Portland Area Tram

The hospital were our new granddaughter was born last week has a Tram that carries people to another location with medical buildings along the river.  The Tram was completed about four years ago and has already become an icon for Portland.  I thought I would share some photos.

(Mt. Hood in the background)

 (Mt. St. Helens in the background)

God's speed.

Sunday Morning Ride

I rolled out this morning at about 7:20.  I'm a volunteer chaplain at the county jail.  Every other Sunday morning I do chapel service.  This wasn't my usual morning though, I was filling in for the guy who usually does the 3rd Sunday.

We live on a hill and as usual this time of year, low-lying fog in the valley can be a photographic treat.  

It was the first cold morning of the fall season.  The ride to the jail is only about 16 miles and takes about 20 minutes.  I figure I can take just about anything for 20 minutes if I'm riding.  Since I stopped so many times to take photos my hands got a little cold.  Eventually I didn't want to let go of the heated grips.  Has someone come up with a way to get the foot pegs red hot?

Some might find volunteering at a jail a little different but I really look forward to it.  After all, they're a captive audience.  Sorry, a little jail humor.  The staff at the jail are hard working nice people.  I respect the work that they do and their commitment to keeping the jail safe and secure.  Many of the deputies ride which makes for a nice commonality.

I also look forward to these Sunday morning rides.  Though I ride this route often, on Sunday mornings it unfolds much better than other times.  One never knows what the elements and the early morning light are going to reveal.  And as I've written before, it feels like this time is more solitary than usual.

Once out in the country the temperature got as low as 34F.  This made my temp gauge flash and show the blinking snowflake icon.  No snow this morning though, here is the first sunlight hitting Mt. Hood about 80 miles to the east.

About a mile down the road I stopped again to capture the sun just peeking over the horizon.  I'm looking forward to more Sunday morning rides and what will come with them.  Isn't it great to be riding and enjoying the beauty of the world in which we live?  I don't ever want to take any of this for granted.  Each moment is a gift and I'm grateful.

God's speed.

Late Afternoon Recon

I worked from home again today and it was sunny and beautiful all day.  By the time I could go for a ride it was late afternoon and the rain clouds were rolling in. I decided to go anyway because my destination was a place I want to frequent more often; the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. It was so late by the time I got there the geese were lined up to come out of the water. Apparently even geese have to wait in line. "Everyone out of the pool".

 

We live fairly close to the refuge which makes it nice for returning often. The above photo was taken from the back side of the refuge looking east at Mt. Hood. There's an "S" curve on this road that I like to lean through. As I straighten up to lean left I got this view of the mountain. Mt. Hood has this uncanny ability to come into view when you least expect it. Actually a better way to say that is I knew I would see it, it's just that sometimes it really pops at you. I did some maneuvering to come back and get some photos. In the foreground you can see the buildings of the refuge.

I have much to learn about photographing birds and wildlife. I think a natural habitat like this will be a good "classroom". Another option is to try and sneak up on them on the motorcycle wearing day-glo green. 

 

Sunday Morning Ride

When I rolled the Beemer out of the garage to head to the jail yesterday morning I could see through the trees that a nice sunrise was developing. It was a brisk 36 (F) but dry and clear as I got on my way. The route takes me west for about the first 10 minutes, so I saw the sunrise develop through an occasional glance at the side mirrors. This shot was taken from a different spot than previous photos as the road goes north. The tree line is different but Mt. Hood is still there in all her majesty.

To see another image from this ride you might visit my other blog, My Digital Worldview.

Beautiful Brisk Day

A short post to report on the two mountains close to Portland.  Above is Mt. St. Helens as seen from the parking lot of the Washington State University Vancouver campus. Today was below freezing and we've had an east wind 10-20 mph, so visibility was very good. The mountains are stunning in appearance which gives them a "Wow Factor". Still, these pictures don't really show their true display today.

This view is from the campus.

Here's Mt. Hood as seen this afternoon about 12:30. When flying in or out of Portland most flight paths take a course very near Mt. Hood. People actually say out loud, "Wow"!

Hope you were able to ride today.

What's In Your Weather?

So far this week I haven't been riding much. I'd like to officially blame it on false weather information but the truth is most of the blame falls on me, as it should. Here in the Northwest where the jet stream enters the country our weather conditions are hard to predict, thus weather forecasters aren't always right.

Even with the sophisticated satellite information now a days, sometimes the best data gathering methods are people and experience. I remember years ago when I was a salesman in the restaurant industry I made a weekly call on two sisters who owned a coffee shop in St. Helens, Oregon. One Monday about this time of year they both told me that by the following Monday we'd have snow. Since it wasn't near cold enough and we don't usually get snow in November and the weather people weren't saying anything about snow, I told them no way is it going to snow. I'm glad we didn't put any money on it because sure enough within about 4 or 5 days we had snow. When I went back the following Monday I asked them how they knew. They said all you have to do is watch the elk. When they start coming out of the mountains and start feeding on the grass then you know the weather is changing. So I guess we can pull the plug on the expensive satellites and watch the elk as our ancestors did.

Each day this week brought predictions of some kind of adverse weather for the next day. Either high winds or large amounts of rain or both. Monday I rode the bike and just about got blown off the bottom deck of the Marquim Bridge. No problem, it was a good riding day but I noticed there weren't too many other bikes out. The forecast for Tuesday had heavy amounts of rain for Portland and Vancouver but it didn't materialize. There was one brief downpour in Vancouver but other than that it would have been a good riding day. Same thing for the trip to Eugene yesterday; a downpour south of Portland but it was blue sky and sunny when I arrived in Eugene. It also would have been a good riding day, although a little gusty.

Today I chose not to ride due to predictions of high winds but it would have been okay. When I got home I hopped on the bike and went to the store. Three non-riding days in a row produces some kind of poison that develops in the bloodstream. I think.  Anyway it's bad for you, it has to be because riding is good.

And here's what Mt. Hood looked like this afternoon. It's hard to see the elk but they must be there somewhere because there's snow all over it.

I would like to hear about your method for determining whether you ride or not. I realize some choose not to ride this time of year and that's understandable. Some will only stop riding if there's snow or ice, and others live in areas where weather is not a factor.  But if you still ride and are in an area with adverse conditions, does the weather report play a big factor in the decision to ride or not? And a second question is where do you get your weather information? Because the elk method is looking pretty good right now.

Riding and thinking; sometimes.

Sunrise and Tall Grass

As I rode up the driveway this morning a little after 7:00 the temperature on the bike's gauge was 37 degrees. Fall is definitely here.

I do some volunteer work at the county jail every other Sunday morning. These Sunday morning rides are a special time. There's a sense of solitude and a feeling of more awareness than other times of the week. I generally see only a few cars on Sunday mornings so the danger they pose is almost nonexistent. It's a 16 mile trip through the country with interesting photo opportunities.

As I rode west this morning I could see the sunrise developing in my side mirrors. I started thinking of places up ahead where I could get a good view. As I continued to ride, the reflection of the red glare became visible on everything ahead. I was concerned about losing an opportunity before the road turned north where I could get a better angle. Just after the turn north I saw this scene. The bonus was Mt. Hood visible on the horizon.


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We helped our youngest daughter move to a different apartment this weekend. As we made the many trips up and down the steps on the slope down to the apartment, I noticed a cluster of Pampas Grass that became back-lit by the setting sun.

With the afternoon breeze they became slightly out of focus.

This ornamental grass blooms in the late summer and early fall and will be gone for the year in about a month.

When I think about the ride this morning it helps take away the muscle soreness from the move this weekend. I told our daughter we're getting too old to be doing this but that didn't seem to fly with her. It's a good thing she doesn't move often. But she knows we're always available.

Quick Ride To Timberline

Figuring that yesterday was going to be one of the last summer-like days, and considering that our son's hours at work will be changing soon, we decided to take a nice ride together. When he got to our house about lunchtime he suggested that we ride to Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood.  It's a ride that we've been talking about doing for quite a while. The forecast was calling for cooler weather today with rain moving in by evening.  Tomorrow the snow level is expected to drop to 4500 feet which will cover Timberline Lodge.

Built between 1936 and 1938 Timberline Lodge was a Works Progress Administration project during the Great Depression. The Lodge is about 6000 feet above sea level where the tree line stops and the mountain becomes all rock above.

As we rode east on Hwy 205 the temperature rose from a comfortable 73 degrees to the lower 80's.  Crossing over the Oregon City Bridge we were surprised with stiff wind gusts coming from the north along the Willamette River.  From this point all the way to the town of Sandy we fought cross winds and saw many groups of riders coming from Mt. Hood.  It was one of those days where most people who have a bike were probably on it.

Located on Hwy 26, Sandy is about 30 miles from Government Camp, the gateway to Mt. Hood's ski areas.  When we rode through Sandy the temperature was a breezy 87 degrees; we knew it wouldn't be this way on the mountain.

About three miles before entering Government Camp there are a series of long sweeping curves on the uphill grade with a wide open view on the right that displays a large side of a timber filled mountain and a deep ravine below.  It's hard to describe the view and the expanse of what is visible.  Viewing it on a motorcycle is very different than in a car.  I think it's too big to capture in it's entirety with a camera but the next time I go through there I'll try.  Our mission was to get to Timberline.

This is looking south from the lodge.  That's Mr. Jefferson, about 50 miles away.  The temperature at the Lodge was 63 degrees and beautiful!

Click on the picture above to enlarge it and you'll see three peaks to the left of Mt. Jefferson, that's Three Sisters Mountain.  The one with the top faintly visible on the left is Broken Top Mountain.  These are all near Bend which is in Central Oregon.

The top of Mt. Hood as seen from Timberline Lodge.  Notice how blue the sky looks at this elevation.  Tomorrow night this should be covered with snow.

The buffet looked and smelled good; maybe we'll try that next time.  The ride was 140 miles round trip from the house and it took us a little more than 3-1/2 hours.

I highly recommend a ride over Mt. Hood if you plan to come to the Portland area.

Mike

Beautiful Day in Portland

I didn't leave the house/office until after lunch yesterday.  It was quite the beautiful day, in the high 70's with blue sky.

Coming from the south on I-5 into the downtown area are some "S" curves called the Terwilliger Curves.  The first curve goes to the right and puts you into an easterly direction which is straight in line with Mt. Hood.  Just before entering the second curve to the left the mountain comes into view briefly if it's not overcast.  I wish I could take a video of how it comes into view because some days there's a "Wow" factor - and yesterday was one of those days.

The picture below was taken later in the afternoon from the west hills above Northwest Portland.

 

The picture doesn't do it justice.  Some days it looks closer than it's 60 miles from downtown.  As you can see, it has snow on it year round.  At 11, 249 feet it's the tallest mountain in Oregon.

 

Above is Mt. St. Helens, once the tallest peak in the Portland area, and a rare appearance of snow capped Mt. Rainier, only 54 miles southeast of Seattle.

Above shows three of the four Cascade Mountains that are visible from Portland.  Mt. Adams in Washington is on the right.

 

Another view of Mt. Hood from the Salmon St. Fountain.

As I left downtown I got to thinking about Mt. Hood having some Spiritual implications.  It's always there even when it can't be seen.  Even though it's a volcano and one day is expected to erupt, so far it's rock steady and doesn't change.  Some days it's taken for granted and other days it's appreciated.  When you get close to it you realize how big it is and how small we are.  And then there's the realization after pondering such a marvel that we're just spinning on a big rock through space and there's either Someone in control or no one is. 

Anyway, just riding and thinking.