Category Archives: Pacific Northwest Outdoors

NEW SEASON – HAMILTON MOUNTAIN SHINING IN THE GORGE

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hamilton mtn
Looking above to Hamilton Mountain with Little Hamilton jutting out to the right from where the trail crosses underneath the Bonneville Power lines just above the trailhead.

A new year, a new season to get out once again and explore. While the Covid pandemic lurches on, people have begun to venture out again to discover what lies beyond their living room. Vaccinations are reaching into ever greater numbers of folk. Hamilton Mountain was calling to me.

SPRINGTIME IN THE GORGE

This hike was special to me on several counts. First, having hiked many of the trails in the Columbia River Gorge, I never walked this path. Second, a new mountain corgi to introduce to the mountain terrain. Third, Hamilton Mountain was the first moderately serious hike I attempted after suffering ruptures of both anterior medial collateral ligaments in a knee already arthritic from years of heavy use following an ancient football injury. So, knee brace in place, with trekking poles in hand along with one leashed mountain corgi, it was time to climb high once more.

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WATERFALLS NOT OF THE GORGE – COAST RANGE WESTERN OREGON

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PHEASANT CREEK FALLS
The double drop of Pheasant Creek Falls 124 feet altogether. One of the many Coast Range waterfalls.

The last post covered waterfalls I enjoy in southwestern Washington, mostly outside of the Columbia River Gorge, so now we move south of the River to waterfalls in the Coast Range of northwestern Oregon. Again, no way these lists are anything close to comprehensive and others may have other favorites. Plus, we have the two hour limit from Portland to help limit the waterfalling excursions. So, off we go to the Coast Range of Oregon to visit our first waterfalls. Links take you to the Northwest Waterfall Survey pages which give the waterfalls ratings 0-100. The highest rated waterfall in Oregon is Multnomah Falls with a rating of 89.92, so you have something to compare other waterfalls here to.

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SOUTHWESTERN WASHINGTON WATERFALLS – HIDDEN IN THE FORESTS

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East Fork of the Lewis River tumbles over Lucia Falls in the summer.

When people visit waterfalls in the Portland area they normally are drawn magnetically to the Columbia River Gorge. The magnificence of the Gorge is without a doubt. The State’s highest and best known waterfalls are here complete with a wonderful trail system through an everchanging natural setting – albeit, a little beat up from fires presently. But there are other lesser known waterfalls in Oregon while across the Columbia, Southwestern Washington sports its own waterfalls outside of the Gorge well worth a visit, as well.

This is the first short essay covering waterfalls in the immediate Portland area. Included here are several waterfalls in southwestern Washington all worth a visit. The essay does not try to be inclusive of all options, but steers only toward some options worthy of your time and efforts. A time limit of two hours from the Rose City is included which covers quite a bit of ground.

Links take you to the Northwest Waterfall Survey pages which give the waterfalls ratings 0-100. The highest rated waterfall in Oregon is Multnomah Falls with a rating of 89.92, so you have something to compare other waterfalls here to.

White Salmon River pouring over ledges at Husum.
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STORMIN’ ON THE CENTRAL OREGON COAST

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cape perpetua
Wave churns into the Good Fortune Cove near Cook’s Chasm with the headland of Cape Perpetua rising beyond.

The Oregon Coast is a scenic wonderland long discovered by tourists.  Many tourists take in the long coastline in one long excursion up or down US 101.  While continually spectacular, that is like Americans “seeing” Europe in one or two weeks.  The history and geography of the coast is better taken in parts.  Clatsop County in the north is very different from Lincoln in the middle and Coos and Curry Counties in the south. This trip we travelled to the Central Oregon Coast – Lincoln County, basing ourselves in the county seat of Newport. 

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RAIN AND COVID? TIME TO BIRDWATCH AT RIDGEFIELD!

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Rain is an all too common factor in Pacific Northwest winters. Grey days can go on for weeks at a time. The rain does not fall in huge dumps, but tends to lightly fall for much of the day. Short grey wet days. Cabin fever. No mountains to climb, so what to do? Then add on top of it the COVID pandemic. Perfect time to go birdwatch at Ridgefield!

A rainy day at Rest Lake along the Auto Tour Route at the River “S” Unit at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge.
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BARRETT SPUR REVEALING THE ICY SIDE OF MT HOOD

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Barrett Spur rises to the left of the 7,300 foot saddle with the north face of Mt Hood beyond.

Barrett Spur is one of my favorite places on Mount Hood. While some prefer Cooper Spur and others Cathedral Ridge, for me, it is the Spur.

The Spurt is a little bit difficult to reach both due to the altitude you gain and the route condition near the top.  But your jaw drops with the incredible views of the glaciers pouring down off the north side of the old volcano.

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HINDU SANCTUARY IN THE TUALATIN MOUNTAINS FOCUS ON DIFFERENT PATHS TO THE SAME GOAL

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Sunlight filters through the trees along the Shrine Path high among the Tualatin Mountains.

“BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME”

“Build it and he will come”.  So, intones the voice of Shoeless Jackson to the Iowa corn farmer played by Kevin Costner in the 1989 film Field of Dreams. The quote often remembered wrongly as “Build it and they will come”. The film was a version of W.P. Kinsella’s novel Shoeless Jackson. In this case, we will choose the more popular interpretation which better describes this Hindu sanctuary high in the Tualatin Mountains just north of Portland. A retreat pointing towards a universal message of different paths leading to the same goal.

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THE WORLD GETS SMALLER WITH 360 CAMERAS AND DRONES

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Recent advances with the advent of 360 cameras, smartphones and drones with superb photographic and video capabilities are making it much easier to tell your story or create your epic film in more unique ways.

Enter into 360° Photography

I have been using a 360 camera for a little more than a year now.  The results are pretty cool even considering the optical disparities involved with a fisheye lens – or double fisheye lens in the case of a 360 picture.

Note: for the 360 photos, to take full advantage, click and drag your mouse to see the whole picture. This one shows two old squash players atop the magnificent Rotenfels high above the Nahe River in Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany near Bad Kreuznach.

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DOUBLE TROUBLE ON CHINIDERE PEAK

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Panorama from atop Chinidere Mountain looking southeast to west.

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Wahtum Lake on the left, then Mt Hood; Indian Mountain is in the center; on the right is some of the fire burned areas of the upper Eagle Creek Canyon with Tanner Peak.

Native Beginnings – reaching out to Tomlike and Chinidere

Tomlike and Chinidere are two peaks on the agenda for today’s hike -. Tomlike was the son of Wasco Chief Chinidere in times long before now. Chinidere lies at the end of a small, steep spur trail going off the Pacific Crest Trail – PCT – while Tomlike is at the end of a long bootpath through some brush, atop some cliffs and up over scree boulders. This is probably the fifth time I have been up here wandering on these mountains and the day was superb.

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