A long day on the trail

In our efforts to get out on more hikes this summer and to condition ourselves for maybe some more ambitious climbing efforts, we decided to do the Table Mountain hike. I (Matt I am) had read about Table Mountain but never managed to get to it, partly because it has such a long hike in before the climbing starts. According to our guide book, the round trip to the summit is 15 miles.

Some advice for the male species...if you are trying to lovingly encourage your spouse to become more enthused about backpacking and climbing, going on a hike that nearly doubles the longest hike you've done in the recent past is not the best way to start. Yes, by the time we made our way to the top and were just beginning on our way back, my beautiful, gentle and demure wife exclaimed, "This sucks! I am done with hiking!" Each exclamation was perfectly synchronized with a savage blow of her walking stick to the ground. Now, it must be said that this came about because we just finished a somewhat long and treacherous stretch of 'controlled falling' down a loose rock slope. Kristi does not easily come to this state of mind.

Oh, and tip#2-make sure you bring plenty of water. I know most of you are smart enough to think of this on your own, but there it is. If you blow tips #1 and #2 like I did, you can always fall back on tip #3 - take your now annoyed and wiped out spouse for a tasty ice cream or TCBY treat. If you are really in a jam, tell her about the treat while you are still hiking. For best results, however follow all 3 tips, you'll have more fun.

Actually, the hike is spectacular if you've done a 10 plus mile hike recently (or you were born after 1985 and are not familiar with the concept of aches and pains). The views of Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood are tremendous and the south side of Table Mountain literally drops straight down from the summit giving you a temporary case of vertigo. The vertical walls are a result of the Boneville landslide which fell away to the south towards the Columbia River, leaving a severe scarp. I am sure we will do this again for another epic adventure.

Olive Update

We got good news today from Olive's lab results from her appointment on Saturday. Her kidney levels have actually now gone into the normal range. The vet was very pleased. She said we can lower the dose of fluids we give Olive for her home treatment. We are very thankful for the good diagnosis.

This weekend...

This weekend we stuck around the house and did some yard work. Our neighbors were in shock. The next store neighbor actually took my picture as I was weeding because he couldn't believe it. What can I say? We're not really "yard work people". I am excited about this lavender that I planted in the pot by our front door. Sadly, the plant I had in the pot last year did not survive. I blame it on the amount of sun it got (I'm sure it wasn't my lack of watering). Hopefully, lavender is more forgiving. Any words of wisdom from the green thumbs out there?

Matt attempted to tame the jungle that is our back yard. We also broke out the patio furniture and swept off the deck. It wasn't long before the yellow jackets came by though. We had a very bad experience last year. Anybody have advice for getting rid of them or at least keeping them away from our deck? After last year, I tend to get angry whenever they are near and I want to be able to enjoy dinner on the deck and reading in my hammock in the sun. I am so excited for summer in the beautiful Northwest!

Dinner w/ Bendrea

You can read the full story of or our wonderful meal at Bendrea's here. Dinner was great and the cake was amazing. I think I am on a roll since I won my Final Four bracket and chose who would win the million on Survivor(and won an extra piece of cake). I'm thinking about starting a Fantasy Football team this year:-)

Ruckle Creek

We attempted Ruckle Creek last weekend. Hit snow at about 3,000 feet elevation and trudged through it for a little while but decided to turn around because we didn't come prepared. The snow was getting in our boots and you couldn't see the trail. This is the least traveled trail I have ever done in the gorge area. We only encountered 6 people in our 5 hours of hiking. It was a steep one but had some great views.

Weekend on Whidby

We visited Matt's dad this weekend up on Whidby Island. Saturday was a little soggy but we still managed to get a nice hike in. We also introduced Rob to the game of Settler's. He seemed to like it by the end. We stayed at this great B&B, Spring Hill Inn. I highly recommend it if you are going to be in the area. They have a cozy little cottage with a a fireplace and the breakfast was delicious. I am still full from it. This morning we went to Meerkerk Rhodenderon Gardens and walked around. It was beautiful. I can barely keep a houseplant alive so I am amazed by people who have beautiful gardens. Whidby has such a cool feel to it. The people are so relaxed and friendly...always up for chatting. There are so many pretty hikes and beaches. I could get used to "island life" as they call it.

Can you see the bee?

The ferry ride back had a great view.