Compendium of miscellany, 2015

I captured a few of our local hikes and day trips in 2015 on film (or is it 'on file'?), and am now feeling compelled to gather them into one post. Each of these spots is less than 100 miles away and most of them are much closer than that.  I am thankful that we are surrounded by all this protected nature, and thankful it is near enough that we can be lazy about planning and make a mid-morning decision to sneak away and enjoy it.

Mt Hood in early April

Frigid Oneonta Gorge in late April

Clackamas River in early June

Saddle Mountain in mid-June

Haystack Rock

Silver Falls State Park in late June

Kayaking in Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in early July

Ecola State Park and Cannon Beach in early August with C & F

Kayaking to Willamette Falls with C & F

Dog Mountain in mid-August

Mushrooms and Fall maples on ZigZag Mountain in early October

Many more mushrooms and wicked inclines on Rock of Ages hike in mid-October

Horsetail Falls

looking East along the Columbia River

Devil's Backbone ridge

Ponytail Falls

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, 

There is a rapture on the lonely shore, 

There is society, where none intrudes, 

By the deep sea, and music in it's roar: 

I love not man the less, but nature more. 

-Lord Byron