Pacific City, OR

When: June 22, 2013

Distance: 200 miles, round trip

Not long after we started dating, Beth's parents bought a house on the coast.  That last weekend in June, I helped Beth, her brother and his wife all move her parents into the new home.  We were done by the middle of the afternoon and all decided to head down to the beach with a few beers to enjoy the rest of the day.

I have a vague memory of Oliver, Beth's little Cavalier dog, running insanely down the dunes after catching the scent of a hot dog grillout on the beach below. It was also the first time that I really got a chance to spend a quality amount of time with her father, who I knew I liked right away.

We were only there for a day, but as it turns out, this weekend would be extremely important. For the first time in a very, very long time, I began to feel welcomed into someone's family as if they were my own. This, I have learned, is a very very rare thing.

Surf's Up in Pacific City

Munra Point and Table Mountain

When: Early June, 2013
Where: Munra Point, OR & Table Mountain, WA ::  Columbia River Gorge

I learned a lot on these two hikes.  It was here that I began to realize my old adventure companion Kino was winding down on his extreme hiking days.  I won't lie and say that I completely accepted this as fact at the time, but it was around here where I began to notice the change.

These are incredible hikes.  They're strenuous, challenging, and offer a variety of terrain to cover.  And the views...those alone are worth the price of admission.  Munra Point starts off easy.  For the first 2 miles, it's fairly level, and you pass by the magnificent Elawah Falls.  Soon after, the climb intensifies and before long the view opens up and you find yourself rising above the trees and scaling along the rock faces.  We didn't climb much higher than this as the dogs were struggling here as it was.  So after a short rest, we headed back down.

Table Mountain however, was a completely different animal.  After climbing hand over foot, nearly straight up for about 800 feet, you're met with a rock fall that would challenge even the most sure-footed hiker.  It was here that Kino about had it, as the rocks were too uneven for him to climb.  Determined to get him to the top, I hoisted him on my shoulders and slowly carried him up the scramble.  It was an eye-opener, and out of respect for him and Beth, I will never put him through that again.

The summit of Table Mountain was completely worth the effort, and we were lucky enough to enjoy it on a crystal clear day in the Gorge.  I can't wait to do this hike again and explore it more thoroughly.  Even though Kino's climbing days seem to be behind him, he's got a lot of walking in him still.  Maybe now however, we'll just keep him to ascents of 500 ft or less.

Approaching Elawah Falls, Munra Point Trail

Kino and I on Munra Point

Carrying Kino up the Rockfall. 

The views and vistas of Table Mountain

My girlfriend is a rockstar.  She climbs mountains for breakfast. 

Looking over the edge of Table Mountain,
the Columbia River and Oregon in the background

The Ape Caves

Where: Ape Caves, Mt. St. Helens National Park, WA
When: May 26, 2013

So, in mid-April 2013, I met a girl.  In about 8 days, I'll be marrying that girl and it can't come soon enough.  But, every story has a beginning, and ours starts right around this trip.

Beth and I both love the outdoors. We absolutely crave it.  And in the first weeks of us getting to know each other, we thought up about a dozen places for us to explore, Ape Caves being the most prominent within that conversation.  So one rainy Saturday in May, we headed up into Washington and made our way to Mt. St. Helens National Monument.  The cave itself is actually an old lava tube that runs from Mt. St. Helens.  Dried up for ages, it winds for miles under the volcano's lava fields.  Armed with headlamps and our curiosity, we entered the cave from the main entrance and scrambled through the dark passage for the next few hours.

Next time we go, I would love to visit on a day that wouldn't have as many tourists crawling through it as there were that Saturday. This was no Bone-Norman cave, though it was extremely interesting to perceive and entirely different collection of cave formations, due to the nature of the cooling lava.  I'd definitely be interested in seeing what other caves the area has to offer, as this was a perfect launchpad for getting comfortable in an underground environment.  And obviously...the date itself could labeled a complete success.

Looking up through the 'Skylight'

The many textures of Ape Caves

Beth, passing through one of the few flat portions of the cave

4135 Oak Knoll Drive

After nearly 35 years, it was finally time to say good-bye.

That's a hard thing, to say farewell to your childhood home, to pass it on into the hands of someone new, hoping that they put as much love and care into it as you did.  We moved in when I was five months old and my folks didn't sell it until last spring.  That house is a lifetime of memories for me, and the only constant I've ever known, until just last year.

I still have a time capsule buried in that backyard.  I remember setting up my tent by the bushes along the side, imagining that I was in the middle of a magic forest, fraught with danger.  I first learned how to ride a bike down that driveway.  I used to climb out onto that roof and perch myself by the chimney with eyes on the whole neighborhood...because I thought I was Batman.  And I will swear, to this very day, that this house is haunted.

35 years of memories...they bring a smile to my face, each and every one.  So farewell, old home.  It was a privilege.

4135 Oak Knoll Drive

Farewell, Old Home.

Easter in Eagle Creek

When: April 2012
Where: Eagle Creek Gorge

I have two younger cousins, Jon and Danny, who are both attending school a few hours away up at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA.  In 2012, I invited Jon (Danny was still in high school at the time) down to Portland for Easter Weekend.  We had so much fun that we decided to make a tradition out of it.  We are family after all, and even though I'm not an avid celebrator of Easter, it's always nice to spend holidays like those with family, especially when the rest of our families are so far away.

Last year, with Danny joining in, we decided to go camping.  They arrived on Friday afternoon, after which we immediately headed over to The Rose Garden with tickets to the Portland Trailblazers game. By early Saturday morning, we were packed and ready to go.  I chose Eagle Creek as our destination, but farther in than I had ever hiked before.  All together, the hike would be about 16 miles round trip and loaded with vista views of the ravine, dozens of waterfalls and a collection of footbridges spanning the gaps. It was about as an appropriate introduction to the Pacific Northwest as one could get.

The Portland Trailblazers at the Rose Garden, ...now the Moda Center.

Kino and I crossing through Tunnel Falls

The dropaways and views of Eagle Creek

A few of many waterfalls along Eagle Creek

Happy Easter. 

FOG Reunion on Mt. Baker

Where: Mt. Baker, Washington
Distance: 560 miles, round trip

A few years ago, just before I moved out to Oregon, a close friend of mine had passed away while living in China.  Through that tragedy, a group of his close friends, myself included, have tried to get together each year around his birthday to celebrate his memory.  We refer to ourselves as the FOG's (the Friends of Glen), and come from all different walks of his life.  Since he was such an avid skier, we've made whatever plans we can to incorporate the slopes, a passion that he shared with the vast majority of us. In February of 2013, about twelve of us met up around Mt. Baker, Washington for the weekend.  For the third year in a row, we toasted to the memory of Glen, strapped on our skis, and paid tribute to the one thing he loved more than anything: Life on the edge...preferably involving a few feet of freshly fallen powder.

Kino and I, headed up through Seattle to Mt. Baker

First Run's View from the Lift

Last Run of the Weekend.

The FOG's: Mt. Baker, 2013

Engage: San Francisco

In 2000, I moved to San Francisco for five months. In that time, I completely fell in love with that city.  After leaving school two years later, it was hard to decide whether to head back there, or to try my meddle in New York.  Turns out life took me on a completely different path, but San Francisco will always be one of my favorites.  In February of 2013, I was given the opportunity to head back for the first time in over twelve years to help out with my former employer's Engage Conference.  I didn't have much time for sight-seeing due to my work constraints, but it was great to be back, leaving me to wonder why I ever left in the first place.  ...And then my phone got stolen. By a Prostitute. Who Crashed a Party. In my Boss's Penthouse Hotel Room. ...That I wasn't supposed to still have keys to.   Ugh. 

Anna and I getting ready for our Client Interviews in the Penthouse Suite of the
Westin St. Francis Hotel, Downtown San Francisco

Engage After-Party at Ruby Skye

The Interview Studio, Engage 2013

Final Conference Adjustments in the Grand Ballroom

Employee Sushi Dinner at Sanraku on Sutter St.

Hiking into the White

When: Early 2013
Trails: Dog Mountain, Angel's Rest, Herman Creek

Here in Oregon, hiking a trail in January in comparison to that same trail in July are two completely different experiences.  During the winter months, a few feet in elevation can make the difference between a bit of mud and ice, and full-on snowshoeing through waist-high drifts and snowfall. It's exhilarating and one of my favorite aspects of hiking in this part of the country.  Dog Mountain was a particularly fun experience in January of 2013 where Kino and I suddenly found ourselves trudging up through 6 feet of snow on an insanely crisp and clear day.  On the other end of the spectrum, the Herman Creek Trail in February was misty, lightly dusted with snow and coated with ice.  Both hikes were breathtakingly beautiful and goes to show that each morning you set out in those months, you never quite know what you're going to get.  Personally, I'm a fan of the mystery.

Kino, perched on the upper snowfields of Dog Mountain

Just below the summit of Dog Mountain

Kino and I taking a break on the west-facing cliffs of Angel's Rest

Winter Mists in the high reaches of the Herman Creek Trail

The Wolf in the Wild, Herman Creek Trail, 2400 ft. elev.

Sun and Snow on the Herman Creek Trail

Christmas in Cleveland

When: December 18 - 26th, 2012
Where: Cleveland/Youngstown, Ohio

The holiday season of 2012 was the first opportunity I had to travel back to Northern Ohio for Christmas.  The year before, I could barely afford bread let alone a flight back home, so it was nice to be able to see family in person that year instead of spending another holiday on Skype.
The first stop was Cleveland, where I spent the first few days catching up with friends and hitting a few old watering holes along the way, most notably Great Lakes Brewery and my personal favorite, Edison's, both of which you owe yourself to visit next time you find yourself in town.

The final half of the trip was spent in Youngstown with my family, which would also turn out to be the last nights I would spend in my childhood home.  It was a fairly emotional trip on many fronts, and I look back on that one with a heavy heart.  As much as I couldn't see it at the time, amazing and wonderful things were on their way.

Three legs: Leaving Portland, Passing over Denver, and Arriving in Cleveland

Four words: Great Lakes Christmas Ale.  It will change your world. 

The Snow hits Market Ave. in Cleveland. 

The former studios of longtime friend and colleague, Downie Photography.
Jeff will be coming out to Portland to shoot our wedding in less than 10 days. 

An Annual Tradition: One last game of Poker with the guys in the old House. 

Christmas with the Cousins: Christmas Eve at the DeToro's

Day Trip to Seattle

When: December 16, 2012

There are few people that I consider my close, dear friends, but I can easily say that my buddy Kevin is one of them. We've been through a lot together, both incredible triumphs and heartbreaking tragedies, and we've managed to maintain that bond through the thick of it after all these years.  So, when he rung me up to let me know he and his mom would be in Seattle for the weekend, I jumped in the car and headed north to spend the day with them.  The three of us stayed mostly downtown around Pike Place Market and kept the day fairly simple, but explored a few corner shops and restaurants within the market that neither of us had visited before, making for yet another unique Seattle experience. It was a quick day and before I knew it, I was driving back to Portland, but a day that was undoubtedly worth mentioning here.

Kev and I hanging out at Pike Place Market in Downtown Seattle

Autumn Hikes in the Northwest

When: Sept.-Nov. 2012

Autumn is without a doubt, my favorite time of year.  Growing up back east, the change in season was intoxicating.  Come September, the temperature would suddenly drop a few degrees, the leaves would change to such vivid colors, distant hills would appear as if they were on fire and the aromas of apple cider, roasted almonds and tailgating fires would permeate the air.  The only downfall was that it was gone almost before it began, and you'd find yourself in the bitter cold, surrounded by naked trees and sticks for the next eight months.  In Oregon, it's a little different.  The change may not be as drastic, but it definitely lasts a lot longer and the forests all boast enough evergreen to maintain some semblance of color throughout the colder months.  If it weren't for the views from the bluffs above the gorge, I may not be able to make up my mind as to which version I prefer. Or maybe I'll just let these photos speak for themselves.

October Fog atop Angel's Rest in the Columbia River Gorge. 

E Historic Columbia River Highway Bridge in October, close to Bridal Veil Falls

House Ruins in October, Columbia River Gorge

Kino and I near the Rock of Ages, Columbia River Gorge

Looking down towards the Columbia River, Trail to Devil's Rest

The Zig Zag Valley in November from the slopes of TDH Mountain

Punchbowl Falls in November, Eagle Creek, Columbia River Gorge

The Return to Astoria

When: April 13, 2013
Driving Time: About 100 minutes, one way

When I visited Oregon for the first time back in 2008, one of the places I was most excited about visiting was the small town of Astoria.  Located on the mouth of the Columbia river, this sleepy little seaside town is about as Pacific Northwest as it gets.  The salted sea air, the distant sounds of Sea Lions barking on the piers and pioneer architecture that has barely changed in the better part of 80 years all make for an ideal experience.  It was just over a year ago that I hopped into my car with Kino and spent one given Sunday re-exploring the town and some of its surroundings.  In all honesty, it won't be my last.

In front of the Goonie House: Kino, taking his shot at the "Truffle Shuffle."
I'm pretty sure he nailed it. 

Pier remnants, the Columbia River.  Washington in the distance

Astoria, Oregon

Kino amidst the long-decayed wreckage of the Peter Iredale

Kino and I getting in one last run along the coast before heading back to Portland