Please hold...

Well we knew it would happen sometime, just maybe not on a busy park street outside of the San Francisco Japanese Tea Gardens. We were gone maybe an hour, but the thief was quick and bold. One smashed window and gone is Lisa's computer. Fortunately, that's all he or she took, and I've been keeping all my photos on separate pen drives, which to me is the most important electronic property I own. My computer is also almost five years old and running on a second hard drive. He or she may be able to get $100 or so, although of course the greater concern is identity theft. In any case, Ryan and I will be spending the afternoon in Sacramento vacuuming out the car and getting the window fixed. It's all about taking the good with the bad.

It short, it may be a bit before I can post again, since typing on an iPhone is like torture for your thumbs, but we're brainstorming a solution to the computer problem and hopefully we'll have a means of sharing our stories soon!

Dare to Jump?

Crater Lake is the cleanest water in the world. Fed by snow and rain only, it remains and crystal clear blue captured in the bowl of a long dead volcano. I first visited the national park with my family, and in that visit, we stayed safely on the rim of the crater, looking down onto the pristine blue waters. Ryan however, wanted to go swimming.

While the lake may be held in an old volcano, make no mistake of the water temperature, it easily matched the icy frigidness of Glacier National Park’s. While Ryan was willing to get fully doused, I was thinking I would just dip my feet in and take pictures of him freezing his butt off…

That is until we saw this guy…

Woah. That looked fun. Should we try it? It took a few minutes of consideration for us to go investigate the cliff. The clear water afforded a perfect view of any rocks or obstructions along the shore, and below the cliff, there was nothing but dark blue water – there went our last excuse. “I’ll do it if you do it” I said to Ryan. And sure enough…

So then it was my turn.

Heart racing, hyperventilating a bit, I stepped out to the edge of the cliff.

A cousin of mine gave me the advice during graduation to do things that scared me, and this was certainly scary. It took every ounce of courage to lunge out over the open water, and fall.

Ryan's reaction to the cold...

Ryan told me that the iciness of the water was the second thing you noticed, and he was right. The first thing you notice is how far the fall is. I let out a little shriek before hitting the water it was far enough to catch my stomach and make one feel as though they were falling forever. It was also enough to push you far deep into the water, enough that I even looked up at the surface for a minute, surrounded by bubbles with shafts of sunlight seemingly forever away.

Then you notice the cold. It’s enough to take your breath away, and the waves buffeting you in the water makes swimming to the rocks a bit of a struggle. Nonetheless, I was shaking all over not from the cold but from the exhilaration of the plunge. We decided one icy plunge was enough, especially as the sun continued to lower and the air temperature continued to drop, but we were pretty glad we’d dared to jump.

Thanks for the heart-stopper Crater Lake!

Waterfalls, Waterfalls, and More Waterfalls

Ryan and I have been wondering what to do with all the picture of waterfalls we’ll have from the trip by the time we make it home. Yellowstone Falls, Tahquemenon Falls, Carter Falls, etc. etc. etc. I suggested we make a collage of them all and hang it in the bathroom, where it will be aptly appreciated.

Regardless of all the falls we’ve already seen, Ryan and I were nonetheless enticed to visit and stay the night at Silver Falls State Park. The campground may have been a bit congested, but the Silver Falls were well worth it, as waterfalls usually are.

In fact, Silver Falls State Park is home to the National Recreation Trail named The Ten Falls Trail. Below are the ten photos of its namesake.

1. South Falls (The Notorious)

2. Lower South Falls (The Just as Pretty)

3. Lower North Falls (The Not So Pretty)

4. Double Falls (The Almost Non-Existent)

5. Drake Falls (The Slightly Hidden Falls)

6. Middle North Falls (The Downplayed)

7. Winter Falls (The Actually Non-Existent)

8. Twin Falls (The Hidden)

9. North Falls (The Best View from Behind)

10. Upper North Falls (The Last Stop Before the Bathroom Falls)

Honorable Mention (The Almost Waterfall)

 

Overwhelmed by waterfalls yet? That's sort of how we feel. And yet, they're still so pretty. Undoubtedly there will be more to come as we make our way to sunny California in a couple days. Thanks for all the good times and beautiful weather Pacific Northwest! It's been unforgettable.

Portlandia

Yup, Portland has a pretty unique culture, but after living in Colorado, it doesn’t feel that much different than Boulder. In fact, the outdoor culture and liberal perspective felt the most like home since we left.

Ryan’s uncle, who has been living in the city for the past 13 years, served as our tour guide for not only Portland, but the surrounding area, including the Cascade Gorge and Mount Hood loop. He went out of his way to be sure we got a true taste of the culture, including organizing an Italian festival downtown and a huge relay race from Mount Hood to the Coast to thoroughly impress us. 

The bacon maple bar at right is one of Voo-Doo's most famous creations.

 Ok, maybe that was just good timing, but nonetheless, Ryan and I were grateful to be shown around and experience as much as we could, since the Pacific Northwest is quickly becoming a top prospect for a place to one day live. Some highlights of the visit included authentic Italian cuisine, the notorious Voo-doo Donuts, clear blue vistas of the Columbia River, hand-numbing mountain biking, alpine slide racing, and Ghirardelli brownies. Oh and I turned 23. It was a pretty full couple days, but Ryan and I enjoyed every minute of it, and hopefully our tour guide did too.

The adventure park at Skibowl in particular was quite memorable.

Mountain biking at Colorado’s ski resorts is very similar to what we did in Oregon, except in Oregon, we discovered fern diving. This phenomenon is the result of physics and gravity, typically when you have too much speed and a tight turn throws you head first into the ferns. Hence, “fern diving.” All of us took spills at one time or another, or several times in one rider’s case (ehm Ryan). In our defense though, there seems to be a bit of a disconnect in how the trails are labeled on the mountain. We managed one double black trail called “cannonball” with only some close fern calls, so then we dared to try “fire hydrant,” ignoring not only the signs saying experts only, but also the body board at the head of the trail.

Big mistake. When the trail involves four foot drops from cliff faces, ferns aren’t going to be enough to stop your dive. We submitted to bike hiking instead, and you can see a tidbit of what the trail looked like in the video below (click here if video does not load). There was a treat at the end of the trail though, a fun play park with wooden boards reminiscent of Copper Harbor that I thoroughly enjoyed. Ryan, on his giant 29 inch wheels, is still unsure what he thinks of trails on stilts though. Even Ryan’s Uncle had a harrowing experience riding a separate trail, (he’s not as stupid as us). Apparently the ferns deserted him and he went boulder diving instead, landing quite the battle scar on his outside knee.

Thoroughly humbled, we decided to switch to the alpine slide instead, to mend our wounded pride. The slide featured two identical tracks, one dubbed “scenic” and another “experienced.” We decided they were far better suited for races.

Ryan was a bit timid at first, since he kept using the brake incorrectly and almost flinging himself from the slide when he pushed down and accelerated rather than pulling up to brake. Once he figured it out though, he creamed his uncle and me easily. Five rides down the slide were enough to leave us all laughing and rosy-cheeked from the wind. 

Overall, Ryan and I were quite enchanted with the city and Mount Hood. The wooded hills and powerful Columbia River provide ample opportunities for recreation, and the city felt small, but progressive. Portland might have its own unique culture, but Ryan and I could very well see ourselves adopting it in the future, should job opportunities allow. Or maybe we’ll just be one of those young adult retirees. ;)

“The most luxuriant and the most extravagantly beautiful of all the alpine gardens…”

I started reading a collection of John Muir’s writings in the backcountry of Glacier National Park, and ever since, I’ve been paying closer attention to the intricacies of the natural world around me, as Muir always did. As a botanist first and foremost, Muir was obsessed with the plants and flowers lining the hills and streams where he wandered, so when Mount Rainier was described by him as the quote above, I figured Ryan and I were in for some eye popping views. We weren’t disappointed.

While Mount Rainier, at about 14,400 feet is an impressive sight alone, by far the part that made me and John Muir happiest were the wildflowers. It looked like purple water was flowing down from the glaciers clinging to the mountain’s sides, dotted with pink and orange Indian Paintbrush and delicate Queen Anne’s Lace. The meadows enveloped Ryan and me in blossoms, “the air was sweet with fragrance… while myriads of wild bees stirred the lower air with their monotonous hum.” I think Muir described this place quite accurately.

We only spent a short day at Mount Rainier, but it easily skyrocketed to the top of our Favorite National Parks list. The woods were dark and mossy, the meadows flower covered and inviting, and the mountain awe-inspiring. Sure it’s just a 14er, but Rainier is unlike any mountain in Colorado. Maybe one day Ryan and I will summit that formidable peak, but at the very least, I would love to return and stroll among that alpine garden again soon.