After a quick back and forth of text messages, Dan and I chose to climb Jumbo Mountain near the South Fork of the Boise River. Dan had to be back in Boise by the evening so Jumbo's proximity to Boise and modest stats made it a good choice. We were on the road just after 7am and on the trail around 9:30am. On the way to the trailhead I had to take a few pictures at Anderson Ranch Reservoir since it was actually full and the views were incredible.
The trail started as an ATV track but shortly turned to decent singletrack. It climbed very steeply up the Jumbo Creek drainage and we were quickly to a nice meadow at 6000'. Instead of climbing to the ridge above Little Water Gulch we attempted to follow the abandoned trail along the upper reaches of Jumbo Creek. This trail proved to be non-existent so we gave up and just climbed the steep slopes to the ridge top west of the summit. From the ridge it was a very enjoyable hike to the summit through open terrain.
Despite not being very high, Jumbo Mountain has great views of the Soldier, Boise, and Smoky Mountains. The weather atop the peak was perfect - warm with a light breeze. After taking in the views we embarked on a direct but steep return to the car. On the way home we drove by the Castle Rocks since I'd never seen them before.
Trip statistics: 5.63 miles, 3335' elevation gain, 4:51h
Jumbo Mountain Pictures!
GPS Track
Dan's Trip Report
Monday, June 21, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Sheep Mountain Hike
Last Sunday I decided to take advantage of the summer-like weather and bag a peak. Because I love to sleep so much I missed my alarm and didn't wake up until 9:30am or so. Despite this really late start I decided to attempt my initial planned objective, Sheep Mountain. After driving the agonizing washboardy and potholed road up the Middle Fork of the Boise, I arrived at the trailhead at about a quarter to noon. I chose to hike the peak via the north ridge, which looked like a much more enjoyable hike than the switchbacked route up the south face. My route was the longer of the two and with such a late start I knew I had to move fast in order to be off the peak at a reasonable hour.
I started hiking briskly and ended up gaining the first 1000' of elevation in 30 minutes... impressive for me. Shortly thereafter I reached the ridge and was able to take in the stunning views offered by this hike. It was easy cruising on the generally great trail (though it was motorcycle damaged in places) and I made great time. The GPS watch actually made for a great motivator for a solo hike like this - I'm sure I would've hiked slower without it giving me goals to achieve. Thankfully snow was a minor factor, only being present for the last few hundred vertical feet.
I reached the summit just after 2:30pm and was able to take in some of the best views of Boise Mountains I've experienced. Being my first summit in this general area, I enjoyed seeing the various peaks from a different vantage point. After spending some time enjoying the twin summits, being mindful of time I reluctantly headed back down. My descent was pretty brisk and I ended up getting back to the car just after 5pm. I really enjoyed this hike along the Middle Fork and hope to visit another peak in this area soon!
Trip statistics: 14.57 miles, 4167' elevation gain, 5:18h
Sheep Mountain Pictures!
GPS Track
I started hiking briskly and ended up gaining the first 1000' of elevation in 30 minutes... impressive for me. Shortly thereafter I reached the ridge and was able to take in the stunning views offered by this hike. It was easy cruising on the generally great trail (though it was motorcycle damaged in places) and I made great time. The GPS watch actually made for a great motivator for a solo hike like this - I'm sure I would've hiked slower without it giving me goals to achieve. Thankfully snow was a minor factor, only being present for the last few hundred vertical feet.
I reached the summit just after 2:30pm and was able to take in some of the best views of Boise Mountains I've experienced. Being my first summit in this general area, I enjoyed seeing the various peaks from a different vantage point. After spending some time enjoying the twin summits, being mindful of time I reluctantly headed back down. My descent was pretty brisk and I ended up getting back to the car just after 5pm. I really enjoyed this hike along the Middle Fork and hope to visit another peak in this area soon!
Trip statistics: 14.57 miles, 4167' elevation gain, 5:18h
Sheep Mountain Pictures!
GPS Track
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Vinegar Hill Hike
Dan and I were both available on the 5th for a hike. Because the weather in Idaho wasn't great, we opted for Vinegar Hill, a prominent peak in eastern Oregon where the weather was better.
We weren't sure how far up the road we could get but we made it roughly 7.5 miles in from the highway. There was more snow that we expected which wasn't a great match for the trail running shoes I brought. However the snow wasn't a major obstacle... a little bit soft but no major post-holing occurred. The trip was actually shorter than we expected... a rarity for a hiking trip! The weather was perfect and we both enjoyed the great summit views in all directions! Another fine hike in eastern Oregon!
This was also my first hike with my new GPS watch - so now I can provide super-accurate trip data. The things I do for my audience!
Trip statistics: 6.74 miles, 2076' elevation gain, 4:35h
Vinegar Hill Trip Pictures!
GPS Log
Dan's Trip Report
We weren't sure how far up the road we could get but we made it roughly 7.5 miles in from the highway. There was more snow that we expected which wasn't a great match for the trail running shoes I brought. However the snow wasn't a major obstacle... a little bit soft but no major post-holing occurred. The trip was actually shorter than we expected... a rarity for a hiking trip! The weather was perfect and we both enjoyed the great summit views in all directions! Another fine hike in eastern Oregon!
This was also my first hike with my new GPS watch - so now I can provide super-accurate trip data. The things I do for my audience!
Trip statistics: 6.74 miles, 2076' elevation gain, 4:35h
Vinegar Hill Trip Pictures!
GPS Log
Dan's Trip Report
Monday, June 7, 2010
Memorial Day Weekend...ROADTRIP!
It's officially Katie's next Blog Post! Mark your calendars, everyone! And try to control your bladders & your excitement, I know that was hard for me to do while I was typing this.
Word of warning: this will be a LONG post...as Zach said "to make up for all the blog posts I haven't made". Haha. He's a funny guy.
Ok, so last weekend was the Memorial Day long weekend here in the United States of 'Merica, and Zach & I decided to go on a wee roadtrip to Long Beach, WA, because we're a couple of wild & crazy guys! We left the Treasure Valley on Friday evening after work, driving to the lovely (um, boring) town of Kennewick, WA (about a 4 hr drive) to pass out for the night.
The next morning, we drove on to our old 'hood, Olympia, WA, to check out what had changed since we'd last been there 3 years ago.
We got into the Olympia/Tumwater area in the early afternoon, and drove around town for a little while, stopping by Zach's old workplace (Department of Revenue), as well as our old apartment complex and my old workplace (Cascade Billing Company, which was right next to our old apartment complex). The most shocking change we found was across the street from our old apartment complex, which (when we lived there) was all forested - the trees have all been cleared, and a HEINOUS-looking housing development has been built there. The "houses" (I use that term very loosely) have a great view of the area, which is probably the only thing going for them. As Dad always said, if you live in it, you don't have to look at it! To each their own, I guess!
After we got over that monstrosity, we headed to our hotel & checked in, before going over to our friends Joey & Sam's house, to visit with them & their 17-month-old adorable little girl, Cecelia. Once Cecelia was out for the night (uh, and the babysitter showed up!), we all went down to the Fish Brew Pub - Fish Tale Ales is an organic Olympia brewery with awesome beer as well as apple & pear ciders. We had a great meal (I had the fish tacos which had grilled cod with an awesome non-mayonnaise-y coleslaw on top; Zach had the beer-battered cod & chips, which he also loved), and we drank an excellent pitcher (or two! between the 4 of us) of their Wild Salmon Organic Pale Ale.
We then went to an old hang-out - a Karaoke bar, of all places! Sam is an awesome singer, and we used to go there a few Saturday nights a month to drink some beer & be entertained by all the talented (and not-so-talented!) singers...Sam sang a few songs, including Simon & Garfunkel's "Cecelia" - it was shockingly the first time he'd ever sang that song in the 17 months his daughter's been alive! We also got to experience what I think was by far the worst rendition of "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" I have ever heard...if I hadn't seen the words on the Karaoke screen, I never in a million years would have guessed what song was being butchered! The poor woman only knew 1 note, but she stuck with it for the whole song...good for her, I guess!
After that debacle, we called it a night & headed back to our hotel.
Sunday morning, we spent some time wandering the Olympia Famer's Market. We picked up a huge bag of amazing Washington State cherries (strangely, cherries are not the best roadtrip food...who would have thought?! heehee), as well as some apples & bison pepperoni (Helmut's German Deli in Vernon, BC has absolutely nothing to worry about - their bison pepperoni still has first place in our hearts!). We got a few (rainy-weather) pictures of the Port of Olympia (NYK shockingly doesn't have service to this port!), checked out Capitol Lake and then headed out of town, on our way to Long Beach.
We made a stop in the tiny fishing town of Westport, WA, and checked out the (busy!) marina there...the real highlight of this stop was seeing a (gigantic!) sea lion swimming through the marina...Zach tried to get a picture when it's head was above the water, but it was too quick! Mom, I seriously thought it was a silkie! We really only got to see it's head a few times, and one of it's flippers, but it was really long & very cool!
After I got my fill of Irish folklore & marine life, we continued on to our final destination for the day - Long Beach! We checked into our little bungalow. Please notice in the picture of the interior of the bungalow, that the short, white, open door is the door into the ITSY BITSY bathroom. The door frame was literally as tall as Zach's chin, and the shower head in the (tiny) shower was about the same height! We didn't include a picture of the bathroom but it was covered in totally retro mint/avocado green tile, and was so tiny we both had to be careful not to smash elbows/butts/miscellaneous body parts while getting dried off! It was an adventure!
We walked along the boardwalk on Long Beach for awhile, but it was pretty rainy, so we decided to go on a car ride to a little town called Oysterville, that our friends Karen & Shaun (from Olympia) had recommended to us. (sidenote: we would have visited with them while we were in Olympia, but they chose that weekend to visit Vancouver, of all places!)
Oysterville was adorable - a little "town" stuck in the 1800's, with beautiful beach-front houses, an old schoolhouse & an adorable little church with a steeple that looked like a lighthouse! Also, we definitely picked the right time to travel through the Pacific Northwest, because apparently the end of May is RHODO BLOOMING SEASON! It was absolutely insane & beautiful - rhodos were EVERYWHERE, and in amazing colours...some were so big they reached the 2nd storey of the houses they were in front of!
We ate some dinner (We tried some PNW oysters that were pretty darn awesome), and went to bed early, to prepare for a long day of driving on Monday!
Monday morning, we checked out Cape Disappointment & a cool old lighthouse...the terrain at both was really rocky & impressive! We drove over the (4 mile long) bridge into Astoria, OR, and stopped at the Rogue Public House as they make some of Zach's favourite beers. We had a tasty lunch - I had a grilled salmon filet burger, Zach had a $10 haute dog - no really, that's what it's called - with caramelized onions & bleu cheese served with a mustard made with ale. We also tried a few of their beers, my favorite being their honey orange wheat beer (it was too citrusy for Zach, but then again...he crazy!)
After driving around Astoria for a bit (and passing the school that Kindergarten Cop was filmed at! Alas, no sightings of the house that Goonies was filmed at), we headed over to Portland.
I made Zach stop at the Dave's Killer Bread store so we could pick up some stuff we can't get in Boise, and from there, we drove allllll the way back to Boise. this portion of the trip was complete with a HORRENDOUS driving experience in Eastern Oregon where (due to highway construction for what felt like 300 miles) the oncoming lane of highway traffic was separated from us by flimsy bendable orange marker posts - thank you, Oregon Department of Transportation, you supreme jerks! With the combination of rain, wet pavement, the glare of oncoming traffic lights, it made for some white-knuckle driving! We made it, though, and arrived home around 12:30pm.
Tuesday morning came waaaaaay too early, but it was well worth the great trip! Unfortunately it rained almost the entire time, but it was still a trip filled with great friends, great food and great scenery & views!
Phew...ok, I'm FINALLY done. Before I go, I'd like to thank Zach for downloading a bunch of great music onto the Ipod for the trip...and would also like to take this opportunity to point out to everyone that one of the songs he downloaded was MARIAH FREAKING CAREY. Yes, my husband who used to be addicted to hardcore heavy metal also likes to rock out to "I'll Be There". Don't get me wrong, I belted that song out at the top of my lungs (to his chagrin, I'm sure!), but...um...I'm a GIRL!
I'm sure Dave will defend Zach's choice!
Ok, that's it! See you all in another 6 months or so, when it's time for me to blog again! Juuuust kidding...I know I need to do this more regularly, so you don't get a massive monsoon post from me every 6 months!
Oh, here's some pictures for your viewing pleasure!
Washington Coast Trip Pictures
Word of warning: this will be a LONG post...as Zach said "to make up for all the blog posts I haven't made". Haha. He's a funny guy.
Ok, so last weekend was the Memorial Day long weekend here in the United States of 'Merica, and Zach & I decided to go on a wee roadtrip to Long Beach, WA, because we're a couple of wild & crazy guys! We left the Treasure Valley on Friday evening after work, driving to the lovely (um, boring) town of Kennewick, WA (about a 4 hr drive) to pass out for the night.
The next morning, we drove on to our old 'hood, Olympia, WA, to check out what had changed since we'd last been there 3 years ago.
We got into the Olympia/Tumwater area in the early afternoon, and drove around town for a little while, stopping by Zach's old workplace (Department of Revenue), as well as our old apartment complex and my old workplace (Cascade Billing Company, which was right next to our old apartment complex). The most shocking change we found was across the street from our old apartment complex, which (when we lived there) was all forested - the trees have all been cleared, and a HEINOUS-looking housing development has been built there. The "houses" (I use that term very loosely) have a great view of the area, which is probably the only thing going for them. As Dad always said, if you live in it, you don't have to look at it! To each their own, I guess!
After we got over that monstrosity, we headed to our hotel & checked in, before going over to our friends Joey & Sam's house, to visit with them & their 17-month-old adorable little girl, Cecelia. Once Cecelia was out for the night (uh, and the babysitter showed up!), we all went down to the Fish Brew Pub - Fish Tale Ales is an organic Olympia brewery with awesome beer as well as apple & pear ciders. We had a great meal (I had the fish tacos which had grilled cod with an awesome non-mayonnaise-y coleslaw on top; Zach had the beer-battered cod & chips, which he also loved), and we drank an excellent pitcher (or two! between the 4 of us) of their Wild Salmon Organic Pale Ale.
We then went to an old hang-out - a Karaoke bar, of all places! Sam is an awesome singer, and we used to go there a few Saturday nights a month to drink some beer & be entertained by all the talented (and not-so-talented!) singers...Sam sang a few songs, including Simon & Garfunkel's "Cecelia" - it was shockingly the first time he'd ever sang that song in the 17 months his daughter's been alive! We also got to experience what I think was by far the worst rendition of "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" I have ever heard...if I hadn't seen the words on the Karaoke screen, I never in a million years would have guessed what song was being butchered! The poor woman only knew 1 note, but she stuck with it for the whole song...good for her, I guess!
After that debacle, we called it a night & headed back to our hotel.
Sunday morning, we spent some time wandering the Olympia Famer's Market. We picked up a huge bag of amazing Washington State cherries (strangely, cherries are not the best roadtrip food...who would have thought?! heehee), as well as some apples & bison pepperoni (Helmut's German Deli in Vernon, BC has absolutely nothing to worry about - their bison pepperoni still has first place in our hearts!). We got a few (rainy-weather) pictures of the Port of Olympia (NYK shockingly doesn't have service to this port!), checked out Capitol Lake and then headed out of town, on our way to Long Beach.
We made a stop in the tiny fishing town of Westport, WA, and checked out the (busy!) marina there...the real highlight of this stop was seeing a (gigantic!) sea lion swimming through the marina...Zach tried to get a picture when it's head was above the water, but it was too quick! Mom, I seriously thought it was a silkie! We really only got to see it's head a few times, and one of it's flippers, but it was really long & very cool!
After I got my fill of Irish folklore & marine life, we continued on to our final destination for the day - Long Beach! We checked into our little bungalow. Please notice in the picture of the interior of the bungalow, that the short, white, open door is the door into the ITSY BITSY bathroom. The door frame was literally as tall as Zach's chin, and the shower head in the (tiny) shower was about the same height! We didn't include a picture of the bathroom but it was covered in totally retro mint/avocado green tile, and was so tiny we both had to be careful not to smash elbows/butts/miscellaneous body parts while getting dried off! It was an adventure!
We walked along the boardwalk on Long Beach for awhile, but it was pretty rainy, so we decided to go on a car ride to a little town called Oysterville, that our friends Karen & Shaun (from Olympia) had recommended to us. (sidenote: we would have visited with them while we were in Olympia, but they chose that weekend to visit Vancouver, of all places!)
Oysterville was adorable - a little "town" stuck in the 1800's, with beautiful beach-front houses, an old schoolhouse & an adorable little church with a steeple that looked like a lighthouse! Also, we definitely picked the right time to travel through the Pacific Northwest, because apparently the end of May is RHODO BLOOMING SEASON! It was absolutely insane & beautiful - rhodos were EVERYWHERE, and in amazing colours...some were so big they reached the 2nd storey of the houses they were in front of!
We ate some dinner (We tried some PNW oysters that were pretty darn awesome), and went to bed early, to prepare for a long day of driving on Monday!
Monday morning, we checked out Cape Disappointment & a cool old lighthouse...the terrain at both was really rocky & impressive! We drove over the (4 mile long) bridge into Astoria, OR, and stopped at the Rogue Public House as they make some of Zach's favourite beers. We had a tasty lunch - I had a grilled salmon filet burger, Zach had a $10 haute dog - no really, that's what it's called - with caramelized onions & bleu cheese served with a mustard made with ale. We also tried a few of their beers, my favorite being their honey orange wheat beer (it was too citrusy for Zach, but then again...he crazy!)
After driving around Astoria for a bit (and passing the school that Kindergarten Cop was filmed at! Alas, no sightings of the house that Goonies was filmed at), we headed over to Portland.
I made Zach stop at the Dave's Killer Bread store so we could pick up some stuff we can't get in Boise, and from there, we drove allllll the way back to Boise. this portion of the trip was complete with a HORRENDOUS driving experience in Eastern Oregon where (due to highway construction for what felt like 300 miles) the oncoming lane of highway traffic was separated from us by flimsy bendable orange marker posts - thank you, Oregon Department of Transportation, you supreme jerks! With the combination of rain, wet pavement, the glare of oncoming traffic lights, it made for some white-knuckle driving! We made it, though, and arrived home around 12:30pm.
Tuesday morning came waaaaaay too early, but it was well worth the great trip! Unfortunately it rained almost the entire time, but it was still a trip filled with great friends, great food and great scenery & views!
Phew...ok, I'm FINALLY done. Before I go, I'd like to thank Zach for downloading a bunch of great music onto the Ipod for the trip...and would also like to take this opportunity to point out to everyone that one of the songs he downloaded was MARIAH FREAKING CAREY. Yes, my husband who used to be addicted to hardcore heavy metal also likes to rock out to "I'll Be There". Don't get me wrong, I belted that song out at the top of my lungs (to his chagrin, I'm sure!), but...um...I'm a GIRL!
I'm sure Dave will defend Zach's choice!
Ok, that's it! See you all in another 6 months or so, when it's time for me to blog again! Juuuust kidding...I know I need to do this more regularly, so you don't get a massive monsoon post from me every 6 months!
Oh, here's some pictures for your viewing pleasure!
Washington Coast Trip Pictures
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Barenaked Ladies Concert
Katie has been a fan of Canadian band Barenaked Ladies for some time and attended their concerts when she lived in Canada. I was never as much of a fan because I didn't know much about their music and I consider their name to be egregious false advertising. However they were coming to Boise so we jointly decided we would attend. It would be my first "big name" concert visit in nine years! However I was saddened to learn they probably wouldn't be playing the only song of theirs I knew - Be My Yoko Ono.
The concert venue was an open grassy area at the Idaho Botanical Garden which meant that weather would be a concern. The weather forecast for Friday was uncertain and despite it not being very warm (temperatures were in the low 50s) it did stay dry! After a quick dinner at Pie Hole, we arrived just after 7pm as opening act Serena Ryder was beginning her performance. After being amazed by how busy the place was (the show was sold out) we found a decent spot on the grass. We ended up right near an old coworker of mine from Micron so the two of us caught up for a few minutes.
I wasn't a big fan of Serena Ryder's set but The Barenaked Ladies put on a great show. They started playing at about 8pm and played nearly two hours - more than most headline acts I've seen. I recognized a few of the songs but I think my favorite part was their improvised song honoring Boise which mixed vocal saxophone impressions with lyrics related to geological facts the band gleaned from the interpretive signs on nearby Table Rock.
On the way home the rain finally came... perfect timing!!
Serena Ryder performing with Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies
Concert venue
Barenaked Ladies early in their set
Barenaked Ladies onstage
Encore performance
The concert venue was an open grassy area at the Idaho Botanical Garden which meant that weather would be a concern. The weather forecast for Friday was uncertain and despite it not being very warm (temperatures were in the low 50s) it did stay dry! After a quick dinner at Pie Hole, we arrived just after 7pm as opening act Serena Ryder was beginning her performance. After being amazed by how busy the place was (the show was sold out) we found a decent spot on the grass. We ended up right near an old coworker of mine from Micron so the two of us caught up for a few minutes.
I wasn't a big fan of Serena Ryder's set but The Barenaked Ladies put on a great show. They started playing at about 8pm and played nearly two hours - more than most headline acts I've seen. I recognized a few of the songs but I think my favorite part was their improvised song honoring Boise which mixed vocal saxophone impressions with lyrics related to geological facts the band gleaned from the interpretive signs on nearby Table Rock.
On the way home the rain finally came... perfect timing!!
Serena Ryder performing with Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies
Concert venue
Barenaked Ladies early in their set
Barenaked Ladies onstage
Encore performance
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Office Move
My company has been doing some hiring lately and we outgrew our old office and phone system. We were literally hiring people with no place for them to sit nor a phone extension available! With the commercial real estate market being bad the company was able to get a good deal on a much bigger building. On April 30 we moved over there and we're finally starting to settle in!
Old building
Old desk. Note the snazzy Haworth Zody ergonomic chair.
New building. If you look really hard you can see the logo of Cypress Semiconductor, the former occupant of the building.
New desk
Bonus at the new building: A fridge full of free pop! Yes, that is champagne on the door!
Old building
Old desk. Note the snazzy Haworth Zody ergonomic chair.
New building. If you look really hard you can see the logo of Cypress Semiconductor, the former occupant of the building.
New desk
Bonus at the new building: A fridge full of free pop! Yes, that is champagne on the door!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Company Picnic
Katie's company had their annual office picnic on Saturday at Eagle Island State Park. Despite all of the crummy weather lately it actually turned out to be a nice day! I got to meet more of Katie's co-workers and many of their children while enjoying the hot dogs and other fare. Katie submitted two dessert items (brownies and oatmeal creme pies) for judging... hopefully she will be declared victorious!
Entrance to the day-use area
Shelter with Richard manning the grill
Lake at Eagle Island State Park
Entrance to the day-use area
Shelter with Richard manning the grill
Lake at Eagle Island State Park
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Grape Mountain Kayak/Hike
Last Spring, I intended to kayak across Arrowrock Reservoir and hike Grape Mountain. However, shortly after leaving shore I discovered my kayak was leaking and aborted the trip (I ended up hiking Shaw Mountain). Within a week I had repaired the kayak but I never returned to the peak - until this past Saturday!
I got a late start (shocking for me, I know) but I was on the water around noon. The water was a little choppy due to wind but it was nothing my fine craft couldn't handle. The constant splashing did provide extra motivation to paddle faster! Within a short time I had reached the far shore, but in a rocky, steep area which was kind of annoying to "de-kayak" in. After some scouting, I moved the kayak into a sandier spot downriver and cached the kayak in some conveniently placed deadfall.
From the cache spot, I embarked on a brisk hike up the steep lower aspects of the peak's southwest ridge. Immediately I noticed the arrowleaf balsamroot was flowering on the lower slopes - another sign of Spring! Below the ridge top, I spotted a half dozen elk grazing - however upon hitting the ridge their numbers were actually at least two dozen. Certainly the most elk I've spooked at once! Besides the elk, I later managed to spot blue grouse, chukar, and even a blue heron on the day.
Once on the ridge top, the hike became much gentler and a very pleasant ridgewalk up to the summit. Views were great and aside from the roads near the summit, this area seems to get very little use. The summit itself I had visited in 2007 (via a different route from the east) and I got to sign the summit register again. Due to wind and my late arrival, I didn't stay too long on top.
I descended via a different ridge (west ridge) which was much more shorter but also much steeper. The last few hundred feet above the reservoir were actually kind of obnoxious... steep, sandy, and loose. From the reservoir I worked my way over to the kayak so I could complete the round trip. Thankfully the kayak was in top shape and makes me want to find more peaks which I can hike in this manner!
Trip statistics: 1 mile kayaked, 8 miles hiked, 3150' elevation gain, 5.25 hours
Grape Mountain Pictures!
I got a late start (shocking for me, I know) but I was on the water around noon. The water was a little choppy due to wind but it was nothing my fine craft couldn't handle. The constant splashing did provide extra motivation to paddle faster! Within a short time I had reached the far shore, but in a rocky, steep area which was kind of annoying to "de-kayak" in. After some scouting, I moved the kayak into a sandier spot downriver and cached the kayak in some conveniently placed deadfall.
From the cache spot, I embarked on a brisk hike up the steep lower aspects of the peak's southwest ridge. Immediately I noticed the arrowleaf balsamroot was flowering on the lower slopes - another sign of Spring! Below the ridge top, I spotted a half dozen elk grazing - however upon hitting the ridge their numbers were actually at least two dozen. Certainly the most elk I've spooked at once! Besides the elk, I later managed to spot blue grouse, chukar, and even a blue heron on the day.
Once on the ridge top, the hike became much gentler and a very pleasant ridgewalk up to the summit. Views were great and aside from the roads near the summit, this area seems to get very little use. The summit itself I had visited in 2007 (via a different route from the east) and I got to sign the summit register again. Due to wind and my late arrival, I didn't stay too long on top.
I descended via a different ridge (west ridge) which was much more shorter but also much steeper. The last few hundred feet above the reservoir were actually kind of obnoxious... steep, sandy, and loose. From the reservoir I worked my way over to the kayak so I could complete the round trip. Thankfully the kayak was in top shape and makes me want to find more peaks which I can hike in this manner!
Trip statistics: 1 mile kayaked, 8 miles hiked, 3150' elevation gain, 5.25 hours
Grape Mountain Pictures!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Idahosummits Spring 2010 Climb
The Idahosummits Message Board regularly arranges group climbs of various peaks in Idaho's central mountains. For various reasons (weather and living out of state) I've never attended one of these climbs. However everything finally came together for the Spring 2010 climb.
After some dithering, the group decided to climb Little Sister in the Lemhi Range on April 17. Dan and I made the drive over in my trusty Escape. There were some concerns about snow but once we got to eastern Idaho it was obvious that snow levels would be high enough to give us a good camping experience. Upon reaching the campsite (and finding John, Dave, and Steve already there) we were blown away by how great it was... fairly flat and with lots of room! Others gradually rolled in (Margo, Margie, Dave, and Alex from Pocatello, Jeff from Boise, Rob from Rupert) in the late afternoon. Steve made us an excellent salmon dinner which was followed up by good times around the campfire. Many of us were meeting each other for the first time so it was a good time to get acquainted and to tell various stories accrued over years of hiking. At about 11pm, everyone went to bed... however I don't think anyone slept too well due to the various noises (including my car alarm at one point) that persisted all night. Overnight, Matt and Michael (from Boise) and Russ (from Preston) also arrived. By morning we had 14 people at the trailhead!
We started getting ready about 6:30am and at this point it was sprinkling rain and snowing up high. Not the best climbing weather! We took our group photo then headed up the peak, first across sagebrush slopes and eventually into forest. It was nice brisk climb and we did a good job staying together as a group. We were getting snowed upon for awhile, but as we got higher it abated and the weather started to look more promising. About halfway up we put on snowshoes and followed the trail set by the early group (mostly John!) all the way to the top. As we got near the summit, the clouds totally broke and we were welcomed to the summit under blue skies!
The summit views were outstanding with all of the Spring snow still in place. Shortly after arriving, the early group returned to the summit (after their climb of Big Sister) which resulted in a total of 11 people on top - possibly a record for that peak! Eventually the wind started to pick up which motivated us to head down. The descent through the snow was a little bit slick as the snow had softened up quite a bit in the sun. After fighting fatigue for a bit, I found a rhythm and made a steady descent to the truck and beer!
We had a great time relaxing at camp in the sun before we finally headed out. Seven of us (most of the Boise crew) ate at Pickle's Place in Arco before finishing the drive home. In short, this was a great trip - thank you everyone!
Trip statistics: 3800' elevation gain, 5.75 miles, 7.75 hours
Idahosummits Spring 2010 Climb Pictures!
Dan's Trip Report
John's Trip Report
Margo's Trip Report
Matt's Trip Report
Dave's Trip Report
Jeff's Pictures
GPS Track
After some dithering, the group decided to climb Little Sister in the Lemhi Range on April 17. Dan and I made the drive over in my trusty Escape. There were some concerns about snow but once we got to eastern Idaho it was obvious that snow levels would be high enough to give us a good camping experience. Upon reaching the campsite (and finding John, Dave, and Steve already there) we were blown away by how great it was... fairly flat and with lots of room! Others gradually rolled in (Margo, Margie, Dave, and Alex from Pocatello, Jeff from Boise, Rob from Rupert) in the late afternoon. Steve made us an excellent salmon dinner which was followed up by good times around the campfire. Many of us were meeting each other for the first time so it was a good time to get acquainted and to tell various stories accrued over years of hiking. At about 11pm, everyone went to bed... however I don't think anyone slept too well due to the various noises (including my car alarm at one point) that persisted all night. Overnight, Matt and Michael (from Boise) and Russ (from Preston) also arrived. By morning we had 14 people at the trailhead!
We started getting ready about 6:30am and at this point it was sprinkling rain and snowing up high. Not the best climbing weather! We took our group photo then headed up the peak, first across sagebrush slopes and eventually into forest. It was nice brisk climb and we did a good job staying together as a group. We were getting snowed upon for awhile, but as we got higher it abated and the weather started to look more promising. About halfway up we put on snowshoes and followed the trail set by the early group (mostly John!) all the way to the top. As we got near the summit, the clouds totally broke and we were welcomed to the summit under blue skies!
The summit views were outstanding with all of the Spring snow still in place. Shortly after arriving, the early group returned to the summit (after their climb of Big Sister) which resulted in a total of 11 people on top - possibly a record for that peak! Eventually the wind started to pick up which motivated us to head down. The descent through the snow was a little bit slick as the snow had softened up quite a bit in the sun. After fighting fatigue for a bit, I found a rhythm and made a steady descent to the truck and beer!
We had a great time relaxing at camp in the sun before we finally headed out. Seven of us (most of the Boise crew) ate at Pickle's Place in Arco before finishing the drive home. In short, this was a great trip - thank you everyone!
Trip statistics: 3800' elevation gain, 5.75 miles, 7.75 hours
Idahosummits Spring 2010 Climb Pictures!
Dan's Trip Report
John's Trip Report
Margo's Trip Report
Matt's Trip Report
Dave's Trip Report
Jeff's Pictures
GPS Track
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Cervidae Peak Hike
For a quick Spring hike I opted to climb nearby Cervidae Peak (which I also climbed last Fall). It would be my fourth time up the peak and the fourth time using a different route. This time I climbed from the Mores Creek Bridge which is actually a very enjoyable route. I saw lots of deer and chukars on the ascent - wildlife always makes a hike more exciting!
The trip was uneventful although the day was cloudier than I had hoped. After reaching the summit and reading through the register, I noticed that the previous entry was from BSU star football player Richie Brockel!
Trip statistics: 5 miles, 2350' elevation gain, 3 hours
Cervidae Peak Pictures!
The trip was uneventful although the day was cloudier than I had hoped. After reaching the summit and reading through the register, I noticed that the previous entry was from BSU star football player Richie Brockel!
Trip statistics: 5 miles, 2350' elevation gain, 3 hours
Cervidae Peak Pictures!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Happy Easter!
We hope everyone had a great Easter! Being the non-religious people that we are are, we didn't attend church or anything like that. However we did hard-boil some eggs and color them as part of the secular holiday tradition. Since we're nerds, we also had a little Easter egg hunt with the colored eggs :-)
Once that was over, I made a rare appearance in the kitchen and deviled the eggs. For dinner, Katie made a nice meal consisting of ham, roasted potatoes, green beans, and dinner rolls. Yum!
The day also involved the first yard mowing of the year and preparing our taxes (argh!). My only complaint is that it wasn't about 20 degrees warmer!
Freshly colored eggs!
Deviled eggs!
Once that was over, I made a rare appearance in the kitchen and deviled the eggs. For dinner, Katie made a nice meal consisting of ham, roasted potatoes, green beans, and dinner rolls. Yum!
The day also involved the first yard mowing of the year and preparing our taxes (argh!). My only complaint is that it wasn't about 20 degrees warmer!
Freshly colored eggs!
Deviled eggs!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Recent Happenings
Lately our respective jobs have been really busy so there's been a lot of working going on. We have managed to see a couple of movies, Crazy Heart and Green Zone. We found them both to be very good movies but very different - Crazy Heart was certainly my favorite of the two.
Last week I had some kind of stomach virus and had to stay home on Wednesday. Sadly most of my sick day was spent either in the bathroom or asleep somewhere. Fortunately it had mostly blown over by Thursday and I could resume my normal routine. However it's been a week and I still don't feel quite the same...
Last weekend I spent both days attending the Boise Code Camp as part of my never-ending professional development agenda. While it cost me a weekend, it was definitely worth it. While I was off being an uber-nerd, Katie spent Saturday with some friends watching various Corey Haim movies in memory of the recently departed teen icon. Katie reported that the movies they watched weren't very good which validated my decision to not go!
That's about all from here. Despite some snow today, we're excited about Spring (well, except for the yardwork part...)!
Last week I had some kind of stomach virus and had to stay home on Wednesday. Sadly most of my sick day was spent either in the bathroom or asleep somewhere. Fortunately it had mostly blown over by Thursday and I could resume my normal routine. However it's been a week and I still don't feel quite the same...
Last weekend I spent both days attending the Boise Code Camp as part of my never-ending professional development agenda. While it cost me a weekend, it was definitely worth it. While I was off being an uber-nerd, Katie spent Saturday with some friends watching various Corey Haim movies in memory of the recently departed teen icon. Katie reported that the movies they watched weren't very good which validated my decision to not go!
That's about all from here. Despite some snow today, we're excited about Spring (well, except for the yardwork part...)!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Danskin Mountains Hike
Since the weather has started warming up and the snow line has been receding, Dan and I decided to arrange a weekend trip. Since Dan wasn't available until late morning we opted for a quick hike near Boise, specifically Peak 5160+ in the Danskin Mountains. This is actually a fun area for Spring hiking... very open with wildlife and actually quiescent since ATV season doesn't start until April 10.
Our hike was uneventful and we got to spend lots of time leisurely hiking and catching up on things. We did see our share of wildlife... birds of prey, chukars, deer, and elk. The promised sunny weather didn't materialize but it was still a great first hike of Spring!
Trip statistics: 5.5 miles, 2150' elevation gain, 3.5 hours
Danskin Mountains Hike Pictures!
GPS Track
Our hike was uneventful and we got to spend lots of time leisurely hiking and catching up on things. We did see our share of wildlife... birds of prey, chukars, deer, and elk. The promised sunny weather didn't materialize but it was still a great first hike of Spring!
Trip statistics: 5.5 miles, 2150' elevation gain, 3.5 hours
Danskin Mountains Hike Pictures!
GPS Track
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Happy Pi Day!
Ian used to make us aware of Pi Day, so in his honor we decided to actually celebrate this overlooked occasion. Katie said she would be making a pie and I got to choose what kind - so I chose key lime! As expected, it was amazing and the highlight of an otherwise subdued Pi Day. We hope all of our readers also had a great Pi Day!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Tennessee Visit
After my business trip in Raleigh, I flew to Nashville Friday night. Not surprisingly, the flight was filled with spring breakers departing the various universities in the Raleigh area. After arriving in Nashville, renting a Yaris, and driving to Winchester, I arrived at my Grandma's house at about 12:45am. My Mom was there too as she is helping my Grandma in her recovery from a recent knee replacement (her recovery is progressing nicely). After talking with my Mom for a bit, we both went to bed.
While at my Grandma's I got to spend time with my Grandma, Mom, Aunt Joy, and cousin Logan. I also took care of a few things around the house and also checked out some vintage slides from the 60s and 70s that I hadn't seen before. Also, my Mom had just gotten a new laptop and after setting that up I accompanied her on wi-fi expeditions to area hotspots Krystal and McDonalds. Other highlights included playing tennis (for the first time in at least five years) with Logan and driving my Grandma's new Prius. The Prius was a novel driving experience, mostly because it has that newfangled push-button ignition.
On Monday afternoon I had to drive back to Nashville to catch a flight back to Boise. The flight was uneventful but I was disappointed to find the temperature about 20 degrees cooler in Boise! After arriving at 11:30pm, it was off to bed and work on Tuesday.
Tennessee Visit Pictures!
While at my Grandma's I got to spend time with my Grandma, Mom, Aunt Joy, and cousin Logan. I also took care of a few things around the house and also checked out some vintage slides from the 60s and 70s that I hadn't seen before. Also, my Mom had just gotten a new laptop and after setting that up I accompanied her on wi-fi expeditions to area hotspots Krystal and McDonalds. Other highlights included playing tennis (for the first time in at least five years) with Logan and driving my Grandma's new Prius. The Prius was a novel driving experience, mostly because it has that newfangled push-button ignition.
On Monday afternoon I had to drive back to Nashville to catch a flight back to Boise. The flight was uneventful but I was disappointed to find the temperature about 20 degrees cooler in Boise! After arriving at 11:30pm, it was off to bed and work on Tuesday.
Tennessee Visit Pictures!
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