Elk Meadows via Newton Creek

Hey, we found sun! Not blazing or anything, but it was enough. I woke Dr. B bright and early and plied him (and myself) with some Starbucks before we hit the road to Mount Hood. I had promised by hiking partner an easy hike, and that's more or less what we got with Elk Meadows. Easy grades, low miles, not much payoff in terms of views, but pretty and relaxing. On the other hand, we had quite the adventure crossing Newton Creek. The makeshift bunch of twigs at the trail crossing was laughable, and as we watched two backpackers do a proper, packs unfastened, three points of contact team crossing we decided fuck that. A large tree trunk upstream seemed the most logical decision for us. We each scooted like crabs nervously, and on the way back I found the courage to walk balance-beam style across. It was each of our first major water crossing, and I think we were quite proud of our problem-solving as a team. Good times.

6 miles, 2.5-3 hours.

Silver Star Mountain, Finally

I don't know, maybe I was expecting too much. Recent trip reports, including a second anniversary overnighter of some friends of mine, had me really amped up for Silver Star Mountain. Well, of course the road was terrible, and I chose this hike with which to christen my new car. I set off on the Grouse Vista trail, which was tedious and rough and lacked the views of Ed's Trail or the Bluff Mountain approach. The vista at the top wasn't mind-blowing, but still pretty cool: Indian Heaven Wilderness, the Dark Divide, and the SoWa Cascades peeking out of the clouds. I will have to go back on a clearer day, or maybe at a different time of day for better light. As it was, I thought this hike paled in comparison to the hype.

6 miles, 2.5-3 hours

Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic 2011

We did it! And the best part is, we did it well, finishing both days strong and in much better time than we'd predicted. All the training paid off, from the miserable cold and rainy loops of Hagg Lake this winter, to our recent grueling ride up Mount St Helens to prove that indeed we were ready to tackle back-to-back centuries. And I'll tell you, I've never had more fun with so many people in my life - what a great event. Thanks to Cascade Bicycle Club for putting it together, big hugs to everyone who let me join their paceline and draft basically from Rainier to PDX, and speedy recovery wishes to those who suffered injuries on the road. Dr. B was a great coach, but little does he know, I've already got my eye on the one-day finisher patch for next year...