Mt. Biking Powell Butte

Exploring the Ape Caves

Since spring finally started sporting some nice sunny weather, Sherri & I decided to explore the Ape Caves near Mt. Saint Helen. Since there was still a bunch of snow up in that area, we ended up having to walk close to a mile in the snow just to get to the entrance. It was a beautiful day, and we nearly had the entire park to ourselves.

Jake's Parents Visit During Thanksgiving

Jake’s parents rode the train all the way from MN to visit us here in Oregon during Thanksgiving break. We successfully avoided downtown Portland except for a visit to REI after we left the train station, and chose rather to enjoy each other’s company in the haven of wilderness…away from all the bus exhaust, concrete, flocks of people, and urban SUV traffic. Mom & Dad were anxious to explore the scenic Pacific Northwest—waking early every morning with hiking boots on, coffee mugs full, and camera ready for action. Our weather proved to test the warranty on their rain jackets, so they both spoiled themselves by buying new ones while they were here. We were also blessed with some lingering fall weather that provided superb nature viewing. Sherri and I hosted some of her family, along with my parents, for our second attempt at preparing a Thanksgiving dinner…we’re getting pretty good at it now, but only because our mothers were their to guide us with their expertise.

Silver Falls State Park

For our last outing before school starts again we met up with Jeremy, Carri, and little Autumn for a visit to Silver Falls. We hiked the canyon loop trail and viewed all the beautiful waterfalls. Autumn and I sang songs together and had some good laughs.

Backpacking Mt. Adams

Sherri and I finally got an opportunity to go backpacking together this summer. We decided to explore Mt. Adams wilderness and some of the Goat Rocks National Forest. Since my family carries a curse that plagues us with rain any time we go camping, it was no surprise to see thunderstorms dominating the forecast this week. There was no stopping us though, and we ended up having a great time. The clouds parted enough each day for us to get some spectacular views. Wildflowers painted the entire landscape, and waterfalls were rushing fresh with new rain. The glaciers on Mt. Adams were stunning, somehow managing to hang onto the steep slopes. As we hiked through the Goat Rocks, we passed by numerous alpine ponds that were home to a fair share of mosquitoes this time of year. However, on our return hike we passed through an ominous fog that kept us nearly bug free. Each night we slept to the sounds of distant thunder and more than occasional tapings of rain drops on our tent. We spoiled ourselves a little by watching a couple episodes of Gilmore Girls on an I-Pod hanging from the top of our tent…it helped us fall asleep.

Caroline is Back from Iraq

Sherri and I headed up to Fort Lewis to welcome Caroline back home. It has been 2 years that she has been stationed in Iraq, and her family has missed her very much. We are very excited to be able to spend time with her again.

Trip To The Zoo!

Jim and the twins came down from their new home at Fort Lewis to visit this past weekend, and we all decided to go to the zoo together. The twins really seemed to enjoy it, and would make the animal sounds as they recognized what they saw. They hooted at the owls, roared with the bears, and growled like the leopard. They seemed most fascinated by the huge underground seal tank as they watched enormous sea lions swim right in front of them.