December 2014 | Winter break 2014

 ^ Airenne is currently in Rome for Christmas (I can't even contain my jealousy) so we meet up before Christmas for brunch... and because all girls need matching best friend coffee mugs for Christmas, that's what she got me! I actually love it and get compliments at work all the time :) Thanks bffl :)

 

 ^ dinner with my parents, Aunt & Grandma. The older I get, the more I look like my Dad, it creeps me out. Let's take a moment to reflect on how unfair it is that I am a carbon copy of my Dad (short, stalky) and my brother is a copy of my Mom (tall, thin). talk about unfair.

 ^this gem of me with my hiking backpack... it's huge compared to me ...& it's the smallest size.

 ^ CHRISTMAS LIGHTS.

 

Phebes & Elaine came to help me pack (yup, I moved again), and we went to an awesome pizza place right near a log yard.

 

 

 

 ^Christmas party pictures.

 

 ^ new house room view.

 ^pizza after moving

 

 ^ that moment when you realize you're insane because you're trying to ski IN THE RAIN. desperate much?

^don't know what I would do without these 2.

^ my own longest running holiday tradition is Cajun tots at Edgefields on Christmas Eve...never with the same person / group 2 years running (but Lauren I will make an exception for you, see you next year ;) )

 ^ Lauren's annual Christmas brunch!

^ family time

 

So far winter break has been great. One more week :) :)

December 2014 : Willamette National Forest

On my way home (after being scared away from the fire tower), I wanted to stop everywhere, it was amazing how quickly the scenery changed.

 

I'm kinda in love, can't wait to go back!

 

 

 ^ looks like another horror story in the making to me!

 

 

 

 ^ I have no idea why there are all these tree stumps... I tried to search online but couldn't find anything about what was going on here.

 

December 2014 : Warner Mountain Lookout 1 / 3

Part one, two & three.

Last week some friends had an extra night in a fire tower...and there was nothing that would have kept me away.
 

Not a National Weather Service Storm Warning for the area (for high winds).

Not the fact that I forgot chains for my car (realized that when I got to the lookout tower).

Not that I couldn't get anyone to go with me, so I would have to go alone.

Not the possibility that I would have to snowshoe 3 miles... alone... in the dark to get there.

Anyway- despite all that... I made it!

Have you ever stayed the night alone in a fire tower, during a windstorm

Don't.

Seriously. DON'T.

I was terrified. Actually I was BEYOND terrified. IT WAS HORRIBLE.

I was so so so so so sure that I was going to die... either by someone coming up and murdering me, by freezing to death, by carbon monoxide poising from the fireplace. Every possibility was thought of.

I got there within 5 minutes of it becoming totally dark. I can not even imagine how I could have possibly hiked in the dark without having a heart attack. 

However-the cabin itself was so cute! 

I took these in the morning- note the frozen snow on the window :/

 

 

^^this cute map would have been helpful if I could see more then 5 feet in front of my face  :)

December 2014 : Warner Mountain Lookout 2 / 3

Part one, two & three.

The next morning, after sleeping about 3 hours total, I woke up to this:

 about an inch of snow- and lots of clouds.

It was super quiet and peaceful. One might almost say frighteningly so. :) I decided to walk down to my car and check out how the road looked (it was totally fine).

 ^ check out my cute new boots! :) an early Christmas present from my Mom. Thanks, Mom!

 ^ there was a TINY break in the clouds, but it lasted about five minutes.

I walked around for about an hour and a half, but there really wasn't much to see. Obviously no views. I did find the outdoor shower (it took me awhile I figure out what it was!), and there was a cool meadow with a lot of animal tracks. This in some ways made me feel better because I wasn't crazy! I really was hearing noises the night before! I think they were mostly deer. 

Is this not amazing?! I can't believe I got to stay in it. (& I didn't take any pictures, but I was able to climb into the top part, too.) 

December 2014 : Warner Mountain Lookout 3 / 3

Part one, two & three.

By 11:30 I was sufficiently freaked-and since my friends weren't going to be meeting me for about 6 more hours-I decided to call it in early and go home.

 Kind of a bummer because it was AMAZING and a long drive, but I was so anxious I know I wouldn't have enjoyed myself at all, even if I stayed.

The drive out was awesome. I have never really spent much time in the Willamette National Park,  but I WILL be going back. It was crazy how different the landscape was, even within 10-15 minutes.

THANK YOU SO MUCH C & D for letting me stay! I had an amazing, once in a life time trip. Seriously, once in a life time because I am never doing that (alone) again! xo

October 2014 | McCall Point Hike

I've never spent much time east of Hood River, but now that I am living in Hood River I am loving going east into the desert. It's SO different then west of the Gorge, that I am used to and I love it. Especially since the weather there somehow always seems to be nicer.

I hiked up McCall Point- there was a lot of damage from a fire, which was kinda a bummer because the hike is supposed to be on a ridgeline (I think?) but the detours push you back into less impressive routes. And I saw a SNAKE. I screamed and ran. I always scream and run when I see nature I don't like. It works for me.

Still there is no denying that Oregon is one pretty state.

I ran into ONE person, and asked them to take a picture of me. Here is the gem: