Summer Adventures Part III

It’s time for the third installment in my Summer Adventures series! Did you miss Part I or Part II? Catch up quick because the fourth installment happens later this week!

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that Tim and I are lovers of outdoor adventure and travel. Last month we went on the most incredible backpacking trip. We have backpacked many, many, many trails and this particular hike instantly became our new favorite. Our three day trip was filled with icy lakes, thunderstorms, sunshine, glaciers, dozens of snowy mountains, rainbows, solitude, tacos (!!), wildflowers, deer, and dark starry skies. Where did we go? We went deep into the Three Sisters Wilderness near Sisters, OR. The trail we chose was a 25-mile loop around an extinct volcano called Broken Top. It was definitely challenging, but also overwhelmingly rewarding. Here are some photos highlighting the best parts:

Golden Lake – Located about a mile from our campsite on Day #1

Campsite on Day #1 – Broken Top and an unnamed mountain lake are in the background

Dinner on Day #1 - Soft corn tortillas filled with refried beans, smokey soy curls, bell peppers and avocado. We made these under the shelter of a huge pine tree due to on/off thunderstorms all night.

Tim eating tacos in the company of rainbows. There was a small lapse in the rain and we took full advantage of photo opportunities!

Sunset on Middle Sister and North Sister - This was the view behind our tent

Morning light on Broken Top, Day #2

South Sister

Green Lakes Wilderness – Understandably one of Oregon’s most beautiful and popular recreation areas

Mt. Bachelor – A popular skiing area during the winter months in Bend, OR

Can you see the hiking trail?

Dinner on Day #2 – Soba noodles, shiitake mushrooms, kale, carrots, and sesame ginger sauce

Tim making chocolate cake for dessert on Day #2

Eating chocolate cake with chocolate hazelnut butter on top

Climbing, climbing, climbing on Day #3

Lots of colorful wildflowers

Admiring a hidden meltwater lake with Broken Top looming above

Tim executing a perfect rock-n-roll jump on a rock in a glacial lake

Tim hiking across snowfields and red cinder

Me traversing across a massive snowfield

The Three Sisters – South, Middle, and North

That pretty much sums up our backpacking trip! It was unbelievably hot despite the snow and higher elevations. By the time we finally reached the trailhead on Day #3, we were sweaty and covered in layers of dirt, sunscreen, and vegan-friendly bug repellent. Plus, we stunk! Luckily there was an inviting, cool (translation: very COLD) lake to jump into near where we had parked our car. Needless to say, we dropped our backpacks and SLOWLY worked our way into the water. Refreshing!

Later this week I will post my final installment of my Summer Adventures: a recap of a family vacation in beautiful Nova Scotia! Stick around :)

Oh, and here is one more photo from the outtake file:

Apparently Tim’s timing is off…

Summer Adventures Part II

Are you ready for Part II of my summer adventure series?

When Tim and I returned from our cross-country road trip we were very tired. But, we did summon the energy to go blueberry (and marionberry) picking the next day. On that same trip to our favorite u-pick farm, we also took home five pounds of fresh pickling cucumbers – the first of the season! That afternoon I made blueberry jam, marionberry jam, and dill pickles.

A few days ago Tim and I decided to go on a day hike. We choose the highest hike on Mt. Hood, the Cooper Spur Trail. We actually started off on an unofficial trail and just followed a ridgeline until we reached a junction with the Cooper Spur Trail. This made for a strenuous, but very scenic 8+ mile loop. It was unbelievably quiet. The only sounds we heard were from our own movements, the occasional gust of wind, and river currents. Despite a gorgeous 75 degree Friday afternoon, we only crossed paths with a small handful of other hikers, all headed in the other direction. I love having a trail to ourselves!!

Mt. Hood

Can you see me standing on the rocks? The summit of Mt. Hood may look enticingly close, but it is actually still about 4,000 feet higher than where I am standing.

Our lunch spot yielded views of five mountains. You can see three in this photo (although they are hard to spot with the small size of the photo): Mt. Saint Helens, Mt. Rainier, and Mt. Adams. We could also see Mt. Hood (of course!) and Mt. Jefferson.

The trail and some more spectacular views

The trail on our way down presented views of Mt. Rainier (very faint on the left) and Mt. Adams. We also saw plenty of yellow and purple wildflowers.

People skiing in the distance

Tim admiring Mt. Hood (my favorite photo of the day)

We have plans for two backpacking trips in the next few weeks: one around Mt. Saint Helens and one around the Three Sisters. It’s time to start meal planning!

 

Annnnnnnd… It’s July (already?)!

Happy Summer!

Here is what I’ve been up to lately:

Summer weather arrived late in Portland this year (big surprise!) and despite my general dislike of rising temperatures, I am actually quite pleased with the sunshine lately. After all, warm weather fuels the growth of local berry crops! In the last few weeks Tim and I have picked close to 25 pounds of deliciously sweet, deep red, Oregon strawberries. Yesterday I turned some of those berries into jam. The photo above shows two pints of strawberry-orange jam. My list of future jams includes: raspberry, blueberry, peach, marionberry, fig-ginger, cherry, and kiwi. I am also quite excited to make dill pickles!!

Sandwiches are a quick and simple meal in the summertime. A few days ago I made panini sandwiches filled with chickpea spread, golden beets, green apples, olive tapenade, and sprouts. I found the recipe in the latest issue of Vegetarian Times. The combination might seem odd, but trust me, this sandwich was very satisfying!

Eating vegan ice cream is a great way to stay cool when the sun threatens to melt your shorts. Tim and I met up with friends today and enjoyed treats from Back to Eden Bakery. I had half of a Neapolitan cupcake and several generous bites of Tim’s banana split sundae (topped with peanut butter Newman O’s, Dandies, and house-made strawberry sauce).

A few weeks ago Tim and I went on an evening hike to Dog Mountain in Washington state. The hike is mighty steep but the views are very rewarding at the summit. Plus, we were greeted with tons of wildflowers along the trail and a gorgeous sunset. I am looking forward to August when the trails are lined with wild huckleberries (for making more jam, of course)!

I bought a doughnut pan recently and cannot stop making doughnuts! Eventually I will take the leap and try raised doughnuts but not until I have perfected the cake doughnut!

And finally, tomorrow I will be volunteering at Portland’s 2nd Annual Vegan Iron Chef competition. The event will be streamed live so you can tune in and watch the excitement from your lounge chair in the sunshine! Nifty, eh?

I hope everybody is enjoying summer (because my favorite season is coming up next!).

Just Another Rainy Day

Portland has been getting a lot of rain lately, more than I can handle (and I love the rain). I am convinced that once April arrives the rain will disappear and the sunshine will dominate the sky!

When Tim and I woke up this morning the sky showed promise. It was cloudy but the sun was trying desperately to make an appearance. We decided to take our chances and go hiking. We stopped at Food Fight to pick up some snacks and headed toward the Clackamas River. The sky darkened, wind swirled, and then it rained, steady and determined. We debated heading back home but eventually decided we would hike in the rain if we had to. Lucky for us, the rain settled enough for us to enjoy some time outdoors and the beautiful colors of spring:

And, despite trekking through several inches of mud, we had the trails all to ourselves. When we arrived back in Portland, the sun was out for a few memorable minutes! We heated up leftovers (effortless cooking!) and watched The Simpsons, all the while daydreaming about hiking in the sunshine soon:

Snow Bird

Despite the arrival of spring, Tim and I decided to enjoy a snowy adventure today. Mt. Hood isn’t too far from Portland so we took advantage of some free time and headed into the forest for a 6-mile snowshoe hike. We have learned over the years to arrive at trailheads early to avoid the inevitable crowds. Usually we only cross paths with a few folks, which provides us with much-needed solitude. After all, that is why people choose to escape into the wilderness, right? Most of the people we saw today were families with kids arriving as we were leaving – perfect timing!

We chose a trail that looped around Trillium Lake and maintained a relatively easy grade (except for the last 1/2 mile which was UPHILL!). The path was wide and if it had been a clear day, Mt. Hood would have been visible over the lake. Unfortunately, every time we go snowshoeing it is cloudy and snowing! We have yet to see Mt. Hood on a snowshoe excursion. Maybe next time…

We did, however, spot a Stellar’s Jay perched in a tree (also pictured at the top of this post). He was so tame and hardly budged while I snapped away taking his photograph. Beautiful, isn’t he? He was extremely round!

We were also confronted with a mighty dinosaur!

(forgive the snow splotch on my lens)

It was a great day to be outside enjoying the snow. We hope to get one more snowshoe trip in before the snow disappears:

Looks like we have at least a few weeks!