Beautiful Sisters

I had three sisters when I was born - Trina, Tawnia and Emily.  By the time I was four I had two more sisters, Mindy and Clarissa.  Now I like to think I have 8 sisters - Trina, Tawnia, Emily, Mindy, Clarissa, Faith (North), Hope (Middle), and Charity (South).  All 8 are beautiful and I enjoy all of their company usually.  Except when the thunder clouds roll in.  Then I am afraid they are going to kill me.

The pictures below are from a trip in August 2011 in the Three Sisters Wilderness.

"You're famous!"

Graduate school crunch time.  Final project research underway and nearly done one night in March of 2012.  I was focused and on course to completing my work for my degree when I got a phone call from Shonee.  "You're famous!"  He exclaimed.  What was he talking about?  It started several months earlier while at the REI in Eugene, Oregon. 



My Lowa Renegades at Three Creek
Campground August 2013

I needed new boots.  The shoes I'd been using soaked up water better than a sponge and left my feet quite miserable after hours of hiking.  Many of you know, but one of the quickest ways to have a horrible time on a backpacking trip is to have shoes that aren't adequate for the journey.  I went to REI with a plan: get water proof, not water resistant, boots.  Boots that went above my ankles, but not halfway up my shin.  I found a pair of Lowa Renegade GTX Mid Hiking Boots - Mens for $220.  A necessary expense for enjoyable trips.  I was getting the boots for an upcoming adventure around North and Middle Sister in Central Oregon.  At this time I also bought an REI membership since it would pay for itself in dividends with just the purchase of the boots.  Of course they send you home with all sorts of paperwork and brochures after buying the membership, but I was cool with that.  Fire fuel as I called paper at scout camp.

Before going to the Three Sisters Wilderness I went on a camping trip with my dear wife, Amanda.  That's right!  Someone other than Shonee.  It had been recommended to us to visit Tamolitch (or Blue) Pool on the McKenzie River.  We camped at Paradise Campground next to the river and did several day hikes on this trip.  We made it to Tamolitch Pool where the McKenzie River comes up from running underground into this magnificent, deep, frighteningly and mysteriously clear, blue pool, and then continues rushing toward Eugene on the opposite side.  The water is about 20-30 feet down from the trail, but it so calm and clear, the bottom is easily visible.  We were there at the perfect time of day.  We could see to the bottom and the blue was so awesome that people ask if our pictures are touched up or if that is the color of that water.  We took pictures from all the sides we could, including one with us, and then we were on our way back to Paradise Campground to get the best non-reservable site there.

A few weeks after this trip and the trip to the Three Sisters (which went well but there were lots of mosquitoes because of the late snow melt) I found the paperwork from the REI purchase.  "Send in your pictures of your outdoor adventures" or something like that was advertised on the paperwork.  "Sure," I thought, "Might as well."  I submitted two pictures, one of my campsite from the Sisters' trip, and one of Amanda and I at Tamolitch Pool.  Then I pretty much forgot about it.

Two months later (November 1, 2011) I got an email saying that my picture was being considered "to continue to the next step"  for use in REI advertising.  However the photo in the email wasn't my photo.  I wrote back to the REI rep and told her I was flattered but that "this is not the photo that I submitted. I remember submitting one, I just don't remember which one. Let me know if that one made it to the next level."  She apologized in a reply email and attached the correct photo of Amanda and I at Tamolitch Pool.  We signed paperwork stating that REI could use the pictures for whatever they wanted and we would get nothing in return and went on with our lives. 

Now to the night of March 19, 2012, and working on my master's project. 

"Famous?" 

"Yeah.  Your picture is in the REI dividend.  On page 7." 

We ran out and checked our mail, but had not yet received our dividend.  For fun we went to REI.com to see if our picture was there.  On the main page of the site was the picture of Amanda and I at Tamolitch Pool.  For months later, our photo remained on the membership page of REI.com.  Friends said they saw us on posters in the stores.  A zoomed in 4x4 picture was used on the posters (one of which we have in our living room).  Because it was my first dividend, I did not get the same version as Shonee and others who had been members for more than a year.  Amanda called customer service and they sent us a copy of our very own.  On page seven, with the day-pack gear, was a picture of Nathan P, who had been a member of REI since August of 2012.  We showed it to everyone.  I stood in line at REI with the dividend in hand and should it to this women behind me.  Later on a day hike I was telling people about it and that very same lady was there. 

Famous? Probably not. Annoyingly happy and showy-offy. Without a doubt.

Rushing McKenzie River on hike in	First glimpse of pool
Down by the pool on the east side	The best non-reservable campsite Site number 1

Table Rock. July 31-August 1, 2009, with Shonee

Mt. Jefferson with ominous clouds

Photo courtesy Shonee D.

After a wet and drizzly trip into Eagle Creek Canyon, Shonee invited me to join him on a not at all wet one-nighter to Table Rock outside of Molalla, Oregon. Now I say not at all wet 1) because "dry" sounded weird to me, and 2) because there was no water source on this trip. All the water we were to have on the trip we had to drag in ourselves. I don’t remember if it was one or two gallons of water that I dragged in there. Regardless, the fact that I was carrying so much water weight made me have to drink more.

One thing I remember from this trip is the amount of flies. It never fails that there is some sort of flying pest on each of these trips – mosquitoes, flies, bees, wasps, grouse. Here we had flies. I don’t think either of us ever got bit by one, or if these were the biting kind, but they were the flying and bugging kind, so Shonee and I found some respite from the never ending swarm when we climbed into the tent and played cribbage.

The trail went through a forest filled with rhododendron bushes but no blossoms at this time of year. As we were hiking I determined that I wanted to see a forest floor blooming with flowers and I got my chance a couple years later at Salt Creek Falls (the same Salt Creek Falls where I was at the receiving end of a million mosquito kisses). At one point of the hike we stopped for a break on top of on outcropping. As I moved closer to the cliff’s edge I got more and more dizzy. I probably should have realized then that I don’t particularly like heights.



The trail turned to a large bolder slope at the base of Table Rock where we circled around the cliff and continued up the other side. The last half mile or so was quite a climb. Once on top, however, the trail followed a “spine” to an outcropping of trees where we set up camp. Some trail predecessor left a fire ring for us so we could roast and eat our hotdog dinner. This is where I learned that I will eat a hotdog even after it has fallen into the ashes of the fire pit. Also, if you’re going to have a fire where there is no water available to put it out, make sure you have enough for drinking later. In this instance, we did have enough to drink and put out the fire.

Because we were on top of a basalt outcropping, we had views in all directions. We could see the sunset to the west and we watched the sunrise over Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson to the east. Columnar basalt has always impressed me, and this area is not lacking in basalt cliffs. How the plants have thrived and pushed and grown through the rock is another miracle in my eyes.

Overall this was tame – no rain, no illness, no injury, no getting lost. All of which I experienced on later trips.

	Photo courtesy Shonee D.
Sunset to the east	Photo courtesy Shonee D.
	Mt. Hood at sunrise
Mt. Jefferson and foothills at sunrise
Photo courtesy Shonee D.
Sunrise.  Photo courtesy Shonee D.	Photo courtesy Shonee D.

Eagle Creek in the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness. June 12-14, 2009, with Shonee and Hyrum



The adventure I took from June 12-14, 2009, had been building up for several months.  It was the first time in a long time I had been on a backpacking trip and I really needed a break after that particular year at school.  I was very excited to head out into the woods of the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness along Eagle Creek with the guys.  I remember when we were out there and I was just so excited even though it was pouring down rain and my shoes and feet were soaking wet.

I didn’t own any of my own gear at this time so I borrowed stuff from the two guys I went with, Shonee and Hyrum.  I even shared a tent with Shonee, which I have done for all the trips I’ve been on with him except when our spouses are there and one other trip when I finally got my own tent.  Actually when I had my own tent I still bunked with him, but I will tell that story later.

We drove away from Salem Friday evening towards some ominous clouds but they would not deter us.  We got to the trail head around dusk and were contemplating whether or not we should head out into the woods or stay close to the car for the night.  Adventure won and we headed out.  Darkness soon enveloped us and if I remember right the rain got worse as the evening progressed.  We hiked a few miles in and I was up ahead of the other two thinking I saw a bear up ahead, while rain was dripping down my neck, when I came to our campsite.  Fortunately no one else was there because there wasn’t much space for even the two tents we had.  To this day I think that is the quickest I have seen tents set up and packs covered for the night.  It was cold, wet, purple, and dark.  And I was loving every moment of it!

The next day we got up and finally saw what was around us.  Green.  We were engulfed in a sea of the most glorious green I have ever seen.  I don’t remember what I ate on this trip (except some fruit snacks), but we did go on a hike the morning of the 13^th deeper into the woods.  We left our gear at our site where we planned to spend our second night.  On our hike we found a better camping spot for the next time we would head into these woods.  It was next to the creek and had more space so we could come out with more people.  Our journey continued on until the trail was so over grown, it wasn’t worth moving on.  The foliage was still all wet from the previous night’s rain.  The wet ferns rubbed against our clothes leaving us rather wet.  Especially my feet because I had mesh hiking shoes that just soaked up every drop. 

 At one spot we referred to as clover mountain, we stopped to take pictures and drink some water.  As we were hiking out, I realized I left my water bottle back at clover mountain.  Shonee was kind enough to run back and get my bottle – I think he felt a little responsible and my feet were turning to prunes.  Hyrum and I continued on back towards camp arriving shortly before Shonee.  He ran to clover mountain and back smashing down many clovers trying to find the bottle, but was unsuccessful. 

 I had recently purchased a flint and steel and wanted to tryout my fire making skills.  Using dryer lint as a tinder bundle (thanks Bear Grylls) I got a small fire going.  Not far from camp we found a fallen, rotting tree where the under wood was dry and good for burning.  We got a fire going, got my shoes drying and I needed some refreshing.  I pulled out my water bottle and offered Shonee a drink.  That’s right.  My water bottle was not back at clover mountain but in the daypack.  I found it on the way back to camp with Hyrum when we stopped for a picture of a tree fallen between several other trees on alternating sides of the fallen tree.  Hyrum had the idea to offer Shonee a drink after we’d been back at camp for a while.  I think it worked out.  Sorry Shonee. 

We hung out for the remainder of the overcast day around camp adding wood to the fire to dry our shoes and whittling on sticks.  Flag Day was another overcast day.  After a nice fire to get us started for the day (which I think Hyrum or Shonee started with the flint and steel), we hiked up and out rather quickly.  A gentleman at the trailhead mentioned having seen bears often on this trail.  I wonder if it was actually tree stumps he was seeing.