Salt Creek Falls, Vivian Lake and an unnamed pond 28 Mar 2015

Bethany and I headed to Salt Creek Falls to hike about 8 miles to Vivian lake after viewing the falls area.  It was a beautiful day, clear roads, no snow anywhere near the road.  We arrived at the TH and found the gate locked and no parking signs posted.  There was a sno-park parking lot nearby.  One other car was parked along the side, so we decided to risk, put up our forest pass, and walk to the trail head down the road.  Apparently the gate doesn't open until May 1.  Too bad because winter hiking at these lower elevations is an option - we had no problems on the trail, though they aren't maintained in winter.  We began our hike by viewing the 246 ft Salt Creek Falls and canyon.  We walked over to a side viewpoint before getting on the trail proper.  We passed lots of lookouts over the canyon and crossed over Ice Age glacier-scoured basalt.  We noted a little lake and a forest with so many rhododendrons it was amazing.  I would love to come back in June when they are in bloom.  After about 2 miles on this loop trail, we took a side trip to Diamond Creek Falls, a beautiful falls in a rocky canyon.  Soon after that the trail forked and we headed across some railroad tracks to the forest and Vivian Lake.  We took a rest at Falls Creek Falls then continued on.  We misjudged the time, and didn't see the sign and missed the cutoff for Vivian Lake.  The snow had become quite pevalent by that point and I think I had my eyes trained to the ground to make out the trail.  Plus I think we were walking faster than I estimated.  At any rate we kept on for perhaps another 1.5 miles past our goal.  On the way, the snow got deeper (maybe 5 in) and there were no footprints to help with route finding.  We used sawed logs and slight depressions in the path to determine where the trail was.  We never lost it.  We found a meadow with a nice view of Mt Yoran and a little unnamed pond.  When we reached the pond we determined we had missed the lake and turned back.  On the return we found the lake but didn't go around for the views because we were tired.  Snow hiking is harder than regular hiking!  Temps were warm, we were fine there.  However, the trees were dripping like crazy and so it might as well have been raining!  Our hike was 11 miles with 2600 ft gain.  Some parts of the trail were literal streams that required some maneuvering.  It was a beautiful hike and I am looking forward to hiking more in this 'neck of the woods'.
map 

246 ft Salt Creek Falls

Salt Creek canyon

Too Much Bear Lake

a forest of rhododendrons

Diamond Creek Falls

on the tracks

Fall Creek Falls

snow!

unnamed pond

Meadow and Mt Yoran

Vivian Lake ice

a mini falls

the dicey stream crossing

Nesmith Point 26 Mar 2015

Since Andrea and Mike are coming this summer and we are planning a 55 mile journey around the Sisters, I need to get in shape.  I thought I would try to hike one long, steep trail a month to prepare.  Nesmith Point is my first one.  9.8 miles with 3800 ft gain.  I did okay - it was a tough, rocky and dicey trail (lots of landslides and rocks).  So many parts of the mountain look like they are going to fall down.  Arrived at the summit in 2 hr 45 min and was down in 2 hr 20 min.  Next month - Mt Defiance?
This isn't the most scenic hike and the view is so-so, but it is a good workout.  I would prefer to hike Dome Rock though.  It is almost as steep.

Nesmith Point Map

into the woods in the morning fog

sun as I near the ridge

view of Mt St Helens from the summit (sort of - you have to take a user trail to see this)

only two flower types blooming, Trillium and violets

rock pillows

Oregon Grape

T U L I P S at the Wooden Shoe farm 24 Mar 2015

I was going to take my mother here today but it was way too muddy, so that will have to wait.  I dashed out for some photography because the skies were stormy and I knew the morning light and storm clouds would mean great lighting.  Got there at 9:45a but could have gone earlier - they opened at 9a (close at 6p)

Beautiful!!!

Three hikes in Missouri 11 and 15 Mar 2015

A visit to Missouri in March is very brown.  I never realized how brown until my visit originated from the PNW.  Brown as far as the eye can see.  We had fun hiking the brown!
11 Mar - Andrea and I reminisced by hiking Laumeier Sculpture Park in Sunset Hills, MO then Whitecliff Park in Crestwood.  It was a beautiful sunny, warm day and lots of people were out enjoying the weather.  We had hiked both these places all the time back in the 1990's.  We had not been back since and lost our way a few times.  Things looked different hiking with a 24 yr old as opposed to a 4 year old!  Distances seemed way shorter :-)
15 Mar - Andrea, Mike, Kovi and I hiked at Devil's Ice Box in Columbia MO.  The trail was so muddy it was impossible sometimes.  I thought Oregon had mud.  We were stopped by an overflowing creek and had to turn around.

Map of Laumeier We did more of this hike but I forgot to map it.
Devil's Ice Box (forgot to turn off the GPS before we started driving)

Laumeier Sculpture Park:

this had moved!

old spring house

this is new.  there used to be a sculpture here that looked an awfully lot like a bunch of coffins

my favorite - the old swimming pool - but they had trimmed a lot of bushes so I don't think it will have that mysterious look it used to have

looking down the steps from the top of the mounds

Whitecliff Park:

crossing Whitecliff creek

the old quarry

Devil's Ice Box:

Kovi, Mike and Andrea

the creek we couldn't cross