ONC New Year's at Black Butte trip - Dec. 28-31, 2012

Leslie and I joined Pam Rigor on her ONC trip to Black Butte.  We have been having heavy snow in the Cascades and Santiam Pass was packed snow but not too bad. 

The trip members were Pam Rigor and Bob Breivogel, Jim Edwards and Janice Morgan, Inga Fisher Williams, Patti Thompson, Cristel (Christian - 8 months) Brown and Leslie and me.

Saturday we drove to Ray Benson Sno-park and skied the North Loop up to the North Blowout Shelter.  The snow was excellent...deep and dry plus a beautiful blue sky.  After lunch and a warm up in the shelter we skied the Circle Lake trail to the Brandenburg Butte Shelter.  All in all, we did about 8.7 miles.

Sunday we drove to Camp Sherman and then skied along the Metolius River.  It was a bit icy but still a nice tour.  The Head of the Metolius view point was interesting.

Monday (New Year's Eve) we drove back to Sisters and then 10 miles south to the Three Creeks Lake Sno-park.  The conditions were still great and we skied to the Jeff View Shelter.
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Oldman Pass - 23 Dec. 2012

Oldman Pass 23 Dec 2012, Leslie/Tony and Bruce/Teri

We got a heavy dumping of snow in the last week and conditions were great for skiing.  They are not plowing out Oldman Pass Sno-park this year so we parked at the tubing hill.  We skiied clockwise on the Oldman trail to the Scenic Route cut-off.  There was enough snow to make the downhill through the trees manageable.

We Need More Guns

Woman killed after car, motorized wheelchair bump

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20121205/US.Gas.Station.Shooting/

Father shoots, kill son 7, at Pa. gun store

http://www.kgw.com/news/Police-Boy-7-shot-to-death-at-Pa-gun-store-182683031.html

Cooper Spur hike - Oct. 3, 2012

I took a vacation day and joined David Kern on his day off.  We decided to check out Cooper's Spur and especially the area where the Timberline Trail was wiped out in a flood in 2006.  We drove up to Cloud Cap campground but were dismayed and awestruck at how the Dollar Fire had burned out the area.  The Cloud Cap cabin and above were spared but the whole area has a completely different look to it.

Ramona Falls Hike - Sept 16, 2012

  We're having a glorious, warm and bright Fall and today was a perfect day for a nice hike.David, Greer, Jim, Bruce and Rufus joined Leslie and I for the 7.1 mile hike to Ramona Falls.  The temporary bridge across the Sandy River was still in place and the smoke from the Mt. Adams fires wasn't too bad.

  

High Pass Challenge - Packwood, WA 9/9/2012

High Pass Challenge - 110 miles, TZ=3:56

Bruce Allan and I drove up to Packwood, WA on Saturday afternoon.   We took Bruce's trailer which was a good idea because we had thunder, lightening and rain for most of the night.

    Sunday morning dawned misty and with light rain.  The route was modified a bit because the road between Cascade Peaks viewpoint and Windy Ridge is being worked on.  The original route was 114 miles and 7500 ft but the modified route ended up at 110 miles but less elevation.

   The route is beautiful with lots of trees, little traffic, lots of climbing(including a sustained climb of 25 miles) and the stark landscape of Windy Ridge.  I didn't take an images because it was a pretty gray day and there weren't too many vistas.

   I broke a chain but thankfully had a repair link and then right before the top I had a flat tire.  But I still made it back before the cut-off.

Vista Ridge from Parkdale 2 Sept 2012

39 mi. +4716 (at least)  TZ=60" Ride time about 4 hours.

Bruce/Teri, Sharon, Leslie and I rode Vista Ridge from Parkdale.  The weather and temperature were perfect, sunny but not too warm.  NEW PAVEMENT OVERLAY going up Lost Lake Road!!!.  The only wrinkle was that they had been cutting brush all along the downhill section and left the sticks and logs in the road which kind of took the fun out of your downhill.  Next time we'll start at Dee Mill and do it clockwise to maximize the downhill on Lost Lake Rd and use the bad pavement for the uphill.

Beers at Solera in Parkdale afterwards.  The Hedonist IPA is ok but Sharon(our resident beer critic) only gave it a 4 out 10.

Bruce+Teri w/Mt. Hood somewhere in the background

Mt. Hood from Vista Ridge

Mt. Adams from Vista Ridge