[photoshelter-img i_id=”I0000BEaTit6IZ1o” buy=”0″ width=”950″ height=”653″] Hovering in a tiny helicopter above a colony of seagulls, suspended in the salty breeze above the Siuslaw River, I realized I was in a dream. I’d always wanted to be high in the air, looking down on members of my favorite taxonomical rank: aves. I see birds at the feeder in… Continue reading Soaring Above the Oregon Coast
Category: travel
Timberline Lodge in 1859 Magazine
It was raining in Portland. No surprise there. I wasn’t sure, however, what was happening up on Mount Hood where I was heading for a wintery story. I’d heard snow and I’d heard rain. Thankfully the driving drops turned to graceful flurries below Government Camp and the accumulation got deeper and deeper as I powered… Continue reading Timberline Lodge in 1859 Magazine
The Leo and Jack Trail
When you become the proud owner of two explorers, it’s best to just sit back and observe. I try to direct the flow, to keep up, but in the end I wind up watching. They dig, throw, study, pick, prod, poke, run, swim, whittle, balance, heave, crunch, crank, grind, balance, jump, leap, run, sprint, crawl,… Continue reading The Leo and Jack Trail
Traveling the Backroads of Oregon
It’s one of those places where you announce, though quietly so as to not disturb the silence: I could live here. That rarely happens to me these days. But as I drove backroads chasing motorcycle riders across the northeast corner of Oregon, it did cross my lips. The peace, the beauty, the elk, the rivers,… Continue reading Traveling the Backroads of Oregon
Mount Adams: It’s the water
My sons asked if I would bring them a rock from the summit of Mount Adams. At the location of the question, in our kitchen at about 75 feet above sea level, I thought it was a good idea. But then the reality of packing a couple of rocks down, no matter how small, seemed… Continue reading Mount Adams: It’s the water
So Close
April 13, 2012. Mount Talbert April 13, 2012. Mount Talbert Just through those trees, just down that hill, there are people and there are buildings and roads many lanes wide. There’s an interstate highway. There’s an old volcano like this one that’s covered with houses. I know this because I can hear it all and… Continue reading So Close
Fuzzy Fowl, Flowers and Paper Cranes
April 11, 2012. Reed Canyon April 12, 2012. Mount Tabor I look forward to each Spring so I can watch the woods come alive as I run the trails each day. The little ducklings are my favorite sign that most of the rain is behind us for the year. I want to scoop them up… Continue reading Fuzzy Fowl, Flowers and Paper Cranes
A Butte to Remember
April 8, 2012. Powell Butte After leaving the single track trail that winds through the forest of cedars and firs, you pop out into a giant meadow where I’ve seen coyotes play and hawks snag meals. It’s one of my favorite runs. As you approach the summit of Powell Butte (614 feet) you will pass… Continue reading A Butte to Remember
These Stairs Only Go Up
April 7, 2012. Mount Tabor I go to these buttes, these crests, these ancient volcanos because I know when I get to the top, there will be a view. It is rewarding. My decision to go one place or another is usually based on the weather, not on how I feel or how far I… Continue reading These Stairs Only Go Up
The Ivy
April 5, 2012. River View Natural Area It felt like I was trespassing. I had that uneasy feeling I was going to come upon a camp full of people who didn’t want me there. And while I saw a few bags of trash and cans, in the end, I saw no one during the hour… Continue reading The Ivy