Wahkeena Falls

As usual, December rolls in and catches everyone by surprise. Where has the time gone? The days are shorter than ever with only eight to nine hours of daylight. The weather is cold, but still somewhat dry. I have noticed that the temperature hardly fluctuates throughout the day; it's common to stay in the 40s all day and night vs. dropping to the 20s overnight and rising to the 50s by midday. In general, the PNW climate seems to be fairly consistent throughout the day (and year). That being said, the temperature is often warmer than it feels. Still, the chilly Colorado air shocked my body into winter mode, so I am confident that I will at least survive the winter. My new favorite neighborhood coffee shop to escape my cold apartment? Sweetpea Baking Company--a vegan cafe offering light fare in an airy, industrial-chic space.

I am currently working the latter part of the week at NewEra Pharmacy, which leaves me plenty of time to explore. While ski season has officially begun on Mts. Hood and Bachelor, the hiking trails at lower elevations remain snow-free. Warm layers are still crucial, however. On Sunday, Kyle and I opted for an easy hike close to town. The Marquam Trail to Council Crest is a moderate out-and-back trek that gains 1,110' over 5.8 miles. Winding its way through a patchwork of city parks and green spaces, the Marquam Trail stretches over five miles through peaceful forests in the West Hills of southwest Portland. As part of the city's 40-Mile Loop trail system, it connects the Terwilliger Trail in the south with the Wildwood Trail to the north.

Starting from the Marquam Trailhead, the trail climbs through dense forest that feels secluded even though it's a stone's throw from OHSU. The majority of the route resides in the Marquam Nature Park, which snakes through gullies and gulches and crosses multiple streams and footbridges. The final switchbacks and road-crossings lead to the summit of Council Crest, once the site of a popular amusement park. The small viewing plaza looks out to the Tualatin Valley, the Chehalem Hills, and downtown Portland and Vancouver. On a clear day, the trek features an outstanding five-mountain view.

Date hiked: 12/2/18

Afterwards, Kyle and I refueled at another recently favorited cafe, Papa G's Vegan Organic Deli. This Southeast spot offers counter-service in cozy, low-key digs.

We finished off the weekend at A & L Sports Pub, a roomy but divey Steelers bar. Aunt Judy and her friends (and many other spirited fans) were also in attendance to support the Steelers against the LA Chargers.

On Wednesday, Aunt Judy introduced me to the Multnomah-Wahkeena Falls loop. Recently reopened by the Forest Service after the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire, the moderate 4.9-mile trek gains 1,600'. Completing the loop in a clockwise direction, the paved trail crosses the bridge between the lower and upper Multnomah Falls, then steeply ascends via 11 switchbacks to the top of the ridge.

 
 

After the turnoff to the viewpoint at the top of the impressive falls, the trail becomes unpaved and  crosses a large stone bridge over Multnomah Creek.

Date hiked: 12/5/18

The route climbs for almost a mile, passing several outstanding waterfalls.



From here, the trail network extends to Larch Mountain, Devil's Rest and Angel's Rest. The summit of Devil's Rest (~2,408') is a forest-covered knob, but the journey there is beautiful. The detour should have only added three miles, but the connecting Foxglove Trail was not maintained so we ended up backtracking.

 
 

Eventually, we found our way back to Trail #419, which descends to Wahkeena Falls. At the bottom, a short half-mile hike that parallels the Old Columbia River Highway leads back to Multnomah Falls.

 
 

Aunt Judy and I knocked out close to 10 miles in five hours (9:30am-2:30pm). It was dry but cold--likely my last proper hike before the winter rains set in.

That night, Kyle and I met Aunt Judy and her friends at McMenamins on the Columbia in Vancouver. The Christmas Ship Parade packs restaurants along the rivers for two weeks every December. This Portland tradition started in 1954 with one lone sailboat from Portland Yacht Club. Today, the Christmas Ship Fleet averages about 60 boats between the Columbia and Willamette River fleets.

 

Over the weekend, Aunt Judy and I made a date night at the downtown Keller Auditorium. Portland's Singing Christmas Tree has brought the joy of Christmas to all ages for 56 seasons. This lively musical production showcases both contemporary and traditional holiday music performed by adult and youth choir voices, dance numbers from the Jefferson Dancers and special numbers by local actors and musicians. 

The holiday theme continued with my work family's party at Brix Tavern, a Northwest venue offering American comfort food in a renovated warehouse. It was a very enjoyable evening, and fun to see everyone outside of "work mode." Overall, I am learning to appreciate several aspects of my job, but above all, the work culture is phenomenal. 

Thanksgiving in Denver

Mission: surprise Anna for Thanksgiving. I flew into Denver on Thanksgiving day while my mom arrived earlier that week. I was thankful for a quick and painless flight on Thursday, noting the pull on my heartstrings at the first glimpse of the Colorado Rockies. The train ride into town chased the setting sun over the fading mountain silhouette. Good to be back!



I spent Thanksgiving evening in the warm company of family and friends. I would like to take this opportunity to wish my readers a very Happy Thanksgiving.



The four of us went to Red Rocks on Friday. It felt great to be back at elevation. The air was cold and windy, but the sky was crystal clear compared to the summer haze that I left behind in August. We took advantage of the opportunity to walk around the stage area which is usually closed during the summer concert season.







 





Afterwards, we stopped in Idaho Springs for lunch and shopping.

 

Anna and I were bummed to see Mom return to Pittsburgh that evening, but also excited by the fact that we would all be together again in less than a month.

I had hoped to spend Saturday in Breckenridge with my girl friends, but it was dumping in the mountains so we decided against attempting the precarious drive. Instead, I joined Sarah, Anna, and Lexi for some light hiking on Lookout Mountain in Golden. The trail was rather icy, so we didn't make it too far but it was still nice to get outside. After, we rallied in Olde Town Arvada to start planning the details for our upcoming trip to Australia/New Zealand!





That night, I met my friend, Jordan, for drinks at Fermaentra Brewing  (#80 on my CO brew list). He also introduced me to the heavenly Vietnamese soup, pho.

On Sunday, I met my friend, Bri, for breakfast before bundling up en route to the Mile High Stadium. Anna, Alex, and I splurged on tickets to the Steelers vs. Broncos football game. The Steelers lost unfortunately, but it was still fun to support our home team and to witness the overwhelming amount of Steelers pride at an away game. I flew back to Portland late that night with a strong sense of satisfaction--mission accomplished!

I feel incredibly grateful for my weekend getaway to Colorado. It was special to visit one of my favorite places and to spend time with loved ones. Having left Denver only three months earlier, it seemed as if I'd never left--everything was (mostly) just as I'd remembered. It was not easy to leave for a second time, but I admit a sense of contentment in returning to Oregon. Portland it where my life is right now, and that is where I'm meant to be.

Hardy Ridge

Date hiked: 11/20/18

In case this hasn't been made clear, I got very lucky with moving to Portland when I did--the weather has been unusually mild this autumn. My co-worker at NewEra commented that this is the driest November that she can remember. That being said, I realize that my luck might be up soon, so I squeezed in one more hike before the holiday.

On Tuesday, I returned to Beacon Rock State Park on the Washington side of the Gorge. The Equestrian Trailhead is located off lovely Highway 14, just 50 minutes east of town. Hardy Ridge is a lightly-trafficked, moderate 8.1 mile loop over 2,200' elevation gain.

I set off at 11am, hiking north on the Equestrian Trail for a mile. At the first junction, I continued another half mile to turn onto the East Hardy Ridge Trail, lined with salmonberry bushes. A connector trail leads to a four-way junction at the top of the ridge. I climbed a bit higher to snag some unobstructed views, but the high winds prevented me from reaching the true summit. Still, I got a glimpse of Hamilton Mountain, Table Mountain, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Hood.

 

Back at the junction, I completed the loop in a counter-clockwise direction by taking the connector trail down the western side of the ridge. End: 2pm. I met Kyle afterwards for happy hour eats and drinks at my new favorite vegan bar, The Sweet Hereafter.

Salmon Butte

Located 15 minutes from downtown, Tryon Creek State Natural Area is Oregon's only state park within a major metropolitan area. Tryon Creek meanders through 658 acres of lush, second-growth forests, serving as home to a variety of flora and fauna. A small network of trails, including a wetland boardwalk, are serviced by hikers, equestrians, and cyclists. A new friend from the vegan community, Chloe, and I explored the area on an overcast weekday morning.

That weekend, I met up with my friend, Jordan, visiting from Denver. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing a friend from "home." We hit Virtuous Pie, my new go-to pizza joint, as well as three nearby breweries (#11): Hair of the Dog Brewing Company, Cascade Brewing (mostly sours) and Base Camp Brewing Company (a new favorite).

The Salmon Butte Trail is one of the more popular trails in the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness. Located one hour southeast along Highway 26 (near Welches), the moderate out-and-back route gains 3,170' over 11.5 miles. It is a mostly shady forest hike with a few small clearings.

Kyle and I got a late start on Sunday, leaving the trailhead at noon. We crossed the bridge over the Salmon River and followed the old road bed shaded by red alder, big-leaf maple, western red-cedar and western hemlock. There are several creeks to cross before entering a dense, dark woodland filled with large old-growth trees. We noted the silence of the forest during this time of year, deepened by the fact that we had the trail to ourselves.

The trail eventually rounds the nose of the ridge at a small opening and traverses up a slope in the Mack Hall Creek drainage. A steep sunny meadow affords a view across to Salmon Mountain and ahead to Salmon Butte.

We continued to ascend via switchbacks before bearing right on an old road bed in an avenue of rhododendrons (June blossoms). The final push to the open summit (4,877') is rewarded by a full-on view of Mt. Hood. Expansive vistas abound with Mt. Jefferson and the Three Sisters to the south, and Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier and the Salmon River valley to the north.

 

Date hiked: 11/18/18

Realizing we only had about two hours left until sunset, Kyle and I booked it back to the trailhead. We arrived at 4:30p with just enough daylight to spare---4.5 hours RT! On the way back, we feasted at a Lebanese restaurant in Gresham.