tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332869522024-03-07T13:27:53.853-08:00A Clackamas River OutlookObservations for birdwatchers, naturalists, gardeners, <br>hikers, bicyclists, cross-country skiers<br>and anyone interested in the outdoors and the natural world.Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-47400450422675869332009-03-15T20:52:00.000-07:002009-03-17T22:16:31.353-07:00Trillium LakeFriday March 7th we skied and skijored into Trillium Lake. This former swampland and meadow was turned into a 65 acre lake in 1960 by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The first picture is from the road atop the dam. A little known historical fact is that the Oregon Trail (AKA The Barlow Trail in this area) headed North toward Summit Pass on land now under this lake. Logs were placed Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-77916051568331816542009-02-05T12:02:00.000-08:002009-10-20T08:32:01.040-07:00Cherries and Other CherriesRoad Edge Thicket of Choke CherryEverybody loves cherries. Good to eat, pretty to look at when they bloom - especially the fancy oriental varieties. Its a commercial crop that brings high prices to the orchardists of the American West. A staple of our diet, they add flavor to martinis, chocolates and soda pop. The sweet cherry is derived from Prunus avium, the bird or fruit cherry, a widespread Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-32912927131845897962009-01-10T20:24:00.000-08:002009-03-17T22:31:06.123-07:00Muddy Fork Outwash PlainMy camera broke its zoom mechanism and consequently there are two tours without any new pictures. One of these was a hike down to the upper edge of Old Maid Flats, just below McNeil Point. Here is a few photos from earlier trips to that area.Buried ForestPortions of the very steep south face of Bald Peak are indeed treeless. The view is dramatic with Mount Hood, the valley of the Muddy Fork of Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-33302119426129673962008-12-30T00:08:00.000-08:002009-01-17T21:07:29.360-08:00McNeil Point TravelsOn August 26th 2008 we undertook the long haul up McNeil Point on Mount Hood. From the Top Spur trailhead this is a 3000 foot elevation gain with about 5.5 miles distance to a viewpoint above the glacier. An exceedingly steep shortcut taken on the way back drops about a thousand feet in only around a half mile. In the process it saves about a mile and a half distance. We added another mile or so Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-39988624155666318882008-11-02T21:04:00.000-08:002008-12-02T21:54:14.277-08:00Mount Adams - Horseshoe Meadows TourWe toured this area September 24th. A summertime hike up here would reveal many wildflowers in the meadows and the sometimes open woods. We saw a few late lupines, pearly everlasting, and the foliage of several flowers, such as the evergreen partridge foot. The trail goes through forest and meadow and passes many interesting rugged rock outcrops. The paucity of flowers was made good by an Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-9735551445505765602008-09-04T07:47:00.000-07:002008-12-10T04:15:59.868-08:00Doing the DogDog Mountain is a choice late spring - early summer destination. The lower slopes are primarily populated with Douglas-fir and other westside natives. Eastern species are present though - rattlesnakes can appear on the lower slopes, the native eastside mock orange was present and flowering. Its hybrids are mainstays of the nursery plant trade.Mock Orange, Phildaelphus lewisiiThe trailhead is at Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-43243412793835106732008-07-19T13:51:00.000-07:002008-08-13T18:26:06.081-07:00Right Angle Viewpoint Area TourOn July 13th I lead a tour to the Right Angle Viewpoint area on the Molalla-Clackamas watershed divide for the Clackamas River Basin Council. As noted earlier this outing was delayed three weeks due to snow. On this hike snow was present in some spots but gone in others - depending on the winter accumulation and aspect, not on elevation. With about 700 ft. elevation change, the deepest snow was Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-39590528981900729462008-07-02T22:21:00.000-07:002008-07-02T22:22:39.293-07:00Further changes to hike scheduleWith the heavy, wet winter snowpack meltoff running a month or more late, rearranging hiking plans is required! A second problem with the Bull of the Woods tour has appeared - a section of road is gone, and a 30 mile detour over twisting gravel Forest Service roads will add two to three hours travel time to any trip there. This is a doubling of travel time. And on top of that, the detour route asBryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-6786379215341387642008-06-07T21:06:00.000-07:002008-08-07T21:54:00.705-07:00Clackamas Lake TourOn June 22nd I lead a tour for the Clackamas River Basin Council to the Clackamas Lake area. This was relocated from the original Right Angle Viewpoint area due to the late lying snowpack, which at this time prevents driving anywhere near the trailhead up there. Clackamas Lake is a good 1600 feet (500 meters) lower than the viewpoint and well below the snow zone. A peculiarity of this season is Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-55772927812163513382008-06-05T17:30:00.000-07:002008-06-05T21:44:12.251-07:00Orchids on Mount TalbertOne of the curious facts about our Pacific Northwest native plants is that high mountain plants are often better known that lowland natives. With most low elevation land in private ownership, access is somewhat restricted in comparison with the bulk of the Cascade Mountain Range, much of which (especially high elevations) are in Federal ownership and fully open to the public. Thats what gives an Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-9357968994202211172008-06-05T16:58:00.000-07:002008-06-05T17:18:15.362-07:00Changes to My Hiking ToursDue to the heavy snowpack (see post just below) and the continuous unseasonably cold weather, I'm forced to change the destination for the first tour in the Cascade Mountains. The original location tops out at 4900 feet (1500 meters) and according to the SNOTEL sites there is as of yesterday eight to nine feet of snow still lurking about at that elevation. As the sites display a weeks worth of Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-62579470461118284812008-05-29T08:00:00.000-07:002008-05-31T08:10:11.973-07:00SnowmeltWith very high snowfall this year - record levels at some locations - the threat of snowmelt flooding has been a concern. There is still 9 feet (2.75 meters) of snow at 5,000 feet (1524 meters) on Mount Hood. At 6,000 feet (1829 meters) near Timberline Lodge there is nearly 14 feet (4.25 meters). This is more on the ground that falls many years. In April 2002 we had heavy rains combined with Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-83407298145524772992008-05-21T21:20:00.000-07:002008-05-28T22:18:02.241-07:00White River RunI've been a busy boy lately and haven't been prompt about posting events I've done, so this one is about two months behind. On March 2nd two of us skied up White River Canyon on Mount Hood. Our route was only about 2.5 miles (4 km) each way but seemed longer with the constantly changing scenery and elevation. The sno-park elevation is just under 4300 feet (1310 meters); we topped out at about Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-22946496807519703082008-04-07T16:10:00.000-07:002008-06-05T17:23:29.765-07:00Tours with the Clackamas River Basin CouncilChanges to My Hiking ToursDue to the heavy snowpack (see post just below) and the continuous unseasonably cold weather, I'm forced to change the destination for the first tour in the Cascade Mountains. The original location tops out at 4900 feet (1500 meters) and according to the SNOTEL sites there is as of yesterday eight to nine feet of snow still lurking about at that elevation. As the sites Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-85587774204087668912008-04-02T08:57:00.000-07:002008-05-05T07:48:00.054-07:00Return of the OspreyWe first heard and then saw osprey March 27th, two days earlier than last year. Their distinctive and frequent high-pitched calls make them impossible to miss.This species is recovering from low populations earlier in the 1970s and 80s. We did not observe them until 1991. In the subsequent year there were three - the parents and their single offspring who sometimes followed them and sometimes Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-55003410096682622482008-02-12T17:30:00.000-08:002008-02-12T22:08:20.306-08:00Spring Signs at Mount TalbertEarlier today I hiked around Mount Talbert Nature Preserve. We've had only a couple of warmer days in the 50's (10-12 C). Many herbacious 'winter' annuals and perennials already know its spring. Candyflower seedlings are very common there between the big sword ferns. Bittercress, one of our few native weeds, is showing new green. Tiny seedling of other types are showing wherever they may. But theBryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-2683612595301519892008-02-09T15:53:00.000-08:002008-02-09T22:15:53.290-08:00Mammoth Snowfall in the CascadesThe past few weeks have seen truly enormous amounts of snowfall up and down the left coast mountains - the Sierras in California and the Cascades from British Columbia south into North California. Locally in the Mount Hood area more snow - 7 feet (2.14 m) - fell in a week than falls in some entire winters. Santiam Pass south of here is closed due to avalanches and general conditions at the Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-66631639845910614162008-01-01T21:40:00.000-08:002008-02-12T21:57:41.298-08:00Problem Bears in FlorenceA 'problem bear' has been killed in the Oregon coastal town of Florence this past Dec 11th, after being fed by humans and becoming habituated to them. The male black bear repeatedly broke into homes and walked up to a homeowner in his garage. An Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division trooper allowed the bear to approach to three feet from him before dispatching the animal with a shotgun. Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-7395409716296900482007-12-17T10:42:00.000-08:002007-12-17T10:43:31.967-08:00Mount Talbert and LandslidesBuilt by volcanic outpourings, carved by ice age floods, Mount Talbert has some very steep slopes. Naturally enough some landslide potential exists. This mountain seems to consist mostly of grey andesitic flows which are quite resistant to erosion. The rock bones of the mountain are mostly near the surface. Only where deep soils have accumulated is land slippage likely. The mechanics of most Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-5420585023547452502007-12-17T10:21:00.000-08:002007-12-17T10:36:37.478-08:00Park Improvements in West LinnWest Linn Wilderness Park has just been linked to the adjacent Camassia Natural Area with a new trail. The city park and what is The Nature Conservancy's first purchase in Oregon have always been contiguous, but old tracks connecting the two have slowly closed in with poison oak and other shrubbery. The new route starts at the low point of the trail in the section of city park west of Clark Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-62048021649644628902007-10-15T01:03:00.000-07:002007-10-15T22:22:46.712-07:00Beetles, Fire and Changed EnvironmentsUnlike most of the posts this Blog Action Day, this one won't be about human-caused pollution or overpopulation or resource depletement. Rather I'll tell the tale of the environmental losses caused by a tiny beetleI first met with this insect while working for Kurisu International, a high-end Japanese landscape design / build firm, some twenty years ago. We would find the telltale heavy pitch Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-41051813108947673822007-10-11T16:41:00.000-07:002008-02-12T22:00:09.846-08:00Blog Action day is Monday, October 15th, and the subject is the environment. Look for our special post on that day. Click this banner to find out more!Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-13721043030072054332007-09-24T10:12:00.000-07:002008-02-12T23:14:41.314-08:00Right Angle ViewpointThis is an interesting area especially geologically. Millions of years back this area was on the flanks of a once large volcano of the West Cascades Geologic Province. The thick layers of pumice and pyroclastic deposits that are common here indicate that. Erosion of the former cone has been so extensive that its location cannot be determined. Hot springs -Bagby 4 miles to the south and Austin 7 Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-44897580734286539352007-09-15T11:01:00.000-07:002007-10-14T16:16:39.536-07:00Alstroemeria "Ivana", Inca or Peruvian LilyIn my mother's garden the Peruvian lily held a place of honor. This was a tough, strong-spreading, spring blooming orange, tall and a little floppy. Later years saw extensive work by specialists on this genus. First came the Litgu hybrid series, mostly still tall and a little floppy, but in a wide range of colors. More recently (since 1998) the distinctive Princess series of Inca lily has enteredBryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-50742475414825448062007-09-10T09:50:00.000-07:002007-12-06T14:30:58.745-08:00Osprey BathingWe were surprised to spot an osprey bathing in the Clackamas River just below our house. Taking advantage of the broad shallows, the bird was taking its time. After watching for 5 minutes I attempted to get a photo. The osprey took offence before I was 100 feet away, and flew off. All our osprey disappeared south during the first week of September, a little earlier than last year. During the DownBryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0