River shots

Some river shots just down from one of my camping spots along Brice Creek in the Umpqua.

31 @ Rainier NP

While it is true I have been car camping a large portion of the summer of oh ten, I have not had anyone with which to talk or laugh. So car camping in Rainier for a modest celebration of my 31st birthday seemed fun just the same. Rainier did not disappoint. We had bomber weather, few to no bitting insects, and more bears than people (it seemed that way anyway). The only downside is that Rainier being a National Park, Luna was not with us (she may have got eaten anyway).

We hiked to Summerland on Tuesday and saw three bears (a mom and two cubs). Wednesday we stopped at the overlook on the last hairpin up to Sunrise and saw three more bears (a mom with one cub and a juvenile loner). Next we hiked to Dege Peak (no bears, but awesome views). These adventures accompanied by perfect company (Autumn, Douglas fir, Alaska yellow cedar, and subalpine and silver fir), great food and soothing campfires made the three days thoroughly relaxing and left me feeling content each night.

Momma bear with Rainier.

And out come her cubs (Momma still visible far right).

Curious cub.

Close-up (crop) of previous photo.

Autumn with Little Tahoma Peak.

Avalanche lily (Erythronium montanum).

Snowfield with hikers.

Another view.

Scrabble at camp.

Ahh, the camp fires.

Mmmmm, the pancakes!

Strollin' near Rainier.

Looking north.

Looking south (Adams is faintly in the background).

Happy Birthday kiss.

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Ocean Day

Oregon is great. I can hike in the volcanoes of the Cascades, walk in a tropical rainforest, enjoy the awe of hundreds of waterfalls, or go the Pacific in a given weekend. I went to Cape Perpetua, as named by Captain Cook, yesterday escaping a 99 degree day inland for 60 and b-e-a-utiful on the ocean front. Some pictures. Oh, and changed the look of the blog...haven't cleared the changes with my co-author, but I think she'll just be glad I'm having with it.

Tripod

Okay. Got a cheap tripod. Now I don't have to work on my mannequin skills during the long exposures or close-up flower shots. Top to bottom: Upper Trestle Falls (again); Umpqua NF (my home for the summer), Mount Jefferson Wilderness Area, Bear grass.