Recreational Vessel
Summer hangs there like a basket, waiting to be loaded full of memories and feelings. We paddled the Columbia River Slough, the Willamette and the Siltcoos Rivers and we talked about time and birds and life. We explored the hills and rivers near the Middle Fork of the John Day and fell in love with a meadow. […]
Salmon catch (in the van)
From the rocky precipice that is the northwesternmost point of land in the contiguous United States, we watched a half-dozen bald eagles perched in the trees and an otter frolicking in sea. Waves crashed against sea stacks. Sea birds circled and dove and rode big swells. The wind carried bits of rain. And always the […]
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, […]
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 […]
A run to a view
July 14, 2012. Along the Pacific Crest Trail near Stabler, Washington. About 2,185 miles from Mexico. Sprinting through the dense trees, I couldn’t shake that feeling that something was chasing me. In that moment I remembered the time I was backpacking in Glacier National Park and while stepping over a little stream, noticed a bear’s […]
The Syncline
© Tim LaBarge 2008 I went for a good ride recently through a crazy network of trail known as the Syncline. The story appeared in the Travel section of the Oregonian. It’s on the Washington side of the Columbia River…and it’s spectacular. My friend Chad and I were getting geared up to set out when […]