tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332869522011-11-27T16:48:20.534-08:00Observations for birdwatchers, naturalists, gardeners, <br>hikers, bicyclists, cross-country skiers<br>and anyone interested in the outdoors and the natural world.Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.comBlogger551100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-47400450422675869332009-03-15T20:52:00.000-07:002009-03-17T22:16:31.353-07:00

Friday March 7th we skied and skijored into Trillium Lake. This former swampland and meadow was turned into a 65 acre lake in 1960 by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The first picture is from the road atop the dam. A little known historical fact is that the Oregon Trail (AKA The Barlow Trail in this area) headed North toward Summit Pass on land now under this lake. Logs were placed

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-77916051568331816542009-02-05T12:02:00.000-08:002009-10-20T08:32:01.040-07:00

Road Edge Thicket of Choke CherryEverybody loves cherries. Good to eat, pretty to look at when they bloom - especially the fancy oriental varieties. Its a commercial crop that brings high prices to the orchardists of the American West. A staple of our diet, they add flavor to martinis, chocolates and soda pop. The sweet cherry is derived from Prunus avium, the bird or fruit cherry, a widespread

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-32912927131845897962009-01-10T20:24:00.000-08:002009-03-17T22:31:06.123-07:00

My camera broke its zoom mechanism and consequently there are two tours without any new pictures. One of these was a hike down to the upper edge of Old Maid Flats, just below McNeil Point. Here is a few photos from earlier trips to that area.Buried ForestPortions of the very steep south face of Bald Peak are indeed treeless. The view is dramatic with Mount Hood, the valley of the Muddy Fork of

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-33302119426129673962008-12-30T00:08:00.000-08:002009-01-17T21:07:29.360-08:00

On August 26th 2008 we undertook the long haul up McNeil Point on Mount Hood. From the Top Spur trailhead this is a 3000 foot elevation gain with about 5.5 miles distance to a viewpoint above the glacier. An exceedingly steep shortcut taken on the way back drops about a thousand feet in only around a half mile. In the process it saves about a mile and a half distance. We added another mile or so

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-39988624155666318882008-11-02T21:04:00.000-08:002008-12-02T21:54:14.277-08:00

We toured this area September 24th. A summertime hike up here would reveal many wildflowers in the meadows and the sometimes open woods. We saw a few late lupines, pearly everlasting, and the foliage of several flowers, such as the evergreen partridge foot. The trail goes through forest and meadow and passes many interesting rugged rock outcrops. The paucity of flowers was made good by an

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-9735551445505765602008-09-04T07:47:00.000-07:002008-12-10T04:15:59.868-08:00

Dog Mountain is a choice late spring - early summer destination. The lower slopes are primarily populated with Douglas-fir and other westside natives. Eastern species are present though - rattlesnakes can appear on the lower slopes, the native eastside mock orange was present and flowering. Its hybrids are mainstays of the nursery plant trade.Mock Orange, Phildaelphus lewisiiThe trailhead is at

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-43243412793835106732008-07-19T13:51:00.000-07:002008-08-13T18:26:06.081-07:00

On July 13th I lead a tour to the Right Angle Viewpoint area on the Molalla-Clackamas watershed divide for the Clackamas River Basin Council. As noted earlier this outing was delayed three weeks due to snow. On this hike snow was present in some spots but gone in others - depending on the winter accumulation and aspect, not on elevation. With about 700 ft. elevation change, the deepest snow was

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-39590528981900729462008-07-02T22:21:00.000-07:002008-07-02T22:22:39.293-07:00

With the heavy, wet winter snowpack meltoff running a month or more late, rearranging hiking plans is required! A second problem with the Bull of the Woods tour has appeared - a section of road is gone, and a 30 mile detour over twisting gravel Forest Service roads will add two to three hours travel time to any trip there. This is a doubling of travel time. And on top of that, the detour route as

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-6786379215341387642008-06-07T21:06:00.000-07:002008-08-07T21:54:00.705-07:00

On June 22nd I lead a tour for the Clackamas River Basin Council to the Clackamas Lake area. This was relocated from the original Right Angle Viewpoint area due to the late lying snowpack, which at this time prevents driving anywhere near the trailhead up there. Clackamas Lake is a good 1600 feet (500 meters) lower than the viewpoint and well below the snow zone. A peculiarity of this season is

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-55772927812163513382008-06-05T17:30:00.000-07:002008-06-05T21:44:12.251-07:00

One of the curious facts about our Pacific Northwest native plants is that high mountain plants are often better known that lowland natives. With most low elevation land in private ownership, access is somewhat restricted in comparison with the bulk of the Cascade Mountain Range, much of which (especially high elevations) are in Federal ownership and fully open to the public. Thats what gives an

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-9357968994202211172008-06-05T16:58:00.000-07:002008-06-05T17:18:15.362-07:00

Due to the heavy snowpack (see post just below) and the continuous unseasonably cold weather, I'm forced to change the destination for the first tour in the Cascade Mountains. The original location tops out at 4900 feet (1500 meters) and according to the SNOTEL sites there is as of yesterday eight to nine feet of snow still lurking about at that elevation. As the sites display a weeks worth of

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-62579470461118284812008-05-29T08:00:00.000-07:002008-05-31T08:10:11.973-07:00

With very high snowfall this year - record levels at some locations - the threat of snowmelt flooding has been a concern. There is still 9 feet (2.75 meters) of snow at 5,000 feet (1524 meters) on Mount Hood. At 6,000 feet (1829 meters) near Timberline Lodge there is nearly 14 feet (4.25 meters). This is more on the ground that falls many years. In April 2002 we had heavy rains combined with

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-83407298145524772992008-05-21T21:20:00.000-07:002008-05-28T22:18:02.241-07:00

I've been a busy boy lately and haven't been prompt about posting events I've done, so this one is about two months behind. On March 2nd two of us skied up White River Canyon on Mount Hood. Our route was only about 2.5 miles (4 km) each way but seemed longer with the constantly changing scenery and elevation. The sno-park elevation is just under 4300 feet (1310 meters); we topped out at about

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-22946496807519703082008-04-07T16:10:00.000-07:002008-06-05T17:23:29.765-07:00

Changes to My Hiking ToursDue to the heavy snowpack (see post just below) and the continuous unseasonably cold weather, I'm forced to change the destination for the first tour in the Cascade Mountains. The original location tops out at 4900 feet (1500 meters) and according to the SNOTEL sites there is as of yesterday eight to nine feet of snow still lurking about at that elevation. As the sites

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-85587774204087668912008-04-02T08:57:00.000-07:002008-05-05T07:48:00.054-07:00

We first heard and then saw osprey March 27th, two days earlier than last year. Their distinctive and frequent high-pitched calls make them impossible to miss.This species is recovering from low populations earlier in the 1970s and 80s. We did not observe them until 1991. In the subsequent year there were three - the parents and their single offspring who sometimes followed them and sometimes

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-55003410096682622482008-02-12T17:30:00.000-08:002008-02-12T22:08:20.306-08:00

Earlier today I hiked around Mount Talbert Nature Preserve. We've had only a couple of warmer days in the 50's (10-12 C). Many herbacious 'winter' annuals and perennials already know its spring. Candyflower seedlings are very common there between the big sword ferns. Bittercress, one of our few native weeds, is showing new green. Tiny seedling of other types are showing wherever they may. But the

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-2683612595301519892008-02-09T15:53:00.000-08:002008-02-09T22:15:53.290-08:00

The past few weeks have seen truly enormous amounts of snowfall up and down the left coast mountains - the Sierras in California and the Cascades from British Columbia south into North California. Locally in the Mount Hood area more snow - 7 feet (2.14 m) - fell in a week than falls in some entire winters. Santiam Pass south of here is closed due to avalanches and general conditions at the

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-66631639845910614162008-01-01T21:40:00.000-08:002008-02-12T21:57:41.298-08:00

A 'problem bear' has been killed in the Oregon coastal town of Florence this past Dec 11th, after being fed by humans and becoming habituated to them. The male black bear repeatedly broke into homes and walked up to a homeowner in his garage. An Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division trooper allowed the bear to approach to three feet from him before dispatching the animal with a shotgun.

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-7395409716296900482007-12-17T10:42:00.000-08:002007-12-17T10:43:31.967-08:00

Built by volcanic outpourings, carved by ice age floods, Mount Talbert has some very steep slopes. Naturally enough some landslide potential exists. This mountain seems to consist mostly of grey andesitic flows which are quite resistant to erosion. The rock bones of the mountain are mostly near the surface. Only where deep soils have accumulated is land slippage likely. The mechanics of most

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-5420585023547452502007-12-17T10:21:00.000-08:002007-12-17T10:36:37.478-08:00

West Linn Wilderness Park has just been linked to the adjacent Camassia Natural Area with a new trail. The city park and what is The Nature Conservancy's first purchase in Oregon have always been contiguous, but old tracks connecting the two have slowly closed in with poison oak and other shrubbery. The new route starts at the low point of the trail in the section of city park west of Clark

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-62048021649644628902007-10-15T01:03:00.000-07:002007-10-15T22:22:46.712-07:00

Unlike most of the posts this Blog Action Day, this one won't be about human-caused pollution or overpopulation or resource depletement. Rather I'll tell the tale of the environmental losses caused by a tiny beetleI first met with this insect while working for Kurisu International, a high-end Japanese landscape design / build firm, some twenty years ago. We would find the telltale heavy pitch

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-41051813108947673822007-10-11T16:41:00.000-07:002008-02-12T22:00:09.846-08:00

Blog Action day is Monday, October 15th, and the subject is the environment. Look for our special post on that day. Click this banner to find out more!

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-13721043030072054332007-09-24T10:12:00.000-07:002008-02-12T23:14:41.314-08:00

This is an interesting area especially geologically. Millions of years back this area was on the flanks of a once large volcano of the West Cascades Geologic Province. The thick layers of pumice and pyroclastic deposits that are common here indicate that. Erosion of the former cone has been so extensive that its location cannot be determined. Hot springs -Bagby 4 miles to the south and Austin 7

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-44897580734286539352007-09-15T11:01:00.000-07:002007-10-14T16:16:39.536-07:00

In my mother's garden the Peruvian lily held a place of honor. This was a tough, strong-spreading, spring blooming orange, tall and a little floppy. Later years saw extensive work by specialists on this genus. First came the Litgu hybrid series, mostly still tall and a little floppy, but in a wide range of colors. More recently (since 1998) the distinctive Princess series of Inca lily has entered

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-50742475414825448062007-09-10T09:50:00.000-07:002007-12-06T14:30:58.745-08:00

We were surprised to spot an osprey bathing in the Clackamas River just below our house. Taking advantage of the broad shallows, the bird was taking its time. After watching for 5 minutes I attempted to get a photo. The osprey took offence before I was 100 feet away, and flew off. All our osprey disappeared south during the first week of September, a little earlier than last year. During the Down

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-14488643133983999752007-09-03T12:40:00.000-07:002007-11-09T07:57:17.661-08:00

If its purple you want, you want this plant! The bright burgundy summer blooms intoxicate with their color, and look back at the viewer from their low perches atop sprawling perennial mats of leaves. The leaf reminds you of buttercups; but the blossom shows its true family alignment, with the mallows. The flowers are held one to a stem and can reach 2-1/2 inches (6.35 cm) across.This grows around

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-76610007912611834552007-08-30T16:36:00.000-07:002007-10-14T11:24:20.777-07:00

Sometimes a plant is a standout of its type. Such is true of the willow gentian. Though almost all plants in the genus Gentiana share intense blue flowers, most are low growing, soon out of bloom and finicky to grow. Willow gentian grows a useful medium height, blooms August till frost, and given its preferred conditions is quite simple to grow. The trumpet flowers of this leafy two footer (60

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-52653064025582741872007-08-26T11:21:00.000-07:002007-10-23T08:56:19.923-07:00

This expansive backcountry area is underappreciated by forest users, with almost all use limited to around the larger lakes at trailhead elevation. The higher elevations here give access to one of the most extensive regions of upper montane forests and meadows not on a high glaciated peak in The Cascades. At 7215 ft. (2200 m) Olallie Butte is the highest point between Mount Hood and Mount

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-67825262379617359312007-07-12T13:24:00.000-07:002008-02-09T22:39:32.521-08:00

This excursion is one I set up for The Clackamas River Basin Council, and lead for them the first time this year. In it participants visit a series of springs and lakes all of which are headwaters of one fork or tributary of the far-flung Clackamas River. Date was July 8th.We visited in order deep bright blue Little Crater Lake, teal-colored Clackamas Lake and nearby Forest Service museum, Summit

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-19162460038928643372007-07-09T07:00:00.000-07:002008-02-09T22:31:08.832-08:00

This high glacial valley is of note floristically, geologically and hydrologically. It is located in the Bull of the Woods Wilderness Area at over 4000 ft. elevation. Locals can identify the area as being the next valley east from Bagby Hot Springs. Access is via Forest Service Roads 6340 and 6341. Two trails lead up the valley - the trail most traveled is the one on the maps, with a fairly even

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-44000359574884809792007-05-29T11:16:00.000-07:002007-06-29T12:02:12.649-07:00

This perennial flowers like the annual blue forget-me-not but without its weedy ways. Try this perennial forget-me-not to enjoy in a permanent clump-forming foliage plant.Langtrees Siberian forget-me-not is a hearty grower in most soils as long as some extra moisture is present. It's a wet ground plant rather than a dry forest floor plant. though far from a bog plant. Do expect to water it in

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-23631373239794262852007-03-31T11:55:00.000-07:002007-09-30T11:56:13.550-07:00

The osprey have returned for the nesting season. Their high pitched call is most distinctive as the mated pairs scout out the 'home territory' they are reclaiming after a South American winter sojourn. In one case we observed a third osprey following the pair - perhaps last year’s offspring. The yearling is likely to find his or her own way before nesting begins in earnest.We noted osprey last

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-73095187070613612392007-03-17T11:20:00.000-07:002007-11-09T08:59:31.326-08:00

The spate of cold weather in January finally brought snowfall for the first time in three years. At our house about four inches fell, enough for me to get out the old Asnes Trends with the crack which I've saved for just such times. An odd combination of high camber racing and metal edged backcountry goodness, they carved christys well, cutting down to the underlying grass only in the turns.

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-954044405682034912007-02-19T13:44:00.002-08:002007-02-19T14:17:31.429-08:00

Year-round, lenten rose offers deep green glossy foliage, and better yet it blooms in winter, with a season from February well into April. Its especially welcome on a garden walk on a fine winters day, but be sure to place it where your windows look out upon it for those not so nice late winter days!These evergreen perennials keep their foliage nice year round, with the previous years laying down

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-1157351500564055732007-02-13T22:39:00.000-08:002007-02-11T22:31:42.890-08:00

Its rare that something hits the horticultural world that is something truly new, something that was not there before. Plants, after all, have been on this planet almost since the beginning. Now a cross between the common wax begonia and the well-known angelwing begonia has resulted in a series of plants that do things no plant did before.By combining only the best of traits from the two parents,

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-67786607481996293452006-12-11T15:15:00.000-08:002008-02-12T22:52:08.013-08:00

A new major addtion to the area's urban parks system, this hilltop preserve has a decidedly non-urban look and feel. Mount Talbert is one of many Portland-area peaks resulting from the Boring Volcanics series. A set of trails has now been placed in the park. One circles the mountain, another crosses over the 750 ft. elevation maple and oak covered top, while others fan out to the several

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-7134478019868805942006-12-10T15:27:00.000-08:002008-02-10T12:14:04.236-08:00

After several visits, here is some commentary on Oaks Bottom, a park and wildlife refuge on the Willamette River in Portland. Dozens of great blue herons stand in the open, shallow lakes, just far enough apart to be out of beaks reach of each other. The grey color of both the water and the herons made a close look necessary to pick them out. The joggers running by will miss them easily. A single

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-20915749148257065272006-12-08T07:40:00.000-08:002006-12-08T08:06:44.553-08:00

The first spring blossoms are long weeks away. Even the optimistically-named Christmas rose (Helleborus niger) is still in bud, its touted winter blooms not yet open. Still, an early January walk in the gardens hereabouts will yield a treasure trove of some of the rarest of garden plants - the true winter flowers. Despite the negatives of winter weather - frost, heavy rains, and few if any

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-34698537221558821342006-11-19T21:08:00.000-08:002006-12-08T09:37:14.316-08:00

The Northwest Coast of the US is earthquake prone. Unlike frequently shaken California, here the tectonic forces build up over the centuries until very large quakes occur. Small and medium quakes do occur, but rarely and the stress and strain keeps accumulating. The major quakes may be as large as any on Earth.The last major quake offshore occurred January 26th 1700, dated by tsunami records fron

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-68905246093001402782006-11-19T19:02:00.000-08:002006-11-19T20:36:40.308-08:00

The first sighting of double-crested cormorants happened this past Friday, November 17. Most cormorants are seabirds, but this one lives and nests inland as well, here in the West as well as on the lakes of the Plains States east down the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence. These birds are mostly black, goose sized but slender, and up to nearly a yard (9 dm) tall. Weight is up to 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg).

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-113368616049240222006-11-09T21:32:00.000-08:002007-11-09T08:42:54.950-08:00

Roads, trailer park gone; other areas escape damageDays of heavy warm tropical-origin rain has fallen erratically across the Pacific Northwest, with mountain and coastal areas getting far more than the central lowlands. The uneven distribution of the rainfall showed with record flooding on some rivers, and little elsewhere. The Clackamas River rose to levels less than floods of of the past two

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-24283652339155909132006-11-04T11:08:00.000-08:002006-12-08T06:44:28.519-08:00

Well, The Old Farmers Almanac is correct at the moment. They predicted above average rainfall for our area in early to mid November. After a dry October, we are now getting river-raising levels of rain. Two inches (5 cm) of rain is predicted for Sunday the 4th, and a break is not forecast until Thursday. Another three days of rain will follow! The rains began on the First. Shown above is the

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-38800459224400972102006-11-03T20:55:00.000-08:002006-11-14T18:10:13.992-08:00

There was an interesting observation yesterday in the heavy rain we seem to have settled into. A nutria (an import from the far end of South America), perhaps flushed from his riverside den by the rising water, discovered some patches of petunias. These were about done flowering for the season and needed to be pulled for the compost pile, having barely survived a light frost. The nutria found

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-30321297342143810942006-11-02T12:10:00.000-08:002006-11-02T12:29:41.397-08:00

In front of the house, along the circular drive, are three 'dwarf' strawberry shrubs. This one is very unusual in that its fruit take a full year to ripen, so flowering and fruiting overlap in time. Like some plant from the Celtic Otherworlds, the white blossoms expand among the ripening fruit from the previous year. The small blossoms that have begun to attract late-season hummingbirds - daily,

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-61155050493136977602006-10-08T20:13:00.000-07:002008-02-10T12:28:51.961-08:00

On both September 29th and October 3rd a day was spent finding some of the many source founts of the farflung Clackamas River in the high mountain reaches of the Cascades. At 900 square miles, the watershed of the Clackamas includes many forks and tributaries. We located easily accessible sources for both the Oak Grove Fork and the true source of the Clackamas proper. Some of the headwaters are

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-1156448581986335272006-10-07T12:42:00.000-07:002007-11-09T10:55:07.467-08:00

These large predators are frequent visitors here, but the fishermen and others along the river keep them from becoming resident long term. Their harsh guttural squawks can be heard at any time of the night or day. Always solitary in daily life, they surprise everyone by nesting in large clusters of huge nests, from 8 to 170 in a single tree or group of adjacent trees near water.Last spring we

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-1159499038560189852006-09-25T19:30:00.000-07:002008-02-10T13:08:10.332-08:00

September 10th was the date for the Down The River cleanup. Thirteen miles of heavily used Clackamas River received its fourth annual cleanup from 251 volunteers, counting only those who took to canoes, rafts, driftboats, catarafts, kayaks and one inflatable whale. 5.27 tons of trash was hauled out, more than double the previous record from last year. Another 30 or so folks were busy with behind

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-1158558791104362682006-09-17T22:39:00.000-07:002006-12-11T15:55:57.890-08:00

Several inches of snow fell at Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood last week, and a few more inches are forecast for tomorrow. Flakes fell as low as 3500 ft (1070 m.). This is early, and the newscasts on TV showed folks out on their boards (scratches guaranteed!). Early for serious cross-country skiing is the end of October, with mid-November normal. I'll vote for early - but this early snow is no

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-1158437216374348862006-09-14T12:53:00.000-07:002006-09-16T13:06:56.383-07:00

Observing feeding rates at your bird-feeders will give you some good information about your ‘clients’ or ‘customers’ - your backyard birds. We have two thistle feeders for the bright goldfinches and two more with a sunflower/cracked corn/millet/etc. mix that provides for red-headed house-finches, wrens, towhees, parasitic cowbirds, chickadees and others.Of course feeding is strong and continuous

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-1157301296830798292006-09-03T09:29:00.000-07:002006-09-03T14:14:36.433-07:00

We are still hearing the high pitched calls of Osprey, and see them landing on their favorite perches both sides of the river. Osprey live exclusively by fishing. They watch and wait on riverside perches quite a bit and also hover over the water just in case a fish resurfaces. The dives are spectacular and swift - they wouldn't catch many fish otherwise. They hit the water talons first and can go

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-1157147931515578642006-09-01T13:21:00.000-07:002006-09-01T14:58:51.556-07:00

The Hummingbird Flower’ is a welcome addition to our garden. We acquired 5 of them in 1 gallon cans last year, spaced them about 2.5 ft. apart. They filled in well in two months. They’ve blossomed prolifically since just after planting in early July. Heaviest bloom comes in late summer and into Fall. The sprawling growth is thick enough to keep out most weeds, even in its first season. Its

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-1156704257661465802006-08-27T11:34:00.000-07:002006-09-23T15:42:46.096-07:00

This bright red has about as much impact as any lily out there. The color is far from understated, and the wide blossoms face you, not downward like so many lilies, It fact it was named this because the blooms face the sky. The fragrance is concentrated and wide-ranging. It opens in early August here in Western Oregon; for you the exact time will vary with your climate, as soon as early July in

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-1156446455013005652006-08-24T10:13:00.000-07:002006-08-27T15:48:14.993-07:00

We sighted the first large Fall flock of Canada Geese this morning. About 20 silent birds flew low directly over the river, in a ragged lopsided V. This is early for this.Several pairs raised their young on the Clackamas behind our house. The numbers in each clutch were large but constantly diminishing. These birds mate for life. The growth rate of the little ones is astonishing - they reach near

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-1156634366486011862006-08-12T15:56:00.000-07:002008-02-10T15:21:50.080-08:00

The Clackamas River Basin Council sponsored an outing to 5523 ft (1683 m.) Bull of the Woods on July 15th.. Located on a watershed between various forks of the Collawash River, the Southwesternmost branch of the far-flung Clackamas,this mountaintop has a rare WWII vintage fire lookout, which is undergoing restoration. Formerly it was rented out by the Forest Service, and hopefully it will be

Bryonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857483005617131708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33286952.post-1156727620040246512006-08-11T16:16:00.000-07:002008-02-10T15:21:22.284-08:00

Our travels took us August 6th to McNeil Point on Mount Hood in the Mount Hood Wilderness Area. This is a popular high elevation hike with spectacular view of the broad Sandy Glacier and the terrain north and west of the mountain. Wildflowers abound in the open areas, which become common around 6000 ft. (1830 m.) elevation. Last winters heavy snowfall appears to have at least temporarily reversed

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