The Commentators: July 2012

June was a busy month! And beautiful, as we got a lot of the weather people here in western Oregon rave about. Lots of pictures, including a couple trips to some very photogenic places.

Let's start of by celebrating Kate finishing the school year at the Teachers Fountain! Kind of a weak fountain - maybe it's meant to represent the current underfunded state of the education system...

Playing some disc golf at McMenamins in Forest Grove

Flower truck on Sauvie Island

In early June we went up to the Bend area with two sets of friends (and their babies and dogs). After driving through a total white-out blizzard on the way in, we had beautiful snowy landscapes before the sun melted it all. But still, kind of surprising to be using snowshoes in June!

Here's our group of 6 adults, 2 babies, and 4 dogs by Elk Lake

Fresh snow Saturday morning

The trailhead - I made it about 100 ft before opting to strap on the snowshoes. Fortunately it was easy to follow my tracks back, since there was no way of staying on the trail.

Roads around (and looking up at) Mt. Bachelor on a bike ride I did there.

The high point of my route - the Bachelor ski area parking lot, with great views towards Broken Top and the Sisters.

We stopped at Deschutes Brewery in Bend and took a tour, where they have this extensively detailed beer flavor wheel to aid their tasters in describing their beers. There are some odd ones there...

Jubelale is one of my favorite winter seasonals. Deschutes has a local artist do the label art anew each year, and they have a cool collection of the full-size art as well as the bottle form of each year since they launched it. It kind of reminds me of all the various styles of the Dartmouth Winter Carnival posters that people collect over the years.

In later June we joined Kate's extended family for a gathering near Breckenridge. We were lucky to get a good deal on a big house we (all 19 of us) could share together pretty close to town and with a sweeping view of the 10-mile range. We had lots of fun in this ski-town even in the summer!

View from our porch up towards Quandary Peak, one of Colorado's 14,000' summits. This would later be my hiking destination.

Three generations panning for gold

Brother and nephew on the alpine slide

Nearly the entire crowd geared up for a ride along the nice paved trail between Breckenridge and Frisco

Further along the trail heading towards Copper Mt. and Vail Pass

Past Vail Pass at Shrine Pass, on a separate ride I did in an effort to stay (or get) in shape for STP in July.

Sign just above Vail Pass

Later I did the quick (6-7 mile) hike up Quandary Pk (14,265'). Here's a view of the upper ridge towards a false summit. The real summit is just behind it.

South from the ridge towards North Star, Lincoln, and Democrat. Oh! And the mountain goat that I bumped into on the way up. On the way down I actually saw a family of 5 of them just munching some sparse greenery. Very cool!

The summit!

Looking North towards Breckenridge's peaks and way further, RMNP

Obligatory summit shot

Back at home in Denver we tried out a new saddle-seat Kate's mom had recently found. It was surprisingly fun and comfortable!

I think I win the "better saddle pose" contest here. No hands!

Back at home in Portland...

Banjo likes to help out in the garden. He tends to take more of a "supervisory" role, though.

Thought I'd put a picture of the MAX (light rail) in here. Just so you can see what my sometimes work commute looks like. That's when I'm lucky and I get a spot to hang my bike.

Baby Noah is sure starting to smile a lot! And even laugh now!

Kate D. and I thought this sign was "Ossom." How do we get in the club?

Watching the night-time and very festively lit Starlight Parade downtown

Kate made roasted pears in a wine sauce with vanilla bean ice cream and mint. I wanted to eat them all. Very yummy - she should put the recipe on our cooking blog.