Due to the illness floating around our house, I stayed close to home. Dense, thick fog just off the ground filled the valley this morning with temperatures above freezing. Patiently waiting for the fog to lift in early morning (it didn’t), I hit Spring Blvd TH around 11:00. Cold and foggy with the trees dripping…
After head cold forced downtime, crisp frosty weather delayed a short hike until later morning. Around 10:45, I landed at the North Pisgah TH with the sun shining but frost lingering in the shadows. Water streamed out of sources I do not know. Does the hill just absorb water like a sponge and then it…
It’s January 12 … some Rhodies working to bloom and daffodils are coming up in the yard – not just sprouts, but blooms Roses are blooming though they look a bit tired / warn out. And a real surprise … while the bugs have had a feast, it’s still blooming or blooming early btw, all…
I short walk yesterday to Alton Baker Park and there were flowers still hanging on, or coming out early – only they would know. clicking a photo opens in higher resolution
Getting things set up for 2026, but for those data lovers a look back at just hiking data first. Carbon Karma Bank For every 1 hour driving to hike, 3 hours of hiking is “net zero” carbon karma; I’m balancing the environmental cost with sufficient time in the woods. I started tracking in 2024, but…
A cold morning around 30 degrees with possible sunshine after the fog … snow at lower elevations in the foothills, and Ridgeline Trail hiked last week. I decided to head to Mt Pisgah for a solid ramble around the hill. I left North TH around 7:00 with headlamp on and went to Pisgah Summit arriving…
As we start the first longer days of earth’s annual cycle, I think important to build and share hope … for each of us, our community and our planet. Good planets are hard to find, they say … Ray Bradbury’s reminder is perfect, “Action is hope. There is no hope without action.” … Greta Thunberg has…
Hiking Ridgeline Trail and Spencer Butte has become a Winter Solstice tradition over the last 3-4 years. This year, however, was the worst weather. Rained for the first 2 hours and then just foggy and misty with just very little sunlight reaching through clouds at times. Gortex top-to-bottom and an umbrella … Once the rain…
As with several recent hikes, I make a plan the night before with great ambition and motivation, but had a contingency or two in back pocket to manage OR weather. I wake up and review the weather and combine everything into a simple balance: how much carbon will burn (gallons of gas) and what is…
A local hiking buddy and I planned on heading to Westfir and hike up Alpine Trail Thursday, Dec 4. We were all set the night before and then in the morning, the weather shifted and Oakridge area would have rain all day, but Eugene very little … We both had the same thought around 5:00am…
