Summer Solstice

Friday marked the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere; the summer solstice. In Portland, this means almost 16 hours of daylight, with sunrise occurring at 5:21am and sunset at 9:02pm. These long days provoke excitement for my first summer in the PNW. Hikes, road trips, food trucks, breweries, and good company; I want it all! Inspired by this, I added a new piece of artwork to my travel-themed tattoo collection with a simple Douglas fir on my wrist. I also honored my home town with an artistic map of Pittsburgh on my shoulder.

 



 
 
 
 

A welcomed day off last Friday granted a solo hike. Mt. Defiance is the highest point in the Gorge at 4,959'. Aunt Judy convinced me to have a second go at the grueling Mt. Defiance-Starvation Ridge Loop in order to experience the seasonal wildflowers. The soul-crushing, 13.5-mile loop (post 2017 Eagle Creek Fire) gains 4,970', mostly in the first few miles. Physical enthusiasts often use the route to train for other outdoor pursuits.

 
 

I hit the trail around 8:30am, refreshed by the solitude and the simple act of being outside. A brief but intense heat wave had just passed to leave behind ideal hiking weather--mid-70s and sunshine. I was captivated by clear views of Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams, whose peaks have begun to shed snow. A more detailed hike description can be found in my earlier post when I first completed the trek last September.







 







I returned to the trailhead around 3:45pm, surprisingly energized from the satisfaction of a hard day's work (RT 7.25 hours).



  

 

Date hiked: 6/14/19

French's Dome

Last Sunday, I joined a group of pharmacists from my hospital job at an outdoor climbing class organized through my gym. Since starting the activity in January, getting outside was the general goal.

 

I met our small group of six that morning at French's Dome. The andesite crag is located an hour east of Portland, on the flanks of Mt. Hood near the town of Zig Zag. Routes range in height from 80'-160', and most are well-bolted. The setting is tranquil, invoking a feeling of solitude in the old-growth forest. Spectacular views of Mt. Hood abound.

Our skilled guide, Leah, set up top rope on the following three routes: Oz (5.8), Alpha (5.8), and Giant's Direct (5.5). All of us were successful in completing the climbs, though I was surprised by the mental fear that I was faced with. We also agreed that time seemed to pass more slowly while on route; it felt as though we were on the crag longer than we actually were. 

 

 

   

Other climbers trickled in and out over the next few hours, always maintaining a friendly atmosphere. We were also blessed with beautiful weather. I genuinely enjoyed my introduction to outdoor climbing, and am looking forward to future opportunities to get outside this summer!

Date climbed: 6/9/19

Neahkahnie Mountain

My first weekend off in a month warranted a trip to the coast. Tom and I left sunshine and 80-degree weather in Portland on Saturday afternoon only to arrive at a chilly and gray Cannon Beach. Still, it felt good to get out of town. We toasted to our weekend venture at Pelican Brewing Company (#17) and retired at the Tolovana Inn. I was amused to find bunnies hopping around the oceanfront property!

Tom and I set off at 9:30am on Sunday, tracking south on Highway 101 towards Manzanita. A quick, 10-minute drive brought us to Short Sand South Trailhead, where we embarked on an 8 mile-lollipop loop (2,300' gain) to Neahkahnie Mountain in Oswald West State Park.

From the trailhead, we switchbacked down under large, majestic spruce and hemlock. We crossed a narrow, swinging footbridge over Necarney Creek, acutely aware that Short Sand Beach lay just beyond the rich, old-growth forest. Instead of pursuing that temptation, however, we ascended to the Elk Flats Trail.

 

Several switchbacks along a fern-lined, rooty trail led to a clifftop meadow frequented by elk. Here we took in the view of Devils Cauldron, a cliff-rimmed inlet where the ocean swells churn into the sea caves below.



Back on the main trail, we crossed Highway 101 at the North Neahkahnie Mountain Trailhead (a shorter version of the loop begins here). The first section of the Oregon Coast Trail is cut through a thicket of salal. As the path switchbacks higher, northern views open up to include the coastal cliffs at Devils Cauldron and Cape Falcon.



The trail enters the forest near the top of the meadow. Multiple switchbacks later, it winds around the south side of the northern summit (not accessible by trail) into a beautiful woodland of moss-covered spruce. The clover fields were larger than I had ever seen before!

 

After passing through a section of dense forest, we dropped into a saddle before climbing to the south summit. The very steep and rocky path leading to the Neahkahnie Mountain Viewpoint is easy to miss. From the summit at 1,631', we were rewarded with expansive coastal vistas of Neahkahnie Beach, Manzanita and Nehalem Bay. Unlike the day before, we were blessed with ideal weather.










 

Date hiked: 6/2/19

After soaking in the sun from the rocky vantage point, we carefully switchbacked down into the forest once again.

A short while later, we arrived at the South Neahkahnie Mountain Trailhead on a gravel road (yet another trekking option). Back at Highway 101, we cautiously kept to the shoulder on the return journey. A mile and a half is more than either of us preferred to walk alongside the road, but we enjoyed stunning vistas the entire way. Carved out of the cliff face, the scenic highway drops above sheer cliffs that are covered in manzanita bushehes. Trailhead by 2pm (4.5 hours RT). Overall, one of my favorite coast hikes to date!



 




















Pleasantly exhausted by our outdoor trek, Tom and I drove back to Cannon Beach for lunch and chocolate "sea foam" on the way back to Portland. One of those seemingly perfect days.