Owen and Henry romp around in the fall snow at Timberline Lodge. Oct. 20, 2008.

After spending the day over at the Ochoco National Forest where the weather is much warmer, I thought I’d swing by Timberline Lodge on my way home. Instead of enjoying the warm, partly sunny conditions that I had enjoyed at the Ochoco, I found myself caught in a blizzard.

Did I shoot many photos? Apparently not. The reason for it was I wasn’t dressed for the occasion. I was wearing a t-shirt and shorts, which was suitable for the 60-degree temperatures I had in the Ochoco. This was not really the appropriate attire for the 25-degree plus wind chill, snow and ice pellets.

When I drove up Timberline Road, the “Snow Zone” sign was blank. Many other people attempted to drive up the road without traction tires or devices, failed. I began losing traction at the “Y” near the lodge, but I kicked my rig into 4-wheel drive and finished my way to the parking lot.

There is no doubt that my two Labradors, Owen and Henry, love the snow.

An unidentified person watches the sun set behind Portland from Sherrard Point on Sunday.

After the Balfour House protest today, I decided to get away and enjoy some rest and relaxation.

I enjoy being active with the neighborhood and helping my neighbors fight this makeshift jail, but I need to take a break. Then factor in my day job, which I won’t divulge.

Today, I drove to Sherrard point, a 4,056-foot panoramic point on Larch Mountain in eastern Multnomah County to shoot some photos of the sunset. This time I left the two misbehaving four-legged slobber tongues at home.

Judging from the parking lot at the summit, it appeared very crowded, but at the observation point there were only a few people there.

I snapped a few standard Mt. Hood photos and a few of Mt. Adams. The light on Mt. St. Helens didn’t have much reflectivity, so it was very poor to photograph.

One photo that I was really amazed with was the guy on the rock at the Sherrard Point, watching the sun descended behind Portland out in the distance.

The past few weeks have been quite crazy for me, but now it is time to take a break from all the neighborhood excitement.

Ramona Falls.

I took the dogs for a six-mile hike to Ramona Falls, a waterfall in the Mt. Hood National Forest north of Zig Zag, on Tuesday. Normally the hike turns out pleasant, but with temperatures in the 90s, wind blowing dust off of the sandy hillsides and smoke from wildfires, the hike was rather uncomfortable. Exhausting my water supply only made matters worse. This hike was also a rare moment hike where I desperately wanted to get off the trail.

I delayed posting this blog because the Web hosting company was doing hardware upgrades in the server. Wednesday was another story that I don’t want to get into.

The sun sets behind the Coast Range, as seen from Sherrard Point.

After spending a short afternoon watching a river boil, I jet off to east Multnomah County for some sunset photography at Larch Mountain. At the peak of Larch Mountain is Sherrard Point, an overlook with a panoramic view. I didn’t spend much time up there because practically a ton of people from the area also showed up. The site is not at all a hidden treasure, especially when it is clearly visible from Portland. The dogs became quite impatient with the several dozen people at the overlook while being leased, so I bagged up and left after a few shots.

Austin Hot Springs reaches 156.4 degrees.

I (safely) found out how hot the Austin Hot Springs can get. Even though I didn’t manage to get across the river, one of the spring pool sin the Clackamas River did reach 156.4 degrees Fahrenheit. I was curious to find out how hot the springs were after hearing a report that three people were seriously burned by the springs.

Editor’s Note: Shortly after writing this post and a related YouNewsTV on Monday, I learned the springs is located on a private property. The property is not clearly marked with “no trespassing” signs and property ownership, which may have been removed by unauthorized persons. The property owners and U. S. Forest Service officials are asking people to stay out of the springs and the property. Unlike the nearby Bagby Hot Springs where cool water is mixed to control the water temperature, the water temperature at Austin can fluctuate unpredictably to levels where it may cause serious burns.

Catalpa Lake.

I took my dogs, Owen and Henry, to Catalpa Lake. It is a small shallow lake located in a secluded area between White River valley and Frog Lake in the Mt. Hood National Forest. It is smaller than the popular Mirror Lake that is west of Ski Bowl in Government Camp. The hike is short and easy, about three-quarter of a mile one way on a dirt trail though a moderate density forest, and with a climb of a total of 100 feet. Parking at the trailhead is extremely tight.

Owen (near) and Henry (out far) enjoy a cool swim in Catalpa Lake.