|
|
 |
| 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. |
|
|
|
|
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.
No comment.
ReplyDeleteI am very envious, though, of the sunrise and sunset experiences you were able to have there. That might be enough to get me there even with the lack of water.
ReplyDelete