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Tag Archives: oregon

Larch Mountain Gate Opens 05.27.14!

24 Saturday May 2014

Posted by loreeharrell in Beauty Be Us, Day Trips, Events

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Larch Mountain, nature, oregon, snow gate open, spring hike, wildflowers

We have word from a reliable source that the Larch Mountain snow gate will open next Tuesday afternoon!

The gate at milepost 10 is closed from November until the snow clears in late May / early June (in 2008, it didn’t open until July!).  While we are all antsy to get up there starting about April, that area is at or above the same level as Government Camp on Mt. Hood, which is well above snow level.  Plowing it every day would only get you to mile 14  on the road, where you could stand and stare at buried parking and trails.

Put Sherrard Viewpoint on your list for this summer, and we’ll do our best to clear the skies for you so you can see all five mountains : ).

Sherrard Viewpoint_June 2012

Meanwhile, don’t let the closed gate keep you off Larch for the Memorial Day weekend… look for the small trailhead on your right beyond milepost 5, or grab any of the logging access gates with Recreational Use signs posted, and start walking.  It’s beautiful and green up there, and the small wildflowers are already in their second round, with salmon berries coming on, and thimble berries and huckleberries following shortly!

Larch Mountain with dogs and flowers

Remember to make your stick Scout arrows when you get to the forks in the road! (bread crumbs tend to get eaten, and that loaf of bread is bulky in the backpack) – it’s easy to get turned around out there.  I can testify, having had to enlist a friend with a large truck to blow the horn on the road so I could straighten my unreliable directional sense back out a couple weeks ago : ).

Larch with dogs

Enjoy the weekend!
Loree

 

 

All images and words © Loree Harrell; 2012 – 2014

 

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Look look! Snow for the tree lighting!!

06 Friday Dec 2013

Posted by loreeharrell in And Around, Community, Events

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

art, Christmas, event, First Friday, holidays, oregon, Tree Lighting, Troutdale, walk

Tree lighting

For maybe the first time ever (I made that up, but it’s a decent bet), we’re going to have snow on the ground for the tree lighting tonight at Troutdale’s First Friday Art Walk! No worries about getting there… it’s just blowing about and the streets are easy peasy.

Tree lighting in Mayor’s Square 6:00p, the C-Notes will be singing from 5:30 – 6:30, and Santa will be in the house.  Relax, find a wonderful gift or two at the Art Walk, and, most of all… have fun.

Merry Christmas to you!

Dec FF Dec FF2

 

 

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Let There Be A Gorgeous Chaos…

28 Monday Oct 2013

Posted by loreeharrell in Beauty Be Us

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

fall, leaves, nature, oregon, Sandy River trail, walk

… and it was so.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Bits of two days in the past week spanning about 1/8 mile on my favorite Sandy River Gorge trail.

All images, Loree Harrell; 2013

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Beaver Dance

14 Saturday Sep 2013

Posted by loreeharrell in Beauty Be Us, Day Trips

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

beaver, merganser, nature, oregon, Sandy River, smile, wildlife

I noticed a new pile of sticks across the river last month.  It’s an oddish place for a beaver to build a den in the summer, as the beach on this side gets heavy and exuberant use when the sun is shining, so it didn’t really register, but we hit an afternoon after some rain last week and got to watch the show.

Beaver1

Just before this shot, the beaver had been coming towards the three Mergansers who were minding their own business floating about and enjoying the day.

Beaver2

Then he turned and headed upstream.  It was unclear, as I don’t actually know how beaver brains work, whether the Mergansers were a perceived threat (what kind of threat could a duck be to a beaver?), or if they had a past history of hanging around to purposely annoy him, or if it was some sort of catch me if you can game.

Beaver3

You would think that a human would be a larger threat than a duck (maybe beavers species memory has forgotten the whole Hat thing), but he came right down in front of me…

Beaver4

… before another of the Mergansers arrived and he turned…

Beaver5

… to find the rest of the family taking up position.

Beaver6

At the point the last two flew in and he was surrounded, he gave a good thwack and dove.  I had a bad moment thinking a duck was going to get pulled under the surface (probably an unreasonable fear, but, again, I don’t know how beaver brains work).

Beaver7

Having been totally oblivious up to this point, the thwack! got Max and Ebb’s attention.

Beaver8

The Mergansers took up position in the front yard again, with the beaver patrolling the perimeter.

IMG_4031

Beaver9

Max and Ebb were on the beach watching, and the beaver was swimming in circles between the Mergansers and the dogs…

Beaver10

… until the beaver finally got thoroughly fed up with all the unwanted company and dove with a huge and very clear fwap of the tail.

Beaver11

Someday, we really need to learn about that swimming thing.

all images Loree Harrell; 2013

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Columbia Gorge Flower Frenzy!

08 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by loreeharrell in And Around, Day Trips, Events

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

columbia gorge, event, flower, frenzy, friends of the columbia gorge, hike, nature, oregon, walk

Friends of the Columbia Gorge
Flower Frenzy Challenge 2013!

March 1 to July 31, 2013

FriendsoftheColumbiaGorge_FlowerFrenzy2013

What a great reason to get boots on the trails, and experience the spring and early summer in our beautiful Columbia Gorge!  Every year, I intend to get out to Dog Mountain in the spring, and every year, I miss the window.  Rain or shine, I am going this weekend – mark it.

Friends Of The Columbia Gorge has put together a treasure hunt of 25 beautiful flowers that appear briefly in the Gorge in the spring and early summer, and the challenge is to get out there and find as many as you can, with the shyer of the bunch being worth more points.  There are prizes, although I would suggest the treasure, in this case, is in the finding more than the winning :).  The log has great information on each flower, like:

Bitter Root

Bitter Root _ Lewisia rediviva… This flower was found in the Bitter Root Mtns by Lewis & Clark (state flower of Montana). The speciman they brought back had a viable root and bloomed years after the expedition. Hence the scientific name. American Indians valued it highly as a food, and although it is nutritous, it tastes bitter. According to tribal myths, the plant grew from the tears of a starving old woman, and its roots are bitter because of her sorrow. The large, fleshy roots were harvested just as the blossoms began to bud, and, after being boiled, became jellylike and less bitter.

Register at www.gorgefriends.org/flowerfrenzy , print out your log, and go find some beauty you haven’t seen before.  Even if you’re not going to play this time, become a member!  Memberships start at 35.00, which is a killer deal and gives you access to great inside information and resources.  I also see that if you register now, you get a free copy of Ross Jolley’s “Wildflowers Of The Columbia Gorge”!WildflowersoftheColumbiaGorge_RussJolley

Some of the early ones will be disappearing soon (or you’ll have to hike up higher to find them), so start this weekend and I’ll see you on the other side of a cluster of Dutchman’s Breeches!

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Congratulations, State Swimmers All!

19 Tuesday Feb 2013

Posted by loreeharrell in And Around, Community, Events

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

MHCC, oregon, OSAA, swim meet, Troutdale

Oregonlive did a better job than I possibly could with their photo essay on the OSAA state meet.

12287663-essay 12287676-essay

 

Go take a look!
http://photos.oregonlive.com/photo-essay/2013/02/2013_osaa_swimming_state_champ_1.html

**  All images Oregonlive.

 

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Yes, it was officially a pARTy!

11 Monday Feb 2013

Posted by loreeharrell in And Around, Community, Events

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Adult Learning Systems, ALSO, art, event, Grand Opening, Infusion Gallery, oregon, Parris Foley, Troutdale

Infusion Gallery’s grand opening was last Thursday and it was a great event.  I stopped in early afternoon to drop off some smaller format Mirror prints, and there was little evidence that there was anything significant waiting in the wings (well, other than Parris showing some minor indications of stress).  Five hours later, I walked in at 5:15, figuring it’d be another hour before things really got rolling.

Boy was I incorrect.  The gallery was packed with dressed up smiling people, enjoying stellar nibbles and wine, and just generally having a good time.  The food was fabulous (sorry you didn’t get any of those little creampuff things that were magically chilled in the middle, but I couldn’t stop), with treats from Riverview and Cheese And Crack (the cheese oatmeal cookies were to die for), and huge chocolate covered strawberries dipped in all sorts of good stuff.  The whole event was very nicely done.

Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013. Marcia from the West Columbia Gorge Chamber by The Mirror Project.
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013. Marcia from the West Columbia Gorge Chamber by The Mirror Project.
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013
WP_20130207_005
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013. Jewelry and prints The Mirror Project
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013. Jewelry and prints The Mirror Project
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013
WP_20130207_011
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013. Heather Soderberg sculpture.
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013. Heather Soderberg sculpture.
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013. Music!
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013. Music!
All of the work on the far wall by Adult Learning Systems artists.
All of the work on the far wall by Adult Learning Systems artists.
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013
Infusion Gallery opening February 7th, 2013
The beautiful and kind Parris Foley, curator.
The beautiful and kind Parris Foley, curator.

 

I had the honor of holding the end of the ribbon for the cutting (off to the right out of frame in this video.  I’m okay with that.), and we’re off!  Proceeds from all sales benefit Adult Learning Systems of Oregon (always), and Parris was busy writing up beautiful purchases.

Congratulations, Infusion!  Most glad to have you in the community.

Infusion Gallery
305 E Historic Columbia River Highway
Troutdale, OR 97060
503.489.6595

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First Friday Troutdale December 7th _ The Mirror Project At Infusion!

26 Monday Nov 2012

Posted by loreeharrell in And Around, Community, Events

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

December, First Friday, Infusion Gallery, Loree Harrell, oregon, The Mirror Project, Troutdale

Troutdale’s First Friday Art Walk for December includes the community Christmas tree lighting, artists out, in, and about the local businesses, great food in the restaurants. and the perfect place for Christmas shopping without a department store in sight.

Loree Harrell will be the featured artist at Infusion Gallery, exhibiting The Mirror Project, including limited edition prints, artist-crafted jewelry from the Project, and notecards.  Percentage of all proceeds goes to the Gallery’s support of Adult Learning Systems.

Head on up and enjoy!

First Friday Art Walk
Friday, December 7th
5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Businesses and restaurants open

Infusion Gallery
305 East Historic Columbia River Highway
Featuring The Mirror Project

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I Don’t Care What Anyone Says…

05 Monday Nov 2012

Posted by loreeharrell in And Around

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

color, columbia gorge, dusk, fall, hike, hotel, leaves, nature, oregon, Sandy River

… or how wet I get in the middle of it.  It is an absolutely beautiful fall.

Maybe it’s just some oddly skewed perspective on my end, but I don’t remember the color being quite this [abundant saturated almost iridescence] in most other years.  By the time I get out to the woods in the evening, it’s teetering on the edge of dusk, and still there is this…

and this…

Sandy River Trail, 10.31.12

and a bit of this.

Sandy River Trail just after the rain, just before dusk

Sweet.  Very sweet.  Don’t be put off by the rain – get out there.  It’s all lit up from the inside out.

– Loree

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