Holiday beer tour of the Fred Meyer beer section: Thanksgiving edition

In honor of Katie's surprise day off for Thanksgiving, we decided to ramp up our tastings a bit.  Here are the beers we tried on Thanksgiving Eve and Thanksgiving day:

Alaskan

Winter Ale brewed with spruce tips

6.4% ABV

Scotty: appreciated the holiday spruce flavor but did not really like the creamy finish.  Wouldn't necessarily order it again, but thought it was decent.  6.5/10

Katie: felt the opposite way about the aftertaste; the spruce-brewed flavor was refreshing, and the creamy aftertaste lent a comforting note.  8/10

Average score: 7.25

Pyramid Brewery

Snow Cap Winter Warmer

7.0% ABV

Scotty: Would order it again.  Really liked the holiday flavor of this beer.  Solid holiday beer but nothing too special and did not leave a strong flavor impression.  Still, enjoyed it more than the Alaskan. 7/10

Katie: Thought it was a nice beer, but it didn't stand out from the pack for me.  Couldn't remember too much about the flavor the next day (not because we were drinking!) 6/10

Average score: 6.5

Rogue

Santa's Private Reserve Ale

6% ABV/65 IBU

Scotty: can smell the spruce, can taste it a bit but not as strongly as the Alaskan giving it a better balance with the other flavors. Malty finish but maybe a little too much.  7/10

Katie: nice balance of spruce and hops with a caramelized coffee malty flavor.  A little bitter at the end for me.  7/10

Average score: 7/10

We will be steadily working through the remainder of the beers so check back in for more, and happy Thanksgiving!

Holiday beer tour of the Fred Meyer beer section day #1

We were grocery shopping yesterday. We always check out the better-than-average beer section at Fred Meyer, mostly so Scotty can search for Pliny the Elder (he's such an optimist). We always like to try seasonals, so we decided to do a little taste test comparison. We grabbed all the big bottles of winter seasonals that we could find and brought them home. This is the first one we decided to try (it was closest to the front of the fridge):

 Full Sail Brewery

Wreck the Halls
American IPA/Winter Warmer hybrid

6.5 ABV/68 IBUs

Scotty's take: hoppy, less hoppy than Pliny but a solid single hop.  Has a great initial crispness with a nice aftertaste; however, disappointed by the lack of an identifiable holiday flavor compared to something like the Anchor Christmas Ale.  It tastes more like a nice IPA than a winter ale. 8/10

Katie's take: it's a nice IPA, smooth without overpowering bitterness but still a solid dose of hops.   Could be enjoyed with some spicy food, easy to drink and pleasantly refreshing.  Maybe a subtle taste of spruce in the background somewhere.  Would definitely drink it again! 7/10

Overall 7.5/10

Tune in soon for our next selection (it will be whichever is easiest to get out of the fridge).

The Spirit Quest

On Wednesday, August 3rd, I was a participant in an 8-hour (!!) Popular Education training seminar in Gresham, OR. The day before the seminar, I developed a sense of dread. To be stuck in a room for more than 5-hours with some random peeps, relearning something that I thoroughly studied during my recent Spring semester at Portland State, did not give me a warm and fuzzy feeling. However, I decided to stick it out because I knew that (a) my good friend Erica Ho was going to be participating as well and she is always fun to be around (b) that the facilitator running the event was going to be the amazing Noelle Wiggins and (c) that I really enjoy learning about Popular Education (and hope to use it in my future career). Thank God that I decided to attend and spend 8-hours cooped up in a small room with 20 other people because I was given a JUICY nugget of information that changed my life for the better.

During lunchtime, we were all encouraged to mingle to get to know one another. I decided to sit next to this girl who worked for the Multnomah County Public Health department in an attempt to get her opinion about working for an Oregon public health department. As I sat down next to her, she turned to me and asked, "Are you going to enjoy the sun this weekend?" I quickly and enthusiastically shouted, "YES!" I didn't mean to shout, it just came blurting out due to excitement. I was so excited for the weekend because it was the first really sunny week that Portland had seen all summer and I was ready for some tan lines. Katie and I decided the day before that we would take Uma dog out on an awesome hike in the Gorge. We both heard about a hike on the Washington side of the Gorge within Dog Mountain that was supposed to be spectacular, so we decided that was the hike we were going to do.

After explaining to the girl about Katie and my hiking plans, she just looked at me like I was crazy. She then began to explain how Dog Mountain is terrible because it has become so popular that hiking felt more like being stuck in commuter traffic. Also, to my surprise, she informed me that Dog Mountain is a SERIOUS hike. It is actually a training hike for larger trips like St. Helens. Then, out of nowhere, she hunched over and began looking side to side to make sure she was not being watched. She then partially covered her mouth, as to conceal what she was about to say and said, "I know of a hike. A hike that is so mystical that Native Americans used it as a spirit quest (a rites of passage ritual used by many tribes to mark the journey from child to manhood) thousands of years ago." Right when I heard the words "spirit quest" I started to have the most amazing visions of going into the woods and having apparitions appear to me just like how Peter Griffin saw the Fonz on his spirit quest (personally I was hoping for Jimmy Stewart or William Shatner). But, before she told me more about this hike, she made me swear that I would not tell anyone about it because it would then become super popular and potentially turn into what Dog Mountain is now. I guess this post means that I didn't keep that promise (Ha!). After swearing, she told me to look up the next two words: Wind Mountain.

As you can see in the topo map below, Wind Mountain is located on the Washington side of the Gorge, surprisingly, only a couple of minutes away from Dog Mountain.            

Wind Mountain Trail Topo

Katie and I were super excited for this trip however we felt a bit selfish knowing about this quest and not sharing it with people. So we decided that we needed to share this adventure with someone else and we knew the perfect person: Liz Paterson. Liz is our amazing friend from Portland, originally from Gilroy (Woot! Go Garlic!), who loves these types of outdoor adventures. We decide that Saturday (August 6th) would be the day that we hike this majestic mountain. Saturday comes along and we head out on our adventure. Down highway 84 we travel, across the Bridge of the Gods, and east on highway 14 until we reached a dirt road that took us to deep into the woods.

Tobias Fünke and Liz

After aimlessly driving through the woods on this random dirt road, we finally found the parking area and the hidden trailhead. Liz and I start to psych each other out to get pumped for the trip ahead (as you can see --->). The thing about this hike is that it is very short (only a 2.5 mile round trip route), however it has close to a 1,200 foot elevation gain. This meant that the hike was pretty steep. Due to how steep it was, this 2.5 mile hike was a pretty intense workout. However, the workout was worth every drop of sweat because the views from the top of this mountain were breathtaking. I feel fortunate enough to have seen a lot of beauty during my trips throughout the world but I have to say that this view from Wind Mountain was one of the most beautiful that I have ever seen.

Hipster View from the Top of Wind Mountain

As you can see from the picture to the left, you have this stunning view of the Columbia River (the river that separates Washington and Oregon). However, the coolest thing about the hike was that the top of the mountain was covered in loose granite. The loose granite made the top of the hike a bit treacherous because the footing wasn't the best but it allowed for some amazing artifacts to be built. According to signs posted at the top, the Native American participating in the spirit quests would get to the top of the mountain and build sculptures and sleeping nests from the loose granite. I could definitely see the usefulness of these nests because Wind Mountain doesn't get its name due to the breezy conditions at the top. It gets its name because it is windy as hell.    

We did it!

Liz taking in the view

After having lunch and taking some super cool photos (like the one of Uma dog below) we decided to head back down to the trailhead.

Uma dog FTW!

About halfway down the trail, Katie happen to notice a path that split off from the main trail and headed into the woods. Katie was intrigued because before our hike, she was reading about a spur of Wind Mountain that offered spectacular views. Confidently, Katie followed the little path and disappeared into the woods. Excited, she rushed back and told us that we needed to check out what was at the end of the path. We trekked on down the path and came to the spur that Katie was hoping to find. It was amazing and offered a totally different view than from the top. Rather than spectacular views over looking the the Columbia River, it was a view of nothing but forest. It was mesmerizing to see nothing but green as far as the eyes can see. It felt kind of like those magic eye posters. Also, we met a new friend on the spur. Below is a photo of the view and our new happy friend. 

Katie and I with a happy Leonardo DiCaprio

After a day of breathtaking views and steep hiking, we decided to head to a local brewery for some delicious foods and beers. A great end to a wonderful day! 

Moulton Falls Swimming Hole

This past Sunday was a hot one in Portland (90 degrees is no joke when your attic apartment doesn't have a/c!), so when Scotty had the brilliant idea for the three of us to go swimming, I didn't waste time googling swimming holes around Portland. I found this blog post about Moulton Falls swimming hole, and it looked perfect: cold river water, pretty arch bridge, shady trees and dog friendly.

We packed our bags with towels, sunscreen, chairs, dog snacks and books, got our swim gear on and piled in the jeep. On the way there we picked up some sunflower seeds and Sweet Leaf Tea so I could feel like I was back in Austin.

The drive was nice; about an hour over the Columbia into Washington and through some pretty farmland and forested areas. As we drive along the river road approaching the watering hole we saw cars pulled over every few feet and people swimming in the shallow, fast-moving river. We couldn't wait to feel the chill of that cold water!

Once we found our destination, we set up our chairs in a shady area overlooking the river.

Uma went straight for the water, so Scotty and I followed her in. The water was cold, but not too cold. Still, we both had to go in slowly to adjust to the chill. Uma, on the other hand, dove right in and was swimming around in no time. Ever since she has been with her new dog walking group, she's been swimming more and more, and now her old fear of going too deep to touch the bottom is completely gone. We all had a great time playing water fetch, climbing on big river boulders, and laughing as Uma's normal gracefulness disappeared on the slippery, uneven stones on the floor of the river.

After about an hour in the water, we got out, drank our tea, ate some seeds and relaxed with our books. Uma dog lounged on her towel for a bit, but she ended up going back in the water to splash around. We all left feeling relaxed and refreshed. Moulton falls is definitely our new go-to spot when a swim is in order!

Welcome!

Welcome to our brand new blog.  Here we'll post stories of our trips to the mountains, the beach, other countries, or even just exploring our own backyard.  Since the stories go back a few years prior to the idea for the blog, we'll be doing a little bit of time traveling here.  We just got back from a nice car camping/day hike trip today, so I'll start us out with that.


Since I'm on vacation from work this week and Scotty is enjoying his summer break, we made a spontaneous decision on Monday morning to go camping on Monday afternoon.  Influenced by the oppressive heat in the city, we chose to head to the mountains.  And when in Portland, it's hard not to be drawn to Mt. Hood's ever-present icy glory.  After googling a bit I found what looked like a small, lightly trafficked campsite in a great location almost 6000 feet up at the base of the mountain: Cloud Cap Saddle Campground.  Even better, it was right at the trailhead for the Timberline trail, which runs in a circle all the way around the mountain just below the timber line.  Once we made sure dogs were allowed and that the roads were all open, we packed up all our car camping gear and hit the road Monday afternoon after Scotty's meeting was over.

We drove out on highway 84 and then the Mt. Hood highway until we reached Cooper Spur Road.  It wound in and out of farmland for a bit and then climbed up and around until it hit Cloud Cap road, which quickly became a long unpaved road of bumpy switchbacks.   We found ourselves weaving through an eerie section of the forest which had been ravaged by a forest fire a few years prior; its barren landscape of scorched trunks was interrupted only by bright patches of wildflowers and stunning views of Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams.  After what seemed like hours we reached our destination, a small forested campground with 3 walk-in sites.  We were pleasantly surprised to be the only campers around!  We chose the site furthest from the road, set up camp, and then hiked up to the top of the peak we'd just driven up to catch the sunset and some amazing views of the mountain from the Cloud Cap Inn.

Scotty posing by the mountain.

Uma takes it all in.

On our way back down to the camp, we gathered enough firewood to make a nice fire.  We cooked a tasty camp dinner, played a few games of cards, and then turned in for a solid night of sleep under the stars in preparation for our hike.

Bright and early the next morning, I woke up to the smell of a delicious omelet cooking and the sound of Uma dog's tags jingling as she ran around the camp.  Scotty, true to form, had quietly snuck out of the tent and started getting breakfast and coffee ready for us.  Bellies full and pack ready to go, the three of us walked the 20 feet from our camp to the Timberline Trail head and started out on our great adventure.

It didn't take long to reach the edge of the wilderness.

We started out making steady uphill progress on a sandy trail through the forest.  Uma was particularly excited by the abundant squirrel and chipmunk populations.  After about 20 minutes, we turned a corner and got our first view of the mountain.

Mt. Hood, with Cooper Spur to the left.

Cooper Spur is the smaller peak to the left of Mt. Hood's summit.  We realized that must be our destination.  So we pushed on.  We hiked over and up through the rocky ridge in the picture and turned a corner through a small patch of woods before emerging at the junction with the Cooper Spur trail.  We had gone 1.1 miles and climbed from 5850 to 6640 ft; we still had 2.5 more miles and about 1900 feet of elevation until we reached the top at 8514 ft.  Scotty and Uma were excited; I was a little apprehensive, but we all decided we would make it no matter how hard it was or how many breaks it took.  So we turned right and started the steady uphill climb.

At first there were smaller trees and large boulders around us.  Uma chased a few chipmunks around as we pushed upward.  However, it wasn't long until we found ourselves above the timberline and looking right at Mt. Adams.

Just before the timber line.

As we hiked further, we found ourselves among the clouds.

Almost in the clouds!

The plants thinned out to nothing more than flowers and the boulders became smaller and smaller.  The summit of the spur was closer but still seemed more a part of Mt. Hood than a part of our trail.

Our goal.

We started seeing snow to the south.

As we ascended further along the long, sandy switchbacks, we lost our view of the mountain as we became completely immersed in clouds.

If you look closely you can see Hood behind those clouds.

Luckily, we had already seen some pretty spectacular summit views, and at this point we were grateful for the cloud coverage as it blocked out the summer sun.  We paused to take in what we'd accomplished so far.

At the north edge of the switchbacks we were greeted each time by a steep ravine.  Inside was the blue ice of the Eliot glacier.

Eliot Glacier.

At some point soon after this, the switchbacks ended in a fairly narrow snow patch.  Not seeing a clear route, we crossed it, Uma with great ease and Scotty and I with some trepidation.  However, we had only walked about 20 feet when we were met with the full expanse of the Newton Clark Glacier and its steep, slick slide down the mountain.  It wasn't hard for us to come to a consensus that we should turn back and figure out a safer route up.  Once we were back on the switchbacks, we found a narrow trail up the side of the ravine by the Eliot Glacier and decided to take it.

Thanks to the handy altimeter on Scotty's watch, we knew we were approaching 8400 feet.  We couldn't find a trail, so we decided to stop and eat lunch while we thought over whether it was better to scramble to the top or call it a day.  As we sat there, we noticed the footprints of a hiker we had seen coming down and decided to follow her path to try and summit since we had made it so far already.  Before we knew it, we had reached the stone shelters at the top!

Resting in one of the rock shelters at the top.

Proud!

And as luck would have it, the clouds began to clear, revealing an impressive view to the south.

It's a long way down.

Scotty!

Everyone was pretty excited to be there.

One tired, happy pup.

After taking in the sights, we decided it was time to head back to camp.  The views on the way back down were spectacular.  Everything seemed more colorful and impressive to me, but I suspect a lot of that was colored by my relief at making it up and happiness to be walking downhill at long last.

Back below the clouds again.

Sneaking up on Uma.

Success!

Scotty (followed by Uma) hopped up on a rock to demonstrate the scale of what we were seeing: Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, and a far away third mountain (not sure)?

Yay!

Man and beast check out the expansive view.

When we reached the Timberline Trail again, it seemed unreal.  We were excited that we'd reached the highest point on Mt. Hood that was accessible by trail!  And we were really excited to head back to camp, drink a nice cool beer, and relax by the fire.

Back to the bottom, 1.1 more downhill miles between us and camp.

 

Happy campers!

Until next time, happy trails and wagging tails!

--Katie