Live Jazz + OMSI

A recent stretch of dull weather encouraged me to get out on the town:

• Pixie Retreat: organic, raw and vegan cafe with two locations
• Back to Eden Bakery: a favorite plant-based cafe in the northeast Alberta District
• Breakside Brewery: an excellent restaurant/pub brewery with three locations in town; known for its innovative, experimental and diverse beers (#14)
• The Conquistador Lounge: dimly-lit bar adorned with a jukebox, vintage couches and Spanish-style art--and the go-to place for margaritas in my neighborhood

 

Last week, Kyle and I visited another McMenamins establishment at Kennedy School. Since its opening in 1915, the historic elementary school has been a beloved fixture of northeast Portland. McMenamins transformed the abandoned scholastic gem into a unique hotel with cozy guest rooms, a restaurant, multiple small bars, a movie auditorium, soaking pool and a brewery. Original, classroom-inspired artwork and historical photographs cover the walls, ceilings, doorways and halls.

A visit to the northeast Mississippi District is no longer complete without a visit to The 1905. This modern but intimate space offers artisan pizza, cocktails and live jazz music every night of the week. Colby and I were transfixed by the raw passion, talent and inspiration flowing effortlessly among the musical quartet. Time and money spent watching live jazz is anything but wasted.

Another great indoor activity is found at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. OMSI contains a large-screen theatre, planetarium and exhibition halls with a variety of hands-on exhibits focused on natural sciences, industry and technology. Tom invited me to OMSI After Dark, a monthly themed event for the 21-and-over crowd filled with food, drink, and science fun!

Holding true to my New Year's goals, I recently began volunteering with Growing Gardens, a small organization that uses the experience of growing food in local schools, backyards and correctional facilities to cultivate healthy, equitable communities. My first day of service involved sorting through seed donations and re-packaging bulk seeds into smaller bags. It was a great afternoon! I truly enjoyed talking with the other volunteers, and learned a lot about gardening in the PNW. I am optimistic that this is an ideal setting for me to participate in service work based on my personal/professional interests related to healthy living. Ironically, acting selflessly to put the needs of others before your own can be one of the most rewarding (and selfish) experiences a person can have. I am excited to invest more of my time and energy into Growing Gardens!

Saddle Mountain

Date hiked: 1/13/19

Anything is possible when expectations are lowered. On a spontaneous Sunday, Kyle and I headed towards the coast. The forecast predicted 50s and blue skies--a rarity in January. Driving an hour and a half northwest on Highway 26, we arrived at the Saddle Mountain trailhead. This popular 5-mile out-and-back hike is a short but steep climb of about 1,900'. We set off around 12:30pm as I immediately realized that I was over-dressed for the unseasonable weather--fellow hikers were in shorts and tank tops!

At a quarter mile, a short spur trail leads to a viewpoint of Humbug Mountain. Looking backward, the double-peaked summit of Saddle Mountain looms overhead, foreshadowing the work ahead.

Reds alders are replaced with Douglas-firs and spruces as you switchback up the hillside.

Nearing the one-mile marker, the woods periodically open to meadows that bloom from May to July.

The top 500' of the trail consists of steep rocky meadows with loose gravel, which has been covered with chain-link material for traction.

After a short descent through the saddle, the final push to the 3,283' summit is rewarded with 360-degree mountaintop and ocean views (the best of both worlds).

The Pacific Ocean lies west beyond miles of beautiful coastline.





To the north, the Columbia River meets the sea at the town of Astoria.

Turning inland, the eastern horizon showcases the snowy peaks of the Cascade Range--clear skies revealed Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams on the Washington side of the Columbia River, in addition to Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson on the Oregon side of the range. I struggled to capture this phenomenon on film.

After soaking up the warming rays of vitamin D, Kyle and I eventually returned to the car by 3:30pm--an easy favorite! While it would have been easy to head back to town and wind down for the week ahead, Kyle and I instead made the decision to drive the remaining half hour to the coast. We landed in Seaside, just in time for a stroll along the promenade at sunset. The waves were too rough to spot whales, but the scenery was stunning all the same. There is something so powerful about the healing effects of the salty sea air...





 

Trillium Lake

January meant settling into winter mode. Despite having recently passed the winter solstice, the mornings are dark until 8am due to Portland's northern latitude. Apparently, the winter is off to a cold but dry (4" below average) start relative to past years--climate change. I may be singing a different tune come March, but I'm surprised how well I've taken to the weather here. Temperatures are still more mild than I am used to, and there is something to be said about the rain and its ability to... cleanse. I am also learning to appreciate the rain for its role in keeping the foliage green year-round. The overcast days would hit harder if the scenery were brown; the contrast makes the landscape seem brighter.

So, what to do in winter? I still manage to bike everywhere on my days off, including the climbing gym. Being goal-oriented, I find the sport to be very rewarding in terms of measuring progress. Plus, the culture and sense of community are spot on.

I've also found myself back in the dating game, which is conveniently helping me to check off bars and restaurants around town. A few recent finds include NE coffee spot, Guilder Cafe; fresh vegan cafe on Hawthorne, Harlow; Israeli inspired plant-based fare at Aviv; and eastside breweries, Upright Brewing and Rogue (#13 on the local brew list).

Despite my new "indoor" activities, I was itching to get outside when I joined Kyle last Sunday for my second round of snowshoeing. So it goes, rain in Portland translates to snow on "the mountain," which was made clear on our drive up to Mt. Hood. Kyle's truck, unlike Red, is equipped to handle winter driving conditions, which require snow tires and/or chains.

Trillium Lake is one of the best-known routes near Mt. Hood for snowshoers and cross country skiers. The Sno-Park is located just over an hour west of Portland, past Government Camp on Highway 26. The easy 4.5 mile loop has just one hill at the start. Kyle and I set off into the snow-covered evergreens around 11am. The trail is peaceful and quiet despite its proximity to the highway. On a clear day, a grand view of Mt. Hood opens up two miles from the trailhead. The air that day, however, was thick with clouds and precipitation.

Date snowshoed: 1/6/19

Kyle and I returned to the truck by 1:30pm, pleased to have beat ski traffic back into town--but not before stopping for après beers!

Twin Lakes (New Year's Edition)

Christmas in Pittsburgh reminded me of the icy northeast winters; needless to say, I was eager to get back outside upon return to the temperate PNW! What better way to do this than to break in my new snowshoes? On New Year's Day, my co-workers, Aminh and Kayla, planned to travel to Frog Lake Sno-Park, located in the Mt. Hood National Recreation Area (about 1.5 hours southeast of town). Twin Lakes is a popular hiking trail that services snow shoeing and cross country skiing in the winter. The 7-mile out-and-back trail gains 1,360' (high point 4,500').

We set off from the trailhead around 11am, ascending gradually through old growth forest on the Pacific Crest Trail. We could not have asked for a more beautiful blue-bird day. Though temperatures remained in the 30s, there was no wind chill.

  
  

At a junction about 2 miles in, the Twin Lakes Trail drops to Lower Twin Lake. The sunshine felt marvelous.



It's possible to circle the mountain lake, but our trio continued forward as the trail traverses up and switchbacks. After about a mile, the tread descends to the shore of Upper Twin Lake where Mt. Hood’s snowy peak rises above the lake shore woods. We relaxed here for a bit before heading back to a busy parking lot by 2:30pm. Apparently, everyone had the same idea to spend New Year's on the mountain because we hit four hours of traffic on the way back. Still worth it though! I am also pleased to know that I can still get outdoors this winter despite taking another season off from alpine skiing.

Date snowshoed:1/1/19

While the act of making New Year's resolutions is controversial, I believe that it's healthy to periodically step back and evaluate one's life and general contentment. After reflecting on my own progress, there are a number of goals that I would like to work towards in the coming year. The one that I am most excited about is picking up a new hobby: rock climbing. I've dabbled with the sport previously, but this is a serious commitment to gain strength, skill, and maybe a few friends at the climbing gym. Additional targets on my radar include reducing the amount of processed food and stress in my life, as well as pursuing service work.

Let the journey begin... cheers to 2019!