Tag: OrangeDoor

A false start, the Spruce Railroad Trail and a walk around the Log Cabin Resort

The hike I had planned for today didn’t work because the road was closed, so we came back and did the Spruce Railroad Trail which was 8 miles round trip of mostly flat former railroad beds.img_6292

A view of the Log Cabin Resort, where we stayed.  You can’t see our cabin, it’s hidden behind some trees.  Next time I’d like to stay in one of the chalets.img_6293

Lake Crescent was a brilliant blue.img_6294 img_6295

Devils Punchbowl.  On hot days, people jump from the bridge.  It was not a hot day.img_6296

Matt exploring. img_6299 img_6301 img_6302 img_6303

We’ve reached the other end, now it’s four miles back.img_6304

More exploring.img_6305 img_6306 img_6307

Our cabin.img_6308

One of the points we could have used to enter Lake Crescent if it was warmer.img_6310

Boat ramp.  They had various things to rent, including stand up paddle boards.  We did not partake.img_6311

Matt and the lake.img_6312

Lots of good clouds.   img_6313

Olympic Peninsula Vacation: Lake Crescent, Sol Duc Falls and the road from Forks

We’re in the land of Twlight, (the book, not the movie) so I took to referring to the weather in vampire terms.  Today was party sparkly vampire.img_6269

As you can see, the lake was just outside our cabin.img_6270

We headed off to see Soleduck Falls.img_6271 img_6272

Bear country!  Luckily we weren’t camping.img_6273

More Olympic Park greenery.img_6274

This was an interesting waterfall because it split into three falls.img_6275

It wasn’t far from the parking lot to this waterfall, and it was also a launching point for many different trails so there were a lot of people taking pictures of Soleduck Falls.img_6276

The drop from the top of the falls to the river.img_6277

Blurry self-portrait. There was a young-dumb-and-full-of-cum-type guy off to our right, walking on the rocks where he shouldn’t have been.  I was waiting for him to slip and fall.img_6278

Because that fall wouldn’t be a pretty one.img_6279

We headed off for Lovers Lane Trail.  (No apostrophe) img_6281

Tall trees and greenery.img_6282

Having  a rest.img_6284

Our hike took us through Sol Duck campground.  I liked their way of visually depicting how many campsites were available, and for how many nights.  I think a red tag meant reserved for two or more nights.  Yellow maybe meant reserved for one night.img_6285

There are no pictures apparently, but we stopped at Soulduck Hot Springs.  It was nice.  They had three separate pools (hot, hotter and shallow for kids).  There was also a full-sized unheated pool.  Matt and I did hot/cold plunges.  Matt was not enamored of the smell.

We stopped to take a look for salmon.img_6286

Just like the sign promised, we did not see any salmon.img_6287

Logging truck.  Also, I was interested in this construction zone, which was operating without a flagging crew.  There were two temporary stoplights which were programmed to let alternating lanes of cars go.img_6288

I loved this little roadside stand.img_6289

So many fun bits of produce.  There were also books and other items such as an exercise bike.  I bought a zucchini for our dinner.img_6291

Olympic Peninsula Vacation: On our way, Lake Quinalt and Washington Beach #1

Blurry self-portrait, with bonus bra strap and detail of rear-view mirror tilter.img_6220

I was hoping for unseasonably warm, due to the fact we were staying at a lake.  But it seems I’m getting totally seasonable weather.  img_6221

It’s always fun to see what this billboard has to say when driving on I-5 on the way to Seattle/points north of Portland.  (Matt took this picture)img_6222

Instead of the normal I-5 drive to Seattle, we took a turn toward our destination:  the Olympic Peninsula. It took us through Aberdeen, not only the hometown of one Kurt Cobain, but also the Gateway to the Olympics.   I’m giving those quotation marks the side-eye.img_6223

We weren’t headed for the Ocean Shores (as inviting as those did sound) we were headed for Forks!  img_6226

I drove, Matt read.  We were alternating between Emma Mills First and Then and George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones.img_6228

Our vacation area.  We stayed at one of the resorts on Lake Crescent. Which was inland a bit.img_6229

Our first hike was at Lake Quinault on the short Rain Forest Nature Trail.img_6230

Matt and a very tall tree.img_6231

It was many “Matts” high.img_6234

Greenery!  What the rain forest has in abundance.img_6235

This interpretive sign was placed so you could easily see the four types of tree.  See next picture.img_6236 img_6237

That’s Matt at the end of that hollow log.img_6238

Lots of stuff going on with the ground in a rain forest.img_6239

Matt in front of the Quinault Lodge.img_6240

We had to stop at this site, because a regular feature of the drive to the beach in Oregon is the World’s Largest Sitka Spruce.  Oregon’s specimen has suffered and is more of a stump now.  So let’s see what Washington’s has for us.img_6241

Looking tall!img_6242

Look at those stats! Who knew the American Forest Association awarded points?  And notice which state’s tree was a co-champion?img_6244

Matt took a closer look. img_6246

Big tree.  Can be measured in many, many, many Matts.img_6247

Our first view of the beach.img_6249

Big growth things on tree.img_6250

Not unlike Oregon beaches, this is full of driftwood. img_6254

It was mostly empty too, with the exception of this couple, whose primary reason to visit the beach seems to have been so the woman could pose in a variety of places while having her picture taken.  Matt and I were there for 20 minutes or so, and the photo taking was nonstop.img_6255

Photos are still happening as we pose for a self-portrait.img_6256 img_6257

I liked this little flower.img_6258

Our next hike of the day was Marymere Falls.   We left our weapons at home, so didn’t have to worry about if we should take them on the trail or not. 🙂img_6259

Creek and greenery.img_6260

Marymere Falls.img_6261 img_6262 img_6266

At the Log Cabin Resort, an interior view of our cabin.  It came with bedding which I wasn’t expecting.  img_6268

No longer will we be subjected to the tyranny of excess plastic, single use tape dispensers.

We run out of tape.  I go to Fred Meyer, the place where I probably spend 80% of funds.  Because they have everything.  But you know what they don’t have?  Tape dispensers.  So, being out of tape, and needing tape, I once again purchase those plastic not-reusable clear tape dispensers.

Repeat.  For nine years.

But I have finally purchased tape dispensers!  One for me, one for Matt and one for the common area.IMG_5881

Free at last!

More hiking in the Gorge: Horsetail Falls

At the beginning.IMG_5827

The eponymous falls.IMG_5828

Thanks to this interpretative sign, I now know the different types of waterfalls.  From left to right:  Horsetail Waterfalls, Plunge Waterfalls, Segmented Waterfalls.IMG_5829

Would you like a photo of some lichen?IMG_5834

Matt stands under the 80 foot Ponytail Falls.  Of note, this picture took much waving of hands (I was quite far away) and several photos taken because the water kept blurring.IMG_5836

Like in this example.IMG_5842

Better.IMG_5843

Looking through the falls. IMG_5845

Pretty green hanging ferns.IMG_5846

Poor Glenn.  If he was still alive we would more-or-less be the same age.  The article from the Oregonian said he and his friend were hiking when this happened.IMG_5847

Downed tree or shaggy wizard?IMG_5849

More falls.IMG_5850

Tall bridge! With interesting anti-flag sticker I didn’t notice when I took the picture.IMG_5852

Blurry picture, but very cool tree growing out of a nurse log. I love how long the roots are.IMG_5853

Guess what this group of falls is called?  Just guess!IMG_5854

Did you guess Triple Falls? You are right!IMG_5856

Some cairns.IMG_5858

Timer photo shot.IMG_5859

This is the mouth of the Oneonta Gorge.  People were hiking back into it.  IMG_5860

Tunnel!  This was once part of the Columbia River Gorge Highway.  Imagine driving your Model T through this tunnel!  The interpretative sign told me that this was a difficult tunnel to make due to how the rock disintegrated easily.   If memory serves, they solved this problem by reinforcing everything with concrete and that made it all good.  Guess what explains this better than me?  The internet!  You can read about construction by going here.  Scroll down to Design and Desription to find a better explanation.IMG_5865

Lots of rock.  Which I now have been reminded is basalt rock.  Also known as “dice” rock.  Me and geology.  We don’t get along so well.IMG_5866

This was yet another good Gorge hike.

Work being done to spiff up the Orange Door

Some of the wood between the siding pieces has rotted with the extreme sun exposure on the south side.  So we’re getting new wood pieces and a paint job!

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For unknown reasons Upstairs Kitty’s owner decided to shave her for the summer.  Her fur is slowly growing back.  Upstairs Kitty declined to pose for the picture.  She’s contrarian like that.  Which I would be too, if someone shaved off all my fur, leaving a stupid tuft at the end of my tail.

Portland Actors Ensemble: Coriolanus

I forgot my camera, which was unfortunate as there were times in this play when my fingers itched to be grabbing photos.  These two were taken with my phone. (And one of them doesn’t want to load in its correct orientation)IMG_20160709_184133

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We made this not-often-produced play a priority and I’m glad we did because the location of Pettygrove Park was a good one.  The sculpture “The Dreamer” and the hills where the audience sat added a lot to the setting. Fun Wikipedia fact:  the mounded hills inspired this park’s nickname: Mae West Park.  Further opinion:  I’m not sure anyone actually uses this nickname anymore. Or if they ever did.

The sculpture was used as a device to manufacture sound.  One of the actors “played” it with rubber mallets during battle scenes which added  a lot to the action.

The play was tight and held my attention, despite the intermittent rain. Arthur Delaney was a solid Coriolanus.  We’ve seen him before in other productions.  I also enjoyed Allison Rangel and Heidi Kay Hunter as the two tribunes.

Aside from the rain, this performance provided us unique theater-in-the-park experience.  During the climax, a passerby wandered into the action, first touching Ken Yoshikawa on the back during an intense interchange with Arthur Delaney.  Ken turned to see what was happening and then turned back and kept going.

The man retreated to sit with the audience on the hills talking loudly to himself, with a woman–possibly the stage manger–trying to coax him away.  Just as the cast erupted into the final fight scene the man ran into the fray, grabbing Arthur Delaney by the back of the neck.

“Back the fuck off, asshole!” Allison Rangel’s voice rang out as she broke character advancing on the man as everyone stopped.  He retreated immediately.  “That’s right, keep going,” she yelled as he disappeared.  Everyone, actors and audience, stared, following his retreat.  “I apologize,” she continued, addressing the audience, “That’s my boyfriend,” she said, meaning Delaney.

In the manner of all unexpected situations things were quiet for a beat before one of the actors asked, “Shall we start the fight scene over?” There was a mutter of agreement, the cast reset and we watched Coriolanus be killed for his betrayal.

Rangel’s quick action in a scary situation and the actors carrying on while most of them must have been completely freaked out brought home what a solid production this was.  We won’t soon forget Coriolanus.