Day 9: Portland and the Mount Hood loop

July 7th, 2014

I couldn't wait to see Lynda this morning. She said to call her early in the morning. I should have asked her how early is early, as I get up with the sun. I had parked in a residential area for the night, but then noticed that I was actually in front of a small hospital and I was in a 30-minute zone. Glad no one ticketed me!

My tablet received a WiFi connection and got a GPS location putting me just a few blocks from the Mount Tabor park, a small city park built on an extinct volcano. I drove there for our morning exercise as it was close-by and early. We came in from the west, and the road was still gated shut at 6am. People were already walking their dogs, jogging, or riding their bikes up this hill, which did provide some views of the city. Portland looked so green in all directions, and the sun's first rays on the trees provided a soft golden glow. Paths and a paved road meandered up this hill, but stairs seemed to be just from the west. Old-growth trees dominated the upper area. We made it up to the hilltop, then walked down, and I was ready to drive toward Lynda's NE location. I still had to find a quiet place to wash up, and that was on a more central park where no one could see what I was doing. It was just my hair; I can't feel good with greasy hair.

I found Lynda's address rather quickly, but forgot that she said that her house is the back of a duplex. I had walked up and down her block with Sadie on her leash before Lynda came out. She looked just like she did in high school 36 years ago...only older! We hugged and laughed. Oh my, this made the 2300 miles worth it! And her little yellow Lab mix, Gracie, got along so well with Sadie.

Lynda had plans for today. We went down to a local coffee shop for coffee, a short walk from her house. My cappuccino was served in a normal-sized coffee mug and a design was etched into the milk. How lovely. This is what I miss when I drink McD's coffee all the time: craft. Both dogs were well-behaved as we sat outside and talked. And talked.

Lynda took today off and wanted to show me the Mt Hood Loop, a drive around the old volcano involving several roads. We took our time. We had lunch at a Burgerville fast-food place, a regional hamburger joint as good as California's In-N-Out Burgers which I do like very much. She took me down the Columbia River gorge, took me to several beautiful vistas, and then we drove along the Historic US30, which hugged the river and from where one could find a plethora of hiking trails. We even attempted to hike down the Oneta Gorge, but the many fallen trees at the start, that people had to climb over, were too much for Sadie. While Gracie had no trouble, Sadie fell as she followed me, and even I had some trouble since I was holding my small camera and her leash. Someone yelled "Someone's dog just fell!" and there Sadie was, looking up at me from the water but otherwise not showing any trauma or injury. She had been able to free herself from the area where she fell and was standing up. People thought her raw bald spot on her rear right leg was an injury she got from this. No, I told them, it's a bald spot from a bug bite that irritated her to the point of her pulling her fur out. We opted at that point to hike elsewhere, although this gorge, from what I could tell, is stunning. It's also very popular any time of day.

We ended up hiking a few miles on the Barlow Pass, a section of the PCT, instead. We were alone, the dogs were off-leash, and around us were tall pines. It was an easy section and we were on it for about an hour. I had to wonder when Darlene would be walking this same section on her journey. We could see Mount Hood from several tree clearings. It was the Timberling Lodge at Mount Hood that was our next destination.

Lynda's grandfather helped design the road leading up to the Timberline Lodge, which was as close as we got to the volcano's rim. The Lodge today is still a popular place, with rooms starting at $135 and going up as high as $350 a night. I did a quick tour inside while Lynda had both dogs as she waited outside. The interior of the Lodge is very inviting and I can see why so many people come here. Everything is made of light pine. There are two restaurants, a gift shop and a community room with fireplace. Not only are ski routes available from the Lodge, as well as hiking trails, but the views toward the Three Sisters is also quite impressive. The dogs enjoyed eating some snow while a young man next to us was experiencing snow for the first time. "He's from San Diego" said his female friend apologetically. The mountain did look inviting.

The dogs sat in the back seat as we drove on. Gracie tore at my heart strings. Lynda picked up a winner when she adopted that dog from a Portland shelter a few years ago. They were quite a pair in the car for the entire journey, even when we stopped at a grocery store on the way back to Lynda's house, and then back at her place and playing in her small yard. Sadie was a bit obtuse but she is like that around her own pack. She is most comfortable when she is around me.

Lynda made lamb chops with grilled brussel sprouts. We stayed in for the evening just talking. She went to bed at 11pm, I was up till midnight. It was nice to sleep in a bed again, and Sadie was right there with me.
MORE TO COME