Elowah Falls.

I needed to step away from the computer, so I loaded up my two Labradors and my camera, and headed off to the Columbia River Gorge for a small hike. The sun poked through the broken clouds as I pulled out of the driveway at my house in Milwaukie. As I drove east on Johnson Creek Boulevard, I could see this ominous dark cloud hovering over northeast Portland. The the rain dumped heavily.

My first destination was Latourell Falls, but it was dumping rain there too. I headed east on the old highway, passing Wahkeena, Multnomah and Horsetail Falls. The further east I went, the rain was lighter. By the time I reached John B. Yeon State Natural Area near Warrendale, the rain stopped. The dogs jumped out and we headed up the trail to Elowah Falls.

I packed light for this small two-mile hike. I really didn’t think it was necessary to pack 20 pounds of camera equipment to a shooting location that would soak every piece of camera equipment I had. I also don’t believe every photograph taken of the natural outdoors should be on a sunny, cloudless day either. I’ll just capture the weather, no matter what mood Mother Nature is in (that is, if my camera doesn’t drown in the rain).

The leaves are beginning to change. The trees are very much still green in the Columbia River Gorge. A few trees are starting to hint some gold, red and brown.

Mt. Hood from Timberline Trail #600 at Bald Mountain.

After hiking to Ramona Falls last week, I thought about trying a new hike at Bald Mountain, a butte located north of Ramona Falls. I needed a new hike destination anyway. I drove fifty mile from my house to the Top Spur Trailhead located along Forest Service Road 1828-118. The dogs jumped out of the car and began racing up the trail.

I headed through the woods southbound on the Timberline Trail #600 as my dogs ran ahead of me loose. I noted the trail began curving to the east and then the forest ended as Mt. Hood came into view. I also saw the narrow trail running alongside a steep hillside with some steep drops.

My dogs are clueless to what might happen if they strayed off the trail. Henry was curious about the cliff ledge, so I leashed the coupler to both their harness, attached the leash to the coupler and to the carabiner attached to my camera pack belt. Immediately both my Labs decided they wanted to tow me along the trail or wrap me with the leash, which I saw this as a real potential problem.

Right then I aborted moving forward, turned around and headed back to the trailhead. I may have to revisit Bald Mountain without the dogs. I might feel guilty leaving the two at home the next time around, but that is better than losing one or both dogs, or all three of us in some mishap.

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.

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.