Being There

Being in bar results limbo land can be a good thing sometimes. Besides occupying my time with organizing my apartment, selling off old AFI paraphernalia from college, playing indoor soccer and going to jits class, this past week I’ve gotten to go adventure in the Northern Cascades and down in Southern-Central Oregon. There’s something about being outside (hiking, camping, fishing, rock climbing!) that’s really satisfying when you live in an urban environment most of the time. Plus I get to take pictures.

Sun breaks through the cloud cover on Mt. Baring, as seen from Barclay Lake.

I’ll highlight a few of my favorite shots here as I talk about the places I’ve been lately, but to see more you can always check out the Travel set on my flickr account.

The Northern Cascades Mountain Range in Washington:

About four hours away from Portland you head out on the 2 from Seattle and into Stevens Pass and oh boy. It’s pretty awesome. The Cascades run from Cali to Canada and really, they’re gorgeous all the way down and up the range. This area’s no exception. I hiked part of the Iron Goat Trail and also did the hike to Barclay Lake, which gives stunning views of Mt. Baring’s stern face.

I love the desert environment I grew up in (high desert to be exact) but alpine environments, or sub-alpine I suppose, are neat as well. Crips air whistles through pines and cedars and birch trees (aspens perhaps? I can never tell the difference). Every peek at the horizon makes you feel small. And very few bugs as well!

Part of the Iron Goat Trail.

Odell Lake, Oregon:

Big trees on the shore at Odell Lake.

My family has a cabin on Odell Lake, about an hour and twenty minutes south of Bend, OR. It’s a great place to go and unwind. There’s really nothing like reading a book by a wood stove, then playing cribbage and eating Jiffy Pop popcorn, then getting up the next morning to go hike around nearby Salt Creek Falls or the myriad of other trails available. Or you could do some fly fishing off the dock or hike around the lake and check out the bear sign and beaver-felled trees. Guess how many of these things I did when I was down at Odell! And as always when you’re out and about in Oregon, you’ve got beautiful surroundings to raise your spirits.

Odell Lake sunset

Smith Rock State Park, Oregon:

Smith Rock State Park is nationally reknowned as a great place to rock climb. I recently learned to rock climb there - it’s harder than it looks but super fun. Even when I didn’t get very far (did I mention I don’t like heights?) I got a nice workout. And if you don’t fancy clawing your way up a rock face, you should visit anyway for the nice hikes and beautiful rock formations.

This route is called Five Gallon Buckets

Getting outdoors is satisfying in a lot of ways, and I’m glad I had some time this summer to do so. Living in the city is great, but I think periodic forays into the “wilderness” are an important reminder of how beautiful and valuable the natural resources of this state (and country) really are.