On MOUNT HOOD

Latest

They grow up so fast

It’s so cliche, but it’s so true. One day, they join you in the world not able to do much more but depend on you; the next, you’re packing them off on a school bus for their first day of kindergarten.

I’ve watched my daughter grow up so fast over the past nearly six years. Because I’m a freelance writer and get to work from home, I’ve been lucky to spend so much time with her that I would miss out on if I had a regular 9 to 5 gig.

How much she has grown up over the past few years really hit home with me a few weeks ago, though, when we headed up to Mount Hood to hit the Tamanawas Falls trail. Madeline had been on some hikes before, but something about this one, when she had her own trekking poles, her first real backpack, and a real desire to lead the way, seemed like a milestone. When she loaded up and had herself ready to go, she just seemed so grown up.

At the same time, it reminded me of the very first time we brought her hiking with us up on Mount Hood, a trip I detail in On Mount Hood. She was a touch younger then — just a year and a half — but even way back then, it seemed like she was already growing up so fast.

Posted by onmounthood | May 6, 2012 | Categories: On Mount Hood: the Book | Tags: hiking, Mount Hood, On Mount Hood: the book | Leave a comment

Mount Hood stories

One reason that a book about Mount Hood seems like such a natural fit is that just about everyone here in Oregon and, really, the Northwest, seems to have a story about it. Theirs may be that they climb it or ski on it, look at it from afar, or simply spend time up at Timberline Lodge every so often. Whatever it is, I’ve found that just about everyone I come across has a story to share about the mountain.

Today, at the Atkinson Book and Author Fair, I talked to a great bunch of authors, who’ve written books about everything from the Civil War and the history of Estacada to being paralyzed and in a wheelchair for nearly 30 years.

Each of the authors I talked to, however, also had their own stories to share about Mount Hood. One recounted a climb he made years ago that found him in a complete whiteout on the descent, all the way back down. His party couldn’t tell they’d returned safely until their ice axes scraped against the asphalt of the parking lot at Timberline Lodge. Another woman had a brother who climbed Hood years and years ago. The person in front of him on the rope fell into a crevasse and died, but he himself was fine. Another author, who ended up in a wheelchair after a tragic accident more than two decades ago, remembered with humor a trip to Timberline Lodge that found her crammed into a tiny elevator full of tables and chairs, that being the only way she could access the main area of the lodge.

The stories are great — and just keep coming and coming. To me, it says something about just how influential Mount Hood is in the lives of so many people.

Posted by onmounthood | May 5, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

On Mount Hood — in paperback

Earlier this year, my publisher let me know that they’re going to be adding a paperback version of On Mount Hood to their spring 2013 catalog. A few weeks later, they sent me a mock up of what the cover of the book might look like. It’s not much different than the original hardback, but they did make some tweaks, mainly with the color of the text, one of the fonts and a quote from Seattle author Bruce Barcott.

I’m still kind of taking it all in, whether the changes are even necessary or not.

The original hard cover is on the top, the proposed paperback is down below. Thoughts?

Posted by onmounthood | May 4, 2012 | Categories: On Mount Hood: the Book | Tags: Mount Hood, On Mount Hood: the book | Leave a comment

On Mount Hood at a book fair — and bake sale

A few weeks ago, fellow Sasquatch Books author Patricia Lichen — author of a great book I referenced in On Mount Hood called River-Walking Songbirds & Singing Coyotes: An Uncommon Field Guide to Northwest Mountains — invited me to be a part of the Atkinson Book and Author Fair. I gladly signed on, and now the fair is just about here. It runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday, May 5, 2012, at the Atkinson Memorial Church in Oregon City. (710 Sixth Street)

There will, of course, be much more there than On Mount Hood. In fact, more than 30 area authors will be on hand, including Kim Cooper Findling, David Michael Slater, and Kristina McMorris. There will also be two free workshops open to anyone: “Editing Tips with a Professional Editor” at 11 a.m. and “How to Start a Book Blog” at 1 p.m.

And just for a little icing on top: there will be a bake sale, too.

Posted by onmounthood | May 3, 2012 | Categories: On Mount Hood: the Book | Tags: Mount Hood, On Mount Hood: the book | Leave a comment

Mountain brew — and view

After our hike to Tamawanas Falls over the weekend, we’d worked up a bit of a hunger and a thirst. Our first stop was to Marchesi Vineyards, a charming little winery in Hood River, where we sampled a tasty pinot grigio and their 2010 primitivo, which is pretty much a zinfandel. Both were fantastic, as was the complimentary bread, cheese, and salami and the kid-friendly feel of the place.

For me, though, the ideal aprés-hike beverage is always, hands-down, a fresh, cold IPA or pale ale. And when you’re hiking the north and east sides of Mount Hood and passing through Hood River on your way back home, you’re in the land of some great examples of both.

For years, the go-to was always Full Sail, and it’s still a consistent king in my book. Their menu has gotten much better over the years as well. Just down the street, Double Mountain Brewery & Taproom threw some variety into the mix when they opened in 2007 with their Vaporizer, IRA and Hop Lava ales. They offer some nice brick-oven pizzas and sandwiches, too.

This time, we branched out a little more, and headed over the river to Everybody’s Brewing, a characteristic brew pub I’d heard about in White Salmon. Like some of the other brewers out in the Gorge, Everybody’s Brewing brews ’em up right: Country Boy IPA, Boo Brah Bitter, Goodwill IPA, and others. They also serve up classic pub fare and have a front corner for live music, which was strumming away and adding nice color the night we were there.

There’s something else that sets Everybody’s Brewing apart from many of its compatriots out in the Gorge, too; something that makes the short drive across the bridge to White Salmon even more worth it than it already is:

That’s the view from their patio.

(Image courtesy of Everybody’s Brewing.)

Posted by onmounthood | May 2, 2012 | Categories: Food and Drink | Tags: beer, drink, food, hiking, Mount Hood | Leave a comment

Tamanawas Falls Hike

The first time we did the beautiful Tamanawas Falls hike on the northeast side of Mount Hood, about seven years ago, our loads were a little lighter than they were this past weekend. Back then, it was just the two of us and a black lab puppy.

Tamanawas Falls, 2005

I remember the hike being pleasant enough, the falls pretty and natural. For some reason, though, what really stuck in my mind from that first time was a guy who had hiked the two miles back to the falls and was taking a break on the side of the trail. On his back was a pack full of his, I don’t know, maybe one-and-a-half-year-old daughter. At the time, I was pretty impressed and glad to see that he was still hitting the trail even though he had a little one in tow. It wasn’t an easy concept for me to grasp back then, pre-kids and all.

Not too long after that, however, I became that guy myself, heaving my daughter and then my son on my back to hit the trail at places like the Salmon River, Wind Mountain, and an all-time favorite, the beach near Bandon. Fast-forward a few more years, and the cycle’s progressed even a little further. The dog’s still bounding like he was in 2005, the boy’s still on my back at 2, but his big sister is now making her way down the trail and to the falls on her own.

The hike to Tamanawas Falls is a great one. Just under two miles one way and with less than 600 feet in elevation gain, the trail pretty much just ambles along the crystalline Cold Spring Creek through a quiet and, at times, dense fir forest. A couple stout log bridges make for easy stream crossings, and the cascading creek, towering trees, and easy, scenic terrain keep the mind on what’s important out in the wild. It’s an ideal Mount Hood hike for anyone looking to get out for a quick stretch of the legs and the senses. As I’ve come to learn over the years, it’s an even more ideal hike for those who are just learning how to stretch out their little legs and enjoy a walk in the woods.