula. The backpack was ~16 miles round trip. The starting elevation was ~3200 feet at the trailhead and ~5900 feet at Buckhorn Pass.

Here are some pictures from along the way.

Buckhorn Lake. The ice was quickly melting off the lake.

Wildflowers. We were a few weeks early for the main wildflower bloom, but there were some samll areas of wildflowers on the way up to Buckhorn Pass. Weathered log on Buckhorn Pass

Scott and Angie at Buckhorn Pass

Campsite at Buckhorn Pass

Halo around the sun near sunset

Night exposure of the moon. (263 second exposure)

Night exposure of Buckhorn Mountain. The lights from Seattle are glowing on the horizon. (95 second exposure)

Night exposure of the north star. (27 minute exposure)

Buckhorn Pass.

Our campsite at Buckhorn Pass