Tag Archives: Columbia River Gorge

Jul10

Memorial Day in Portland – the Climbing

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Saturday, Sunday, and Monday – 25-May-2023, 26-May-2023, and 27-May, 2023

Historically, I used to go on big Memorial Day adventures – trips to Acadia, flights to France, adventures in Joshua Tree, and recently a drive down to Sacramento. This year, though, I kind of needed some rest and relaxation… Life, the Universe, and everything has been a heck of a time, and some downtime was exactly what the doctor was ordering.


Monday, 27-May-2023

Jess and I went climbing! At Ozone! Again!

It’s simple, right? I’d lived in Portland for ages, but how often did I actually get to go climbing outdoors? Not that often… though I will admit that, in retrospect, I did get out a fair bit… it always felt like a major objective, some huge challenge to get out into the outdoors to climb.

Now, it seems quick. A drive to Ozone isn’t long, even though I live further South than I did before. Maybe it’s not having to commute during the week, that lets me appreciate the drives a bit more?

Meh, who knows. We got to climb!


Memorial Day had been chill – biking around on Saturday, lazing around the house on Sunday… I was ready to stretch out and get some climbing in!

The Routes:
– Old Toby, 5.7, Trad, Lead!
– First Breakfast, 5.8, Trad, Lead!
– Second Breakfast, 5.9, Top Rope!
– Prancing Pony, 5.7, Trad, Lead!

And… that was it.

We didn’t do that many climbs, truth be told… and even then, I’m not 100% certain that the routes I wrote above are correct. I didn’t actually take notes, this time, and I frankly can’t quite remember why… Either way, I’m very certain that we did get out and get to climbing.

Why am I so sure?

Because, dear reader, I remember the picnic we had next.




After climbing, we drove down the road a little bit, off the main highway, and found a spot to rest.

Jess laid out the spread we’d bought the night before – a meat and cheese plate, with crackers and jam and drinks and… my ohh my. It was seriously amazing! We ate, we drank, we chatted, and I even flew my drone around a little bit… getting one or two good pictures of your favorite picnic-eers.

Yay Memorial Day!

Jun12

A spring day on the rock at Ozone

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**Note this was posted on 06-July-2023, but is backdated to 12-June, so that it fits in with the correct timeline. Apologies!!**


29-Apr-2023


Holy crap it was hot.

Like… April, man… why was it hitting 90s? Global Warming my rear… this is Global boiling. Global blow-torching. Global “It’s getting too hot!”-ing!

Anyways Jess and I went climbing!

It’s been a while since I’ve been to Ozone, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect… but thankfully, Mountain Project was there to help guide us, and my memory wasn’t quite as bad as I was worried it might be. Minimal exploration was needed, and lots of great climbing was had!

I didn’t end up taking any pictures, since photography while climbing is a bit hard… I’m either climbing, or belaying, and neither option lends itself to free hands. If you’ll forgive the lack of photography, though, I do have a list of climbing that we rocked!

Simple and easy ones, I didn’t push too hard… though that final 10a was definitely an appreciated challenge! The rest were simple – stretching my muscles, letting Jess break back into outdoor climbing… it was a good day, in no uncertain terms.



Routes:
– Wellwisher, 5.6, Trad, Lead!
– The Beared Lady, 5.6, Mixed, Lead!
– Pippin, 5.6, Trad, Lead!
– Merry, 5.7, Sport, Lead!
– Prancing Pony, 5.7, Trad, Lead!
– Bag Ends, 5.7, Trad, Lead!
– Mirkwood, 5.10a, Top Rope!

May6

BCEP – Hiking Hamilton Mountain

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Last year, I took the BCEP class with the Mazamas – Basic Climbing Education Program. It was interesting; a great chance to review my well-trained skills, practice some that I hadn’t used in ages, and get to meet some new climbing and outdoors people. It was fun, and ticked all the boxes that I had hoped that it would.

My faith in the outdoors community reinvigorated, I quickly and happily volunteered to help teach BCEP this year. I was expecting to assist with the same group that I’d taken the class with the previous year, since leaders tend to continue teaching year over year, so I was a bit surprised when I was placed with a different group… but it turns out, this new group was just starting out – the first year the leader had led a BCEP team on their own.

The chance to help out with a new group, and to help build a similar culture of excitement and optimism for the outdoors? All while getting to show people the unbridled joy of rock climbing? Of seeing new views off the side of a mountain?

Well. Sign me right the heck up.


Saturday, 08-Apr-2023


Another Saturday, another adventure with BCEP team four!



I freely admit – I miss my lazy weekends, at this point. I’ve been having a blast with Team 4, getting lots of adventure in and getting a ton of great socialization… not to mention getting to see people come into their own and become the confident adventurers that they all can be. But it’s tiring, and having to wake up early so often wears me down a bit.

Ben needs his lazy mornings, dang it!


Thankfully, Hamilton Mountain didn’t start out all too early. I was able to stay in Portland with Jess, which meant a bit shorter of a drive and a bit of nice breakfast in the morning… which definitely helped make up for the early rising, I freely admit.

We got to the trailhead, we conferred with the rest of the team, and we hiked in.

Yup.

It was a hike.

We… uhh… we walked? We chatted?

I fell behind a bit so I could take some photos, and then caught up with the team as they hit the snow line near the summit.

We descended, and headed onward to our next adventure… I mean, it’s hiking, dear reader. You know the drill.


It was an excellent time, I wasn’t at work, and the pictures were great. What more could I ask for?