Farewell for now, Portland

This summer's Hagg Lake triathlon was a success. I found the hilly course challenging, and could not believe that I finished the olympic distance last year! I completed the sprint course in just over an hour and a half, placing fifth in my age group. It was much warmer and sunnier than last year.

The following week, I completed my annual trek up Mt. Defiance. It was a quiet Thursday morning on the mountain, and my first time tackling it as an out-and-back instead of looping around Starvation Ridge. I am not convinced that the Defiance trail is any steeper than sections of Starvation Ridge. In any case, I set a personal record: 10 miles and 5,000' in under five hours!

 

7/20/23

A few days later, I went for my last paddle at Lacamas Lake in Camas. It has been such a hot summer!

Surprise visitors from Germany! Christina and Michael

I still have a few trails bookmarked, but I decided that my last hike of the season was to be an all-time favorite--McNeil Point. As much as I love exploring new terrain, there is something satisfying about knowing your way around. I took the steep, shortcut route up the goat path, and pushed on past the stone shelter to Ho Rock.  I was surprised at how crowded it was for a Friday morning. Another PR: 10 miles and 3,400' in 3.5 hours.

7/28/23

In between adventures, Tom and I kept busy with wedding plans and moving prep. It was a stressful time, but the details finally fell into place at the end of July. Every day was an opportunity to continue clearing out and packing up. I generally love a good purge, but it was bittersweet to let go of my little red Kia and my bikes. We also shared a number of goodbyes with friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues.

Kyle and Dani

The hardest goodbye of all was Louie cat. Australia has strict pet import guidelines, so Louie will only be cleared to fly early next year. In the meantime, he will stay with his three cousin cats at Kim's house. I am optimistic that Louie will adapt to the changes and travel. Counting down the days until we are reunited!

I feel very grateful for my five years in Portland. I found Tom and Louie, a great job, and more adventures than I can count. I will miss the enchanting Pacific Northwest, and would be very lucky to land here again someday. For now, though, I am ready to close this chapter and begin anew. Cheers to new adventures abroad! Melbourne, here we come!

Mt. Adams

Mt. Adams is the second highest mountain in Washington. The south route is a 12-mile (6,700' gain) trek that requires the least amount of technical expertise. However, crampons and an ice axe are required to summit this time of year.

Many climbers attempt this mountain as a two-day backpack trip by camping at Lunch Counter. However, my friend Kyle and I opted for an arduous day hike. We left Portland around 9:30 Saturday night, driving 2.5 hours northeast to Cold Springs Campground. The last three miles to the trailhead are very rough and narrow.

We hit the trail at midnight, following an old road bed through the 2012 Cascade Creek burn zone. The first mile was snow-free and relatively flat. 

Most of the ascent was guided only by the light from the stars and our headlamps;
pictures were taken on the way back.

Because of the exposed nature of the hike, I carried 4L of water, but it would be possible to take less and refill at the Morrison Creek crossing. Navigation can be challenging in the dark, so bring a map and watch for signs and cairns.

The terrain beyond Morrison Creek becomes rocky and rough with loose tread. We traversed this section and arrived atop a ridge line. 

St. Helens

The trail climbed relentlessly to the Crescent Glacier snowfields below Lunch Counter. In my sleepless zombie-state, every ridge seemed a mirage that never grew closer. 

Strapping on crampons, we continued up to Lunch Counter, where climbers were waking up to bag the summit. At this point, I could start to make out the silhouette of the looming mountain above. I could also smell wildfire smoke from nearby Tunnel Five Fire.

From Lunch Counter, it's another grueling climb to Pikers Peak--a false summit that can take hours to reach. Fortunately, we were blessed with good weather, and the snow was still study from cold overnight temperatures. The sky gradually lightened with beautiful sunrise colors, revealing how far we'd come, and what lay ahead. 

Mountain shadow

It's a hefty push to the summit cone with thin air towards the top. 

We were the second group to summit at 7am. From 12,276', panoramic views and peaks spread out for miles. I could see Mts. Hood, St. Helens, and Rainier. On a clear day, you can see all the way north to Mt. Baker and south to Mt. Bachelor. It was very windy and cold, and a line of people were close behind, so we only stayed for a few minutes. 

When the conditions are right, climbers usually prefer to glissade on the way down to save time and effort. Glissading is sliding down a snow chute on your bum! It can be fun, but requires you to know how to brake and self-arrest with an ice axe. I tried it, but felt unable to control my speed and ultimately decided to walk down. Luckily, the snow had softened by this time, and it was easy enough to plunge step into the boot path left from other climbers.

It was a relief when we descended low enough to remove our crampons and hike back to the car. Along the way, I saw purple wildflowers, butterflies, and deer. Adams is also home to mountain goats.

  

Completely exhausted, we reached the car at 11:30am. After a change of clothes and power nap, Kyle drove us back to Portland for a much needed shower and sleep!

I have officially completed the Guardian Peaks, which consist of the three volcanic mountains that are visible from Portland: Wy'east (Hood), Pahto (Adams), and Loowit (St. Helens). Adams was a great experience to build my confidence in mountaineering. Ideally, I would have climbed Adams before Hood, since it is less steep and technical. However, Adams is still a slog, and 1,000' higher than Hood!

Tumalo Falls

In anticipation of our upcoming move, Tom and I began purging and packing up our apartment. I made an effort to visit all of my favorite hiking trails and paddle spots, including cycling the 42-mile Banks to Vernonia trail. Temperatures soared through June and July this year. 

  

 

 

We also attended several goodbye dinners and parties with family, friends, neighbors, and work colleagues. I will miss our charmed life in Portland.

 

My friend Sarah moved to Bend last year; I was excited to see her new life in central Oregon. I drove up on Thursday via scenic Highway 22, stopping at Clear Lake for a paddle. The sunny and windless conditions enhanced the water's visibility.

 

 

Another hour on the road put me in Bend. Sarah gave me a tour of her townhouse before we caught up at downtown's Pizza Mondo. Sarah is a nomadic nurse turned software coder, and a terrific dog mom. We strolled to Bonta Gelato for dessert. Vegan nerds!

On Friday, we packed up the car and stopped for breakfast burritos at Strictly Organic. Then we drove to Tumalo Falls, a 97' waterfall on Tumalo Creek. Instead of the traditional loop hike, we started along the Tumalo Falls Trail, climbing to a viewing platform above the falls. We continued a few miles upstream to additional waterfalls. It was hot and buggy all weekend; Alice loved cooling off in the creek! 

  

That afternoon, we took our paddle boards downtown to float on the Deschutes River. We shared a delicious Thai dinner at Sen. Then we treated ourselves to cheesecake from Little Slice of Heaven.

On Saturday, Sarah and I took the pups to Good Dog--an off-leash dog area with an extensive trail network along the Deschutes River. What a fun weekend! 

Alice, Shae, and Lady

On the way back to Portland, I drove north through Maupin to stop at White River Falls State Park. White River Falls plunges 90' over a basalt shelf. A steep, rough 0.7-mile trail travels deep into the canyon to a historic hydroelectric power plant at the base of the falls, then on to Lower White River Falls.