Showing posts with label Hiking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hiking. Show all posts

Sunday, April 22, 2018

A hike to end a "Supermom" kind of week


 This week has been very challenging for my family due to my stay at home husband being completely out of commission. I was proud of myself and of my girls for staying present to each other and changing our routine to do what was needed. I am also grateful for community and the way they supported us. After trying to work, support medical needs, and coordinate all the driving, childcare, and house needs I was very ready for challenging hike without kids. I took the International Student we host at Reed up to Wind Mountain.
 We enjoyed the early wildflowers on the way straight up a mountain with more than 1000 ft of gain in one mile. We combined this with a driving lesson which was its own adventure. It was good to have some kid free time to enjoy a climb.
 We had the high energy dog Oreo with us and she led the way.
 Annie may not have known what she got herself into when she agreed to a "steep" hike but she did an amazing job getting to the top!
 We quickly got up toward the top of treeline.
 Oreo enjoyed the adventure as well.
 Enjoying more wildflowers along the way.
 Native Americans used this site for vision quests- spending the night here. This is sacred ground.
 At the top we enjoyed views of the river below.
 We met the challenge together- great short conditioning hike!
 Enjoying the view
We headed back down to the car for more driving in busy Gresham near where Annie will test and then had some yummy Chinese food. It was a much needed afternoon to gain perspective and care for myself so that I can continue to be present to my family.

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

To the Yurt- All terrain hiking fun!

Amy: We drove with Corrine to the upper snow park and our car got stuck but we pushed it out. At the upper snow park, I threw lots of snowballs at people and mom and I took our obligatory selfie with a snowball.
Amy: When I got really tired, I collapsed in the snow and mom stopped to let me have a breather break.
Mom: I was glad we were able to drive to the upper sno park to avoid the steep mile hike between upper and lower sno parks. It was snowy and beautiful.
Mom: We made our way slowly toward the Yurt- 3 miles up and two miles down. Corrine and I had been here once before but this was Amy's first time and Corrine's dad joined us.
Amy: Sometimes when we passed a tree, I would shake the branches so all the snow would fall off. It was fun.
Amy: Another time that I collapsed on that trip. Boy, that trip was tiring.
Mom: The wet snow continued to fall as we climbed higher toward the Yurt. We took lots of breaks.
+note of Amy's: my note (my forehead was covered by my hood and there was hair in my face)
Mom: It was cloudy and snowing but super fun and challenging to hike uphill toward the Yurt.
Mom: Taking a break and enjoying being on snowshoes.
Amy: I also collapsed at the prayer flags at the top of a hill.
Amy: It was so windy up there that we went on, even though we were VERY tired.
Amy: We hiked on through the snow.
Mom: We were so excited to see the prayer flags and then there was more down than up but still some climbing left to go.
Mom: The last of the climbing was really challenging because the snow was very wet and dragging the sled through the "Cascade concrete" was getting hard. Putting it on my back was just as bad or worse. Corrine helped me out with the sled at the end. Amy made it look easy! I was stopping to catch my breath very often. Amy's note: DIDN'T→     ↑    
Amy: The yurt in all it's glory!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Exclamation party!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mom: More prayer flags at the yurt. We were glad to make it to our cozy destination!
Mom: National Park Jenga. Amy looks worried it will fall!
Mom: Eating delicious food in the decked out yurt.
Amy: We enjoyed the heat, games and beds.
Amy: We wrote a poem abut our trip:
3/26/18
Our car got stuck.
Someone showed up to our luck.
We hiked along
and sang a song.
We worked so hard
In Mt. Rainier's backyard.
We made it up the very LONG hill
To find the flags that are flying still.
The snow kept falling.
By the end we were stalling.
We got to the yurt in the end.
It was as inviting as a friend.
When we arrived there was no heat,
But we enjoyed an evening treat.
When we get back to the car
We'll have many memories from afar.

-Thank you Mt. Tahoma Trails!
Melody, mom, 40, Portland OR
Amy, 9, Portland OR
Amy: I ate an icicle the next day.
Mom: I love Mt. Tahoma trails so much! The yurt is absolutely magical!
Mom: Heading back the next day. The snow was pretty deep between the Yurt and Snow Bowl turnoff.
Mom: The mostly downhill 5 miles was much easier, the "Cascade concrete" snow acting as a break and keeping the runaway sled beside and behind me. We enjoyed walking together.
Mom: Following the ski tracks through the snowy trees back down toward the car.
Mom: What a beautiful spring break snowy adventure!
Mom: On the way back we started making a snowman but the snowball I tried to roll on top was so heavy that I collapsed into it and we decided it looked like one of the "snow goons" from Calvin and Hobbes.

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Sleeping Beauty Mt. Adams Fall Sunshine


On a beautiful sunny fall day I went for a long drive with Oreo dog and my friend Corrine to a great hike with views of Mt. Adams, Sleeping Beauty.
Oreo dog was ready to pull me up a mountain as always. We hiked through the woods- 1.6 miles of steep to some great rockery at the top.
We spent some time exploring the high rocks and basking in the sunshine and mountain views.
Mt. Adams was right in front of us.
It was a great view.
In the distance was Mt. St. Helens.
Here I am in my mountain revelry and delight!
Oreo was keeping track of Corrine behind me and other hikers at the top.
Mt. Rainier in the distance.
More Mt. St. Helens.
Mt. Adams up close.
On top of the world!
Enjoying the sunshine.
Oreo always wants to keep going. She was happy to join us.
Mt. Adams beauty.
Hey, why aren't we going somewhere?
We went over to the site of the fire lookout on the other side of the rocks, still enjoying the mountains and the sunshine.
I can't get enough of this view!
Looking across the rocky spine.
Oreo is queen of the mountain.
I could stay up here a lot longer but it was time to head back toward the trailhead and back to town.
I enjoyed the rocks on the way back down. My heart feels happy and full from this adventure. Loving the fall sunshine!