Marion Lake snow hike 26 November 2013

Jean and I left her home around 8a on a day with milky sunshine.  We had an inversion layer in the valley.  The air was pretty crisp - 20's.  We arrived at Marion lake around 10:30-ish to a big ice pool around the restroom and giant hoarfrost covering the ground.  We were the only ones there.  We hiked to Ann Lake then on to Marion Lake.  As we came up to Ann Lake we heard a noise that sounded like it could be a large animal, and both of us preferred not to think it was bear.  We had Reggie with us and he wasn't alarmed.  We put our yaktrax on when we got to Marion Lake and we continued on the little loop that is supposed to take you to the falls.  No luck finding the falls trail, but we did try by going back again are really looking.  We followed something we thought was a trail for a bit, then cross country, dragging our poles in the snow, but nothing.  We circled back to the lake and had lunch.  Tracks:  bear, cougar, fox, and deer.  But no actual sightings besides an old tent that someone left behind.
Back by 3:45p.

Ann Lake

three fingered Jack in Marion Lake

Cougar print crossing the Marion Creek bridge

Bear tracks too

looking for the falls trail

lunch spot

cool sheet of ice on the trail

hoarfrost

Clear Lake, Sahalie Falls, and Koosah Falls 23 Nov 2013

Becky and I headed out about 9:30a on a beautiful, crisp, sunny winter day to hike around Clear Lake.  The snow level was supposedly 3800 ft.  We saw some snow near the pass.  We headed to the falls first to see if we could see any hoarfrost in the shade.  We did see some at the falls and at Clear Lake.  Beautiful day!  Back before dark at around 4:30p

Sahalie Falls

McKenzie River

Koosah Falls

hoarfrost

red headed ducks

Sisters view

dogwoods

Mt Washington

Dry Creek Falls and the Pinnacles via the PCT at Bridge of the Gods 9 November 2013

A blessed rain-free day hiking in the gorge in a deciduous and evergreen forest.  Fall colors were mostly yellow and brown, but the show of color was in the fantastic mushrooms on the path.  Great easy gentle elevation gain hike of about 7.6 miles to the Pinnacles and back.  We left Salem at around 9:15 and we were back to the car by 3:30p.

slug lunch

dry creek falls

dry creek

one of the crazy pinnacles

Larch Mountain Crater 4 Nov 2013

Probably our last chance to get to higher elevations for awhile - snow is coming tomorrow down to 3500 ft.
We headed to Larch Mtn Crater on a foggy, cloudy morning, but once we were up there, the fog was below us.  We started off on our 6.4 mile 1300 ft gain hike by going down on a pretty rocky, rooty path.  The forest was grand and pretty, the air crisp and damp.  We hiked about a mile down, before turning up, going down again and then up to the ridge of the crater.  We were treated to views of St Helens and Rainier.  We arrived at the road, walked up it for a bit, and then on to the view point at Sherrard Rock.  It was a 5 volcano view day!  We had it to ourselves briefly, there were only two cars in the lot.  Headed down, on a nice dirt path through a different kind of forest.  The forest was pretty dark so there are only a few photos.

lots of rhodys

first views of 2 volcanos

three volcanos:  Helens, Rainier, Adams

Hood, 22 miles away

Mt Jeff 65 miles away

some future hiking spots, Indian Pt and Mt Defiance