Dan Love - July 2023

On the way down to Sunriver we stopped in Centralia at an arcade bar.

Basecamp at Eagle Creek Campground, Oregon

Did this hike 25 or so years ago in scouts. That was before the entire area was burned-out a few years ago. There was significantly less shade this time and it was a hot day.

The area was a bit smokey from wildfires probably caused by fireworks, which are somehow still legal.

Punchbowl falls still doing its thing.

Drove off the next day, helicopters were still fighting the wildfires on a nearby hillside.

It was July 5, so the fireworks stands were closed.

Beautiful drive south to Bend/Sunriver.

Really leaning-in on that Oregon Trail theme. Stopped in Sunriver for family time.

https://danjlove.com/sunriver-july-2023

Driving back on one of the old highways.

St. Johns Bridge, Portland

St. Johns Beer Porch, Portland. Extremely cool food truck hangout.

We told the kids we could get kittens when we got back from Oregon. Foreground: Dale Earnhardt Love Background: Magpie/Maggie/Margret Love

Grammy helped us get out a few times. Girl Dinner at Omega Ouzeri

Astrid and our neighbor kid, 1st day of YMCA camp

The babies prefer Grammy's company

Was going out to test run fresh hiking gear, Laura said I should check out this tree.

There was a collection of people out here enjoying the scene.

https://mynorthwest.com/3911266/wedgwood-tree-remains-standing-as-contractor-backs-out-of-removal/

I brought them a few cold Croixs in my pack.

Wedgewood 4th of July flavor

We're helping our sections figure out what's good for making our tours more interactive. One of them did an excellent job.

We made it to 2/3 days of Capitol Hill Block Party. Not bad!

Acid Tongue, easily best of show that we caught.

Pleasant weekend walk in the Japanese garden at the Washington Park Arboretum

Laura prepared a pre-hike feast for the brothers who arrived

Marblemount Ranger Station

Pre-hike burgers. I should have saved half for later because the beginning of the hike was all uphill and that burger hurt.

The hike up Cascade Pass was mostly cloud but we did get peeks.

Once we crossed Cascade Pass it rained on us but the clouds cleared quite a bit.

Once we crossed the pass, the trail got a lot less groomed. Lots of leaves on either side brushing water into your pants and soaking your shoes to the point where I just stepped in a stream and it didn't make a difference. Changed socks and dried it all out for a few minutes and all was well.

We were warned at the ranger station that this park is bear country.

Skipped the Sahale Glacier because it was all covered in clouds. Continued down to Cottonwood Campsite.

Drying out soaked shoes/boots.

The next day we set out with light packs back up to see Horseshoe Basin.

The route involved some backtracking but the weather was nice so it was fine.

Horseshoe Basin

On the way back we saw this bear crossing the stream under the bridge we'd been crossing. One of us may have accidentally hit it with a rock (Pat) and it ran away into the bushes, never to be seen again.

Meanwhile in Seattle, Mr. Good Teeth gets a checkup

We got back to the camp and Isaac and Mark decided to attempt a bushwack up to a remote lake near our camp. It didn't go well but they made it home before dark.

The mountains surrounding our camp had all kinds of neat light hitting them, which felt like art.

Mark bought cheap boots 2 hikes ago, wore them and tore his feet up, then wore them again and it was ok because they didn't go far, then wore them again and tore his feet up again. They ended up in the dumpster at the end of the hike.