Jake's Parents Visit Us Over Spring Break

3/18/2010
After picking-up Mom & Dad from the train station, we continued our tradition of walking through REI to stretch their legs after sitting for 32 hours. We then headed back to our place where I showed them around the new house. I drew their attention to all the remodeling projects Sherri & I worked on this last year. After Mom & Dad got a chance to freshen up a bit, we left to go visit Sherri at school. She was finishing up the last of her parent/teacher conferences before spring break. We introduced Mom & Dad to a bunch of our teacher friends at school, and then went out to dinner together. The weather was so nice that Mom, Dad, and I decided to get a quick hike in around Powell Butte, which is just a couple of blocks down the road from our house. We saw beautiful views of the surrounding snow capped peaks and had a great time catching up with each other. Dad took a couple of pictures of me running in front of Mt. Hood, which I hope to use in an article that I’m about to publish online. That night, Mom made us tapioca pudding with her famous homemade chocolate syrup—one of my absolute favorites. We then wound down from a great first day of vacation by watching a national parks video together.

3/19/2010
This morning I fixed everybody French toast for breakfast, and we spent a good couple of hours just hanging around in the kitchen sharing stories with each other. Sherri & I talked about some of our teaching experiences while Mom & Dad filled us in on all their horse riding adventures. Sherri then suggested that we journey out to Eagle Creek where she remembers hiking through a beautiful canyon with tons of waterfalls. At times, the walls of the canyon were so steep that the trail was just a thin ledge cut out from the side of a cliff. At our lunch spot, a whole swarm of friendly butterflies decided to visit us. They landed on our arms and faces, trying to taste something sweet I’m sure. It was fun to actually wear shorts again, and tomorrow will be the official first day of spring.












3/20/2010
It was my turn to pick the hiking spot today, and no “Jake trail” makes the cut unless there is a fair amount of bushwhacking involved. It turned out to be a beautiful, sunny, 70-degree day out, and we knew everybody and their brother would be out crowding all the major destinations. So in an effort to avoid hoards of people, I took us all down to the Bull Run River where I knew of a glorified deer path that winds along the riverbank. There wasn’t a soul in sight, and we had the entire forest and cascading river to ourselves. As we started the hike, I noticed Mom had changed into her running shoes. This trail can get really muddy in spots, so I suggested that she strap on her hiking boots, but mother was determined to give her feet a break. Later she would joke about why she didn't wear different shoes since her Nike’s were now completely covered with mud. We were hoping to follow the river all the way to Dodge Park, but the trail kept narrowing to the point that we could no longer hack our way through the brush. However, we did manage to scale our way down to the river where we found a great spot to have lunch and get a closer look at the rapids. After taking some photos, we decided to head our way back to the truck in order to make it home in time for pizza & wine.







3/21/2010
For our day of rest, we decided to visit a local community church were some friends of ours attend. The people there were very friendly and we enjoyed the service. The pastor spoke about the different types of covenants, and actually cut apart different stuffed animals to imitate a blood sacrifice. Later Mom & Dad tagged along with Sherri & I to our soccer game, and then caught some dinner together at good old Muchos Gracias. That night we watched part of the TV series “Life” on the Discovery channel before heading to bed.

3/22/2010
Today we decided to do some shopping at Clackamas Towncenter since it wasn’t the greatest weather for playing outside. After scouring through the stores for bargains, Sherri thought it would be only fitting to cap-off the day by going out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. At Gustav’s, Dad ordered a German beer sampler with a bunch of different flavors. He let Mom & I drink the ones that he didn’t like. That night, we broke out the cards and played a few rounds of golf. Mom had the unfortunate experience of racking up way too many points, but we had plenty of good laughs.

3/23/2010
The weatherman said that it was going to be a beautiful day, so we packed up the truck with snacks and drove out to Silver Falls State Park. On our way, we of course had to stop at the Woodburn mall to see if there were any good deals at the Columbia, Nike, and North Face stores. Mom ended up finding some GORE-TEX hiking shoes and Dad finally found a micro-fleece sweatshirt that is almost identical to the one I always wear. After practically robbing the local Arby’s restaurant with all our coupons, we set out for some more hiking and sightseeing. We basically did a 4-hour crash course of all the major waterfalls in the park, and enjoyed walking through an occasional shower of fresh mountain mist behind the falls. On our way back, we ended up passing a family whose dad was pushing a rinky-dink stroller through the rocks and mud. They all looked miserably tired and unprepared for such a long hike. Later on we stopped to take a breather, and Mom noticed that the same family was catching up to us. We weren’t about to get passed up by some dude pushing a stroller, so we got to our feet and pressed on. It was a race from that point on because anytime we stopped, one of us had to keep an eye out for the stroller family…and they were always close behind. At one point, two of them actually passed us up, but we noticed that the mother was now carrying one of the wheels from the busted stroller. Fortunately, they stopped a little ways up the hill for a smoke break as they vented some more frustration and waited for the rest of their group. This gave us enough leeway to stay ahead of them the rest of the way back—whew!








3/24/2010
Today was supposed to be the last day of sunshine, so we planned to make another day of enjoying the wilderness. First, Sherri baked us all delicious scones for breakfast, and then we taught Mom & Dad how to play the game Carcassonne. Sherri then left for her soccer game while Mom, Dad, and I set out towards the Columbia Gorge where we decided to try a new hike up to Angel’s Rest Point. We turned around about half way up the trail since we had already caught plenty of good views, and it was a really long hike to the top. Just a short distance down the road we found a beautiful little interpretive trail which took us to Bridal Veil Falls. After snapping a few tripod shots of us standing in front of a mossy backdrop of rock and falling water, we headed up to Larch Mountain. Unfortunately, the road was closed about ¾ the way up the road due to winter conditions. I didn’t think it was that much further up the road to the lookout point, so we started walking up the road together. We happened to pass a couple taking pictures along the road who later yelled up to us…“CAR!” The joke was on us since we turned around just to realize that the only thing on this road was a little snow and some deer scat. As soon as the sun started to go down, we noticed that the other couple had turned around, but we decided to press on. It was a steady climb up a winding road that seemed to never end. Soon, the entire road became covered with snow, and we knew it was time to call it quits. Mom & Dad let me run up ahead through the snow to maybe catch a sneak a peak at Mt. Hood from the top. Sure enough, about a ½ mile up around the bend was the parking lot covered in a foot of snow. I looked out over the valley as the moon was now shining brighter than the evening sunset, and the mountain stood pale white against the darkened sky. It was a long trek back to the truck, but a perfect evening for a night walk through the silent forest. As we passed a clearing in the woods, the city lights looked like glowing hot embers flickering in the distance. After tending to our blisters and sore feet, Dad’s GPS encouraged us with the news that we had hiked a total of 12 miles that day. I’ve got some hardcore parents!


3/25/2010
The rain had finally arrived, and we ended up hanging-out indoors most of the day to rest our sore hiking muscles. Sherri made us some of her homemade Mac & Cheese for lunch, and then we decided to run into town for some more shopping. Mom picked up a juicy fillet of salmon at the grocery store, and then we headed home to bake some bread for our dinner with Sherri’s parents. Mom and I sure had fun tossing flour and sprinkling seasonings around the kitchen together. That night we enjoyed a wonderful dinner as we shared more stories around the table.

3/26/2010
This morning we woke up to the usual greeting by Dad who already had hot water on the stove for us. We all sipped on some coffee and tea while watching the news together. The sunshine occasionally peered through the clouds, so we decided to attempt one last short hike up to Powell Butte just to stretch our legs a bit. That night I was finally able to make my eggplant Parmesan dish while Mom fixed a delicious sauce for the baked salmon. After diner we taught Mom and Dad another game called “Ticket to Ride,” which was quite fitting since they both love riding the train together. We wound down for the evening by watching a Stomp video that had us brushing our teeth to cool beats.

3/27/2010
It was kind of a sad day because we knew that Mom & Dad would be heading back home on the train today. Mom had become very attached to our favorite Camelback backpack, so we had to make sure she didn’t try and sneak it into her luggage. They insisted on taking us out to lunch, so Sherri took us to a Chinese restaurant that she and a friend had gone to awhile back. We knew it was authentic since we could barely understand the scattered English from the hosts. Mom had me taste some of the hot and sour soup she ordered, and it felt like I had swallowed the sun. My eyes started watering, and I couldn’t stop sneezing. It eventually settled down to the point where I could see again, and we all got a good laugh out of it. Mom & Dad got to see us play a nail biter soccer game as our team pulled off a win by just one point. After the game we hurried down to the train station and hung out for a while until #28 rolled in on the tracks. It was tough to see them leave, but we couldn’t have asked for a better Spring Break.

Waldorf and New Bowling Ball

Sherri & I enjoy making frequent shopping trips to Goodwill stores around our area to find great deals, and this last week the "Powers that Be" provided me with a bowling ball that had my name inscribed in it. The ball came with shoes and a carrying case, all for $6.99. Also seen in this picture is good old Waldorf, which we found for $1.99- couldn't pass that one up either.

National Parks Trip Continued...

8/11/2009
Today, Sherri & I continued our summer quest of visiting all the National Parks along the west coast. We stayed with Sherri’s brother Jim and his twin girls the night before at Fort Lewis. For some reason, we chose to watch a horror flick that night about some abandoned old cabin out in the middle of a forest. I’m not sure that was the wisest thing to watch right before we journeyed out into the backwoods ourselves. Our first stop in the Olympic National Forest was Lake Quinault, where we hiked a small nature trail through an actual rain forest. Supposedly, flying squirrels live in this area, but we were sadly disappointed not to spot any of them soaring between the giant Douglas fir trees. We then followed the coastline up to Ruby Beach and hiked along the shore while high tide was crashing down waves onto the rocks and islands. We skipped rocks on the calm inland pools of water, and enjoyed a snack while sitting on the enormous piles of driftwood that were stacked along the entire beach. As we drove back inland toward the Olympic Mountains, we found a nice campsite along the Sol Duc River. That afternoon we hiked out to Sol Duc Falls, and after some mac and cheese we decided to give the Ranger presentation a try at the amphitheater. We thought it was going to be about the numerous rivers that flow out of the park, but the ranger got so hung up on Salmon, that we decided to ditch…as politely as possible of course. Following the river back to our campsite, we had to carefully navigate across huge logs and side streams. The natural obstacle course was quite fun, and made for an exciting way to wrap up the evening. As the sun went down, we could faintly see fog rolling up the valley walls. We put the rain fly on our tent just in case the sky decided to rain. Before falling asleep, we watched an episode of Glee on Sherri’s I-pod that we hung above us in the tent.
Expenses: $31 gas, $2 carton of fresh raspberries, $3.57 Taco Bell.
Miles Hiked: 5





8/12/2009
This morning we tore down camp and had some hot oatmeal for breakfast. After packing the truck, we drove on up to the Elwha River visitor’s center. The road passed Crescent Lake, which was completely calm, except for a lone fisherman casting subtle ripples upon the water. An older gentleman greeted us at the visitors center, whom we had a long conversation with about the history and attractions of this particular section of the park. We asked if the rumor was true about there being natural hot springs along the river where people can soak. He laughed, as if it was the only question people ever ask him. However, upon learning about the high concentration of fecal coliform bacteria that exist in these contaminated little hot tubs, we quickly looked for other options. He convinced us to take a hike through Rica Canyon instead. This trail gave us wonderful views of the river, as well as an intriguing area called Goblin’s Gate—a narrow channel that forces the river into a steep canyon. Huge trees were suspended on their sides at the mouth of the gate, a for sure sign of the power and intensity this river can display at flood levels. After returning to the truck, we continued along the northern rim of the park until we reached Hurricane Ridge. Sherri busted open a box of Jelly Bellies that a student had given her awhile back, and had me guess the different flavors as I drove—only 4 out of 10 correct. This winding road climbed up into the clouds, leading to a visitor’s center perched right in front of the Olympic Mountain Range. We caught brief glimpses of Mt. Olympus, as the clouds would take turns attempting to pass over this massive peak with glaciers nestled on every side. After hiking a short nature trail along the ridge, we headed back down the mountain, and set off towards the North Cascades. We drove east as far as the road would allow us, and eventually had to ferry across the rough waters of an ocean channel. Once on land again, we found a rest area not too far from the park and hunkered down in the Blazer for the night.
Expenses: $31.51 gas, $9.39 Taco Bell, $13.75 Ferry.
Miles Hiked: 5







8/13/2009
I got an early start driving into North Cascades National Park because I was so eager to explore the “Alps of the Northwest.” Unfortunately, we were socked in pretty good by the clouds, hiding most of the larger peaks. We decided to hike a short trail along the Skagit River while waiting for the Ranger Station to open. Upon our return, we chatted with a ranger about potential cloudy day hikes, and he recommended heading over to the east side of the park where the elevation is a bit higher. We found the Rainy Pass Trailhead, and decided to hike the Maple Pass Loop. This trail could very well be one of the most impressive routes that I have ever hiked. There were spectacular views of several high mountain lakes, waterfalls, and razor edge peaks as we traversed along alpine ridges. Since the lakes were all fed by glacial melt, the water reflected a beautiful emerald green color. Even though clouds surrounded us, the sun would occasionally peer through, and once we were even doused with a sun shower. However, as soon as we crossed over Maple Pass and started our descent, the clouds darkened, and the wind picked up considerably. Then the rain really hit us hard, even to the point of haling at one point, while booms of thunder could be heard in the distance. Even still, the clouds broke just long enough for us to have lunch on a rock ledge overlooking a waterfall cascading into Rainy Lake. We were really soaked by the time we got back to the truck, and decided to call it good for our first visit of the North Cascades. Sherri & I will definitely be returning to this park in the future, hopefully at a time when the sun is more available. On our way home we stopped at a Dairy Queen as a reward for a successful day of hiking and another end to a great camping trip.
Expenses: $27.50 gas, $4.30 Dairy Queen.
Miles Hiked: 8.5










Total Trip Expenses: $122.82
Total Miles Hiked: 18.5