Beautiful Clear Day at White River, Mt. Hood

What an amazing beautiful day for a snowshoe adventure.  Clear skies and sun led me and my crew in search of a good view.

I can't believe I have never been snowshoeing at White River before.  Despite the crowds, there is a view of Mt. Hood the entire way and it was just gorgeous!

The river itself was mostly frozen but we were able to snowshoe above it and enjoy an occasional glimpse of it through the snow.

The blue skies warmed us all the way through to the core.

Of course there were lots of snack breaks to be had.

We admired the snow covered rocks and wanted to explore and climb them when possible.

Mt. Hood loomed in the distance as we continued our trek toward it.

Amy did not want to ski the entire time but was determine to either follow the ski tracks or the big footprints from snowshoers.  She usually enjoys the challenge of the path of most resistance with her short legs!

When we got to our desired viewpoint destination, we took some time to soak it all in.  What an amazing mountain view on a beautiful sunny day.

Amy and I did sledded a very small hill (since I am pregnant and don't think sledding is on the approved list), but she and Sarah continued to look for bigger and bigger sledding hill challenges!

I so enjoyed just watching the fun of the sledding and soaking in the sunny mountainous view!

Amy, as is her custom, found some cozy holes to crawl into on our trek back.

We got one more glimpse of the mountain as the clouds overtook it.

What a fun day to enjoy each other's company and the beautiful mountain views!  What a gem of a snowpark.

A Very Rainy Day

 It was a very rainy day in Oregon.  Not so great for hiking or snowhoeing but we are NOT fare weather hikers.  So we decided to drive toward my favorite waterfall, Falls Creek Falls.  Unfortunately, I was not aware that the gate is closed in the winter.

Since we had driven quite a ways, we decided to explore the road and woods nearby.  By this time it was pouring out and Sarah was wearing jeans (not a great choice on a cold rainy day), but Amy was so happy with all the puddles that this made up for it!

We had a delicious hot lunch to help warm us up mid trip.

 We saw puddles and moss and a beautiful stream and got back to the car in good spirits and refreshed.  Fortunately I had extra pants for poor Sarah whose jeans were feeling quite heavy by this point.

Don't let anything stop the adventures from coming.  All weather has beauty and  we Oregonians have to adapt to rainy days!  They keep us hearty!

Oldman Pass Meander

Oldman Pass is a place up in Washington that I have always wanted to visit.  I love this area and was excited to see it covered in snow.








We took a long drive up to the ski park on this sunny day and found melting snow that was a little like Cascade Concrete, but was fun to explore nonetheless.








It was a beautiful day to meander through trees.  Amy was a bit less motivated than usual, so there were lots of breaks for snacks, water, lunch, and deep breaths.







We managed to build a very small snowman which is usually one of the requirements of a good snowshoeing trip when possible.







It is usually a "snowwoman" and is best when we can find some mossy hair for it.  Amy was pleased with this creation.







Amy did not want to put on her skis today so she trudged through the snow on foot like we did.  She stopped for several breaks in small holes that she found and thought would make good forts.






She also did some diving.

Though we did not have a view on this trip, we enjoyed taking the time to look up and the ski was absolutely beautiful today.






Unfortunately, due to the long drive and slowness of the meander, we were unable to check out the sledding hill near the snow park but that will have to be an adventure for another day.

Maxwell Butte Sun Salutation

 Maxwelle Butte is one of our very favorite snowshoe destinations along the Santiam Pass. We love the woodsy trails that are mostly groomed and easy to enjoy with a three year old. We made the long drive to Maxwelle Butte on the first sunny day in awhile.






Amy enjoyed doing a little skiing and despite not being able get a glimpse of the mountains here, the woods, snow, and amazing sunshine made for a wonderful adventure.





There were moments to enjoy small meadows covered with snow and logs.  We made it to our lunch spot where we all just laid on our backs and soaked up the sun.  We had a wonderful meal as usual thanks to the inspiration of Freezer Bag Cooking.  We felt a little like spies as we found a lunch spot in a meadow surrounded by trees within earshot of a major trail junction.





Soaking up the sun after so many days of cloudy Oregon winter was incredible.




          The green trees and white clean snow filled our senses and overwhelmed us with peace and tranquility.  We had a little longer lunch than usual!  This was not a destination hike.





It is possible to make it to a shelter where you can spend the night at Maxwell Butte, but we have never quite made it that far.  We are content to meander in the woods on these trails..





Back on the trail we had to stop to explore snow covered rocks and logs.





Amy did lots of diving into the snow or finding holes to take breaks in.





Amy finds any reason for a break out on these adventures and helps us all to slow down.  This is especially helpful since I am pregnant and need to pace myself!  She has learned that we won't take a snack or water break every 10 minutes as she would like but that she can get us to stop to take "deep breath breaks!" 





Of course, we had our good friend Sarah, who makes the hike more enjoyable by spending time with Amy playing games, doing nature math, and talking about God.  (Her only downfall is the lipstick :-)!




For some of the time Amy wanted to hold hands and ski but often she'll want to be the leader and ski on her own.





I love looking up at the tall trees and thinking about how small I am in relation to God and his creation but how every detail also has value and beauty.  It is a great paradox- perspective of the enormity of nature and beauty of the detail.

I am sure there will be many trips back to Maxwell Butte- such a great place for beginning snowshoers and skiers with the right combination of being on an actual trail rather than a road, being in trees, but also being groomed and pretty flat.  Maybe next year we will make it to the shelter and spend a night, but until then we will enjoy the journey!