Pamelia Lake – 2024

Posted on July 24, 2024

This past Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, Nora and I did our annual backpacking trip to Pamelia Lake. We had a lovely time as usual, but for some reason, the hike to the top of Grizzly Peak seemed harder than usual. Was it really harder or are we just a tad bit older? Hmmmm . . . . Still, Nora wants to keep going back each year and I’m all in. We’ve been going since 2019, with the exception of 2020. In 2021, we spread my father’s ashes there, which is where he worked in the forest service for two summers as a fire-watch. Once the area became a designated Wilderness Area, the cabin he lived in and the fire lookout was taken down, but the evidence of their presence is still there. Bugs were minimal, the book we brought to read was good, many Taylor Swift lyrics were discussed, and the dreams and hopes of a 14-year-old about to start high school bubbled up regularly. Lovely time with a super young woman.

Ready to go!

Our simple campsite – and our favorite at the lake. We try to get this one each year and we lucked out once again.

I head down to the lake in the mornings with my coffee, a journal and book to read. On this morning, the clouds were dripping down the mountains and it was cool and beautiful.

I forgot part of the coffee making kit so my pour over was more like Cowboy Coffee, made by tossing the grounds into the hot water. Still, it was good.

The day in between going in and coming out, we do the hike up to the top of Grizzly Peak. It’s a three mile hike with almost 2000 feet of elevation gain. We bring grub, water and enjoy the view from the top.

We made it! Mt. Jefferson is the second tallest peak in Oregon at 10,502 feet. A beautiful peak, as we look at it from Grizzly Peak.

In the evening after the hike, Nora spent some time drawing.

Calm lakeside morning.

Heading out, with Avocado Man attached to the back of the pack! It’s always good to travel with a stuffed companion. 🙂

Categories: current events, family, hiking, nature, nora, oregon, sports, travel, writing

Red sky . . .

Posted on July 19, 2024

The other night, the temps dropped from the upper 80s to the 70s, and these clouds moved in from our South. It was just at sunset, and the light show was lovely. Not seen are tendrils of lightning. Not heard are rainless thunder claps.

Categories: nature

Weekend events –

Posted on July 15, 2024

This past weekend was full of sports, a running pal running 80k for his 80th birthday, a quick trip to Portland for lunch with my sister and a visit to the Portland Filson store. All good summer events!

In my running group, The UO Noon Group, runners often do a “birthday run.” John, the runner in dark blue with the waist pack is a traditionalist in this way and this year, turning 80, decided to run 80 kilometers over 3 days. We all joined in for some or all of it with him to offer support and encouragement and liquids. I ran ten miles with him on Saturday and it was well worth it. John’s an inspiration all the way around.

On Saturday there was a fund-raiser softball game that was put on by the former University of Oregon quarterback, Justin Herbert and several of his teammates. It was to raise money for the Kidsports group in town that my kids have enjoyed over the years. They had a home-run derby and then a game which was super fun. Other players included gold medal winning decathlete, Ashton Eaton, a few current football players, two UO Women’s Softball players and others that I do not know. Herbert is now the quarterback for the Chargers (San Diego? LA? Where are they now?) . . . but it was a very fun afternoon.

On Sunday I went to Portland to have lunch with my sister Jeanne who is up there attending a Tin House writing workshop. She lives in Tucson, so it was a good chance to catch up over a meal as well as explore a bit of Portland.

We swung by the Portland Filson store while there and looked at some items. Filson makes quality winter clothing and even though it was summer hot on Sunday, it was nice to be there.

More Filson –

Final stop before heading home was to a coffees shop in Portland. This sign made me laugh.

Until next time – ! –

Categories: coffee, creative, current events, family, jeanne, oregon, portland, travel

Butte to Butte, reading & lego

Posted on July 8, 2024

I ran in the Butte-To-Butte 10k run on the 4th of July. It was the 50th anniversary of the race here in Eugene and it was super fun. I also began and finished a new novel by one of my favorite writers, Joe Wilkins, called, The Entire Sky. Truly a story of the 90s, of Montana, of growing up and old and changing families. A very good read. Plus some labor to build a softball pitching area in the field behind my house for Nora & finally, revisiting building with legos!

At the end of the race with a few runners from the Big Timber Running Club

The Entire Sky. Beautiful, simply put.

My friend Tom and I went to a reading by Joe up in McMinnville, Oregon on the 6th. Joe read three sections from the novel and a bluegrass band played and we ate and had good conversations. I even met Joe’s mom, Olive, from Montana, which was special for me as my mom is also from Montana (different parts of that big state, to be sure, but Montana seems to bind folks, no matter where in the state they are from).

40 feet long and about 7 feet wide. I used a neighbors string trimmer, what I grew knowing as a “weed whip,” and then a lawnmower to knock down the grass clumps so Nora and teammates can practice their pitching. A pitching rubber and home plate have been acquired as well, so once the weather cools off a bit, it should get some use. We have been over 100º F. for several days now which is just too warm. Period.

Jonah and I broke out this project we had started a month and a half ago to work on – a Fender Stratocaster lego guitar. It was a gift from my sister and matches the electric guitar I had growing up. Jonah’s good at this stuff, and me? Well, it challenges my spatial skills a good bit.

Guitar and stand are finished. Next up is the amp!

Categories: books, current events, eugene, family, friends, jonah, nora, oregon, running, softball, writing

Running & rockets

Posted on July 2, 2024

This is an overdue update, but it includes some running and a hike to the top of Spencer Butte in South Eugene to watch for the arc of a rocket launch. Firefly Aerospace is launching the rocket from just north of Los Angeles. The images are from last night’s hike, along with some from a bit earlier.

I ran a couple of races in the Emerald City Trail Series this year and they often have photographers out on the course taking photos. The shirt is from the Big Timber Running Club that I belong to. Good race, good folks and I look forward to more next year!

Hiking up to the top of Spencer Butte last evening. Launch was scheduled for 9:00 pm. It was scrubbed and is rescheduled for tonight so we’re heading back up!

Jonah created this from a website that had the projected image of flight, which Jonah then overlayed onto a Google Map “Street View” from the top of the butte.

Setting up the gear.

When the sun set, it cooled off, and we waited. As mentioned above, the launch was scrubbed due to the pressure of helium tanks on the launch pad. Honestly, I don’t understand it all, but Jonah does and explained the whole thing on the way down. We’re heading back tonight!

This is Paul from the other running group I hang out with – the UO Noon Runners. Every 4th of July, Eugene hosts their 10k run called “The Butte To Butte,” where people run from Spencer Butte at the south end of town to Skinner’s Butte in the north end of town. Paul has run them all which started 50 years ago this year. He came by to pick up a bib for the run on Thursday and in the image above he is wearing the original shirt from the run. Paul is a wonderful fella, inspiring runner and friend.

Categories: astronomy, current events, eugene, hiking, jonah, nature, running, science