Dark, cloudy afternoon

We've been blessed by at least seven days in a row with sunshine. However, the clouds have rolled back in. Today started off gray and has gotten darker as the afternoon progressed. Dogs were restless, though, and in need of exercise (I was out of town yesterday so no walk). When we got to the Saddle, it was covered in cars so we went down to the turnoff for FR800.

When we arrived at the parking area, ours was the only car but an SVU pulled in right behind us. By the time we left, there were five car (including ours) in the lot. Guess lots of folks decided that the Saddle was too crowded.

In any event, we enjoyed a pleasant, brisk walk up the hill and back down. Dogs ran and wrestled, came home much more relaxed than before. That gives us 2.2 miles for today and puts us at 66.71 miles total since 12/20/09.

When I started logging miles using Daytum, I didn't really have a goal in mind. Then I got the idea to aim for 1,000 miles in a year's time. My dearly beloved said, "You'll smash that. Easy." So I upped the ante and said I'd aim for 2009 miles in 2009. At my current pace, I'm not going to make that. I need to average 5.7 miles a day. In the summer, I know I can log that many or more. Truth be told, I don't know how important it is to make the goal but I'd like to make a good showing.

This brings up another thought I've been having. Rather than just tackle a mileage goal, I'm wanting to walk for a purpose, like raising money for charity. Still mulling over which one but I've thought of using my miles as training for the Breast Cancer 3-day Walk in Seattle (Sept 11 - 13) and raising money through this blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. And/or asking folks to pledge based on how many miles I log for the year. I've never tried anything like this before, so I'm not sure if I could raise the support. I know the dogs are up for anything called a walk, though, so they'll encourage me!

Big Dog celebrates Inauguration Day

Sunday's route enjoyed again today

This past Sunday I walked a new route that I enjoyed so much that I walked it again today.

This simple 3-mile out and back begins at the fork where NW Sulphur Springs Road becomes FR760. The right fork is FR720. If you walk FR720, you'll experience a very pleasant climb from roughly 590 feet elevation to 1000 feet over a mile or so. On a sunny morning, this is a nice alternative to FR760 which is shaded (and at the moment, also seeing some logging traffic). There's plenty of room to park at the fork itself as well as along the road nearby--please don't block the gates in any event.

You'll start off hearing lots of rushing water. At the fork, two streams converge: Soap Creek and an unnamed branch that you'll parallel during the first part of your walk. The forest you'll see is pretty young, but still very scenic especially in this first three-quarters of a mile. As you make the switchback, you may notice that the forest looks a little different. There is more madrone and a regenerating clearcut just a few yards away that likely make this hilltop a little drier than the ravine below. The second three-quarters of a mile amble more or less along this ridge as the road doubles back the way you came (but considerably higher in elevation than where you started). You'll end by passing through some small clumps of Douglas Fir saplings and arriving a turnaround.

There are numerous "unofficial" trails branching off and crossing this road. From the satellite view, it looks as if some of these trails probably connect to dirt roads on private property and may eventually intersect FR760 or FR700. For sure, there is plenty of exploring done out here as the mountain bike tracks and horse hoof prints attest.

Dogs enjoyed this route both times we've walked it. In the summer, I'll need to carry water though as there's not a stream crossing once we leave the parking area. I'm sure that I'll spend plenty of time on this one, though, as it's a pleasant, quiet, and relatively untraveled.

Sunday's Sunny Morning Route

Short on time--posting yesterday's route at Soap Creek as a place holder. A very pleasant out and back, 3 mile walk. More soon!

Valley Fog; Higher Elevation Sunshine

The Willamette Valley, especially the southern part, can be very foggy during the winter months. When the fog bank isn't too thick, though, lots of sunshine is to be had with only a short elevation gain. The Lewisburg Saddle isn't always high enough but this morning conditions were just right to allow a short drive to a lovely walk in the sun. We walked one of my favorite out and back routes.

The air was cold and lots of frost on the ground when we arrived around 8:30 am. Last week, the Saddle parking area was covered in cars but today, thankfully, only a couple of folks had beat us up there. The dogs enjoyed the chilly weather and there was lots of running, chasing, wrestling, and gallivanting on the way along the forest road.

Although this area is wooded and dense with wildlife, we rarely see any wild creatures while we walk other than birds. There is the occasional squirrel or deer, rarely a briefly glimpsed coyote. However there are a lot of wildlife signs, even along this very well traveled and frequently used route. At one spot especially, the deer cross the road and the dogs have lots of interesting scents to investigate. As we ambled along, Big Dog was especially distracted by something interesting. As the puppy wandered ahead, Big Dog stayed behind with his head lifted, sniffing and sniffing. Certain that something was near, I looked to the side of the road cut. There was a butt sticking out. More specifically, I saw a lifted tail, a butt hole, and lots of quills. This was an unwelcome site on so many levels. It was a porcupine with its head firmly buried in the blackberry bramble and only it's rear end sticking out. Fortunately, neither dog saw the grouchy rodent and we passed on by leaving Mr. Spiny Pants undisturbed.

The rest of our walk unfolded uneventfully for a 3.5 mile jaunt.

Here are a couple of photos from yesterday for your viewing pleasure:




Big surf at Moolack Beach, Oregon












Sailboat at South Jetty, Newport, Oregon

A glorious sunny day on the Oregon Coast

Started the day in the fog with a short walk to get the dogs some exercise. Went to about the one mile mark on one of my Lewisburg Saddle routes for a two mile round trip. Took the dogs home and took off for the Coast.

It was a brilliantly sunny day with essentially no wind and temps in the 60's. To enjoy all the glorious sunshine, we walked a very pleasant 2-mile loop beginning at South Jetty in Newport, through South Beach State Park and back along the beach. Lots of folks were out enjoying the day: surfers, runners, sail boats, kids, dogs, the works. Photos to follow soon.

A quick walk at Jackson Creek today

Shorter on time than I'd like to be today, so I needed a shorter walk. I wasn't up for the hill climb so I did a variation of my usual Jackson Creek route. This gave me a nice 1.75 mile out and back today and the dogs got their much needed exercise.

Soap Creek hike

My original plan for today's walk was to begin at Lewisburg Saddle and walk to the top of Dimple Hill and back. By the time I arrived at the Saddle, however, 25 or so cars and who knows how many people were already there (at 8:30 am!). Not wanting to face the hoards of runners, hikers, bikers, etc, I headed down the hill and ended up following Sulphur Springs Road to the gate at FR700. I rarely spend any time in this area but that may change given the great walk we enjoyed today.

The first thing you may notice about the route map is that the route and the roads don't agree. The route was drawn using the topo map and satellite views which seem to be somewhat more accurate. In any event, you'll climb roughly 640 feet in elevation from the parking area to the end of FR 762 which was my destination today.

The walk begins by crossing Soap Creek which flows beneath FR700 via an enormous culvert. The creek was loud and strong today and temps were in the low to mid-30's with overcast skies. The forest road parallels the creek pretty closely for about the first half mile before veering away and starting up the first climb. By bearing right at all the forks, you'll experience moderately steep grades all the way out. FR700 branches off to the left at roughly the three-quarter mile point. If you want a really challenging climb, stay left on FR700--it's a doozy. I'd never explored FR760, however, so I stayed right.

FR760 continues to climb through stands of fairly large trees and many ferns. By continuing uphill you'll eventually cross a smaller stream in a broad ravine and climb up a switchback to a great overlook facing east. Despite the clouds, the ceiling was low enough that I could see the snow-covered Cascades to the east as well as great views of the forest and a big ridge to the south-southeast. I turned right on FR762 and followed it to its conclusion, a deadend that will probably serve as a timber harvest pad sometime in the future.

This area is riddled with unmarked, unmapped, but well traveled trails. The mountain bikers and horse folks probably know were all these extra routes go to and from. I saw several such unofficial trails crossing and running into the roads I walked today. Today's out and back was more than enough for me, though, at approximately 4.1 miles in total.

Sun! Blue sky!

The sun breaks were brief and the blue sky patchy but still! It was a windy walk today. Started at gate on FR 800 but took the left fork after the first creek crossing (the culvert, not the bridge). This road (FR811) goes up a steep hill and forks toward the end. If you take the left fork, you'll run in to Alpha Trail. If you bear right, you'll follow a newer (perhaps unnumbered) forest road that peters out at a dead end roughly a mile farther on. It was this newer road that I walked today.

The route pictured here is approximate, drawn from memory, the terrain view, and guessing. Maybe someday I'll get a GPS unit to learn where some of these routes really are. For sure, you can expect another steep climb on the way back as this route takes you to the bottom of a deep ravine. A very nice out and back for roughly 2.5 miles and practically no company even when other trails are busy.

A short quick walk up a steep hill

Restless dogs and a short break from the rain combined with a narrow window of time between appointments today. We ran out to Jackson Creek and stormed up the hill to the one mile marker. I came home with muddy but happier dogs. Two mile round-trip with plenty of aerobic exercise.

My job is interfering with my walking

Between the weather and going back to work, there hasn't been as much walking. Here's a picture of the Big Dog on the move to remind me of what I'm working for.

Brrrrrr!

It was cold today. Woke up feeling cold. Freezing at the coffee shop. Cold at home. And it was really cold during our afternoon stroll.

We walked part of the Baker Creek route--33 F with a nice breeze that made it feel considerably chillier. Dogs had fun and people were ready to go back home and thaw out longer before they were ready to call it quits. Did an abbreviated out and back of slightly less than 1.5 miles. Took some pics that I'll post tomorrow.

More sun!

We enjoyed more sun today. Clouds came and went but there was blue sky most of the time. I could see that Cascades to the east are covered in snow. Just a short walk today as the day was spent with family and friends. During this evening's sunset stroll around the neighborhood, Marys Peak looked stately, silhouetted at dusk. Assuming the weather holds, I'm aiming for a long hike tomorrow or Monday.

Sunshine!

It's one of those amazingly rare sunny mornings in Oregon. Bad weather may be on its way but for the moment, the sun is shining, the sky is cobalt blue, and Oregonians are feeling cheerful. Everybody we met on the trail today was smiling.

Today's route is especially good for a sunny morning walk. Beginning at Lewisburg Saddle, you'll start out in the shade and walk to the east side of the ridge. The forest road (610) skirts the lower part of the ridge and climbs a long, but not particularly steep, hill. At the top of the hill, the road turns left and a short trail on the right connects with Upper Horse Trail. Continuing in the same general southward direction along Upper Horse Trail will take you past a small meadow that must have one been part of a home place. In the fall, there are several good apple trees that are worth picking from, if you can reach the apples that the deer can't get to, that is.

The trail crosses a road. This isn't the road you started out on which forked at the bottom of the hill, turning into FR 6124. By bearing right onto FR 6124 instead of following Horse Trail, you'll ease downhill to a spot at the base of a ravine where an unnamed creek crosses the trail. This is my usual turn-around point which makes a 3.5 mile out and back. The turnaround spot is in a patch of bigger trees and is a lovely place. In the summer, the creek always has enough water for the dogs. In fall, there are colorful leaves to admire. In winter, even when the weather is harsh, this is a beautiful place of silence and peace.

Jan 1 Rain

Belated updates

Ended 2008 with a late afternoon walk with my friend, Carol. We hiked up my Baker Creek route with two energetic dogs. Big Dog was feeling playful and Puppy was on a roll. There was a lot of chasing and wrestling in lieu of walking for the two of them.

For the humans, it was a very pleasant way to draw 2008 to a close. Baker Creek was high and fast and loud with snow melt. As we arrived at the patch of big trees, the light was just right and the mist hung in the forest in such a way that the scene looked more like a painting than an actual forest. We were both struck by the sense of awe and grandeur. It really was like being in a sacred place--a cathedral, only better. There were no man-made sounds--no traffic, no airplanes. Just the creek in the distance, our footsteps, a soft breeze swishing the branch tops.

As I look back on 2008, I am continuously grateful for where I live and the natural places I have the privilege of walking through. I give thanks for my two playful, happy dogs, my strong legs and healthy lungs and heart. I am grateful for the silence of wild places, friendly hikers and mountain bikers and equestrians met along the trails. I give thanks for walks alone and walks with friends.

Last night at dinner, Carol asked if I'd made any resolutions. I told her 'no,' but that I was focusing on what I have that I want more of. That would include more walks with my dogs, more freedom and flexibility to spend time with my family and friends, more days like the one I spent yesterday. If there is a resolution in that, it's to take the camera more often to capture what I see along the way.

Happy 2009. May the year be filled with blessings for all.