Oregon 2012

We've been visiting our friends in Portland and having a really good time.  Every time we are in Portland we have to resist finding a house there, but then we think of all the upkeep for another house and say no way -- at least for this year. The new grand baby in Portland and the two other growing, happy grandchildren were a pleasure to be with.

We camped and hiked on Mt. Hood and on the east side of the Three Sisters Wilderness (west of Bend and south of Sisters Or.)  Our friends and new baby in Bend were doing great and it was nice to see them also.

Mount Hood:  There was much less snow this year than last and the wildflowers were prolific and beautiful.  We saw three kinds of spring lilies on one hike along with many other flowers in some really beautiful places.

 The remains of a CCC camp's kitchen from the 1930s.  Our camp site on hood

The stone floor in front of the fireplace in the campsite has this stone marking what it is and the date constructed 1936.

Operating her store from the back of our truck.  Great fun while our food stores are sold off!

Bill is almost always in charge of the cooking -- chef extraordinaire.

Hiking on Hood:

 Tiger Lilies

I have been calling these 'Cascade Lilies'  I think there are several names for them or there are some fine points of identification that I will need to learn.

 Avalanche Lilies are always beautiful on Hood this time of year.

Avalanche Lilies spread out through the forest.  A beautiful garden.

 The lakes below McNeil Point on the Timberline Trail.

Susan and Janie lunching next to the small lake.

 Frog eggs in the lake right after the ice has melted -- so I went searching for the happy couple and found them the the lake.  

 On the way out we found some shooting stars that we missed while climbing up to the lakes.  

 Shooting Stars

 Indian paintbrush, Cascade Lily, and lupines.

 Indian paintbrush and lupines

 Lupines

 Goodbye to Mt Hood for another year.



We went to visit with friends in Bend for a couple of days and once again just loved Bend.  The trails leading into the East side of the Three Sisters Wilderness are close to Bend.

Our friends in Bend - two photos because neither one is just right - but together they work fine.

Three Sisters Wilderness hike:

 Walking the log across the creek on the way to the meadows under the east side of North Sister.

 Lunch spot in the meadow.

Goodbye to Broken Top and Park Meadow.

We were late for the wildflowers on the east side of the cascades where it is much drier and warmer than the west side.  So there are not nearly the number of flowers at this elevation.  Next time we will leave more time to the Three Sisters Wilderness.  That is too beautiful a place to rush.  

The meadow was below North Sister but the view of North Sister were mostly blocked but Broken Top was in view further south.  The Three Sisters Wilderness is worth another trip.  check out the link and the photos

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Sisters_Wilderness

Years ago Susan and I hiked up the Obsidian Trail to the west side of Middle Sister and that was an exceptional hike which included beautiful moss draped forest then a wall of brown through the forest which was a huge lava flow.  There were switchbacks up the lava flow which was a moonscape then down into a beautiful meadow with a stream and wildflowers.  Then the trail became covered with the black volcanic glass, obsidian.  We wanted to do that hike again this year but ran out of time.