Snowshoeing 1.1.11

We rung in the new year with our friends Shelley and Randal...and headed out the next morning to Mt. Hood to do some snowshoeing! We hadn't been since March and this trip was long over due. Trillium Lake Sno Park is only about an hour from our house which makes it all that much better! We had thought about going on Friday but didn't have everything quite ready and knew we didn't want to go Sunday - seeing as we would need some recovery time :) Unfortunately for us, those two previously mentioned days were the sunny days...we somehow went on the cloudy day, of course! We had a good time though. I guess we'll have to keep going back until I get to see the mountain!!

The lake. You're able to see the mountain from here - when it's sunny!

By the lake! Great way to start the new year!!

Oh Jason and his squinty eyes :)

Looking across the lake. So pretty and so quiet!

I love the mountain.

Loving it!!!

Self portrait - of course!

We saw the mountain for a few minutes from the parking lot. 

See the while blip in the hillside...its carved out to look like the USA!

an ADVENTURE years in the making...

2 Christmas' ago Jason and I recieved a surprise gift from my parents (in 2008)...snow shoes! I'd been talking about wanting to go and I kept on talking about it until today. We had planned to go last month but then I threw my back out - and throwing your back out doesn't agree with putting your own shoes on, much less snowshoeing.

Yesterday I bought a snow park permit, today we headed out. We did not leave at "oh dark hundred" like my Dad used to say/make us do for skiing growing up - but we did leave the house by 8am on a Saturday...pretty impressive.

I will say this, this trip was a bit of a flashback/nostalgia trip for me. I've really only ever driven up to the mountain a few times (like, 3 including today) and those 3 times have been over the last 9 years. Sad but true. So this trip brought back some memories, stories, and adventures...all which I relived to Jason today...I'm sure he was thrilled...

When you see the * sign in the post...I'm both explaining what it is AND reliving a memory from way back when...lucky you...you get to hear some of them too!!! We hiked the 5 mile Trillium Lake Loop a few miles up from Government Camp on Mt. Hood in Oregon. It was our first snowshoe experience together and I am happy to saw it won't be our last :-)

*Joe's Donut Shop...by the time we left the line was out the door...

glove compartment? no, donut holder :)

*silent rocks...

*dead man's curve (going back down)

my hubby :)

here i come!

The Eeds' Family :)

Now for some scenery shots...

Okay...back to the story

THIS, is Trillium Lake. Well, when it is covered with snow. Mt Hood is straight ahead...behind the clouds...maybe next time we'll get lucky and go on a clear day...or during the summer.

drains at the end of the lake?

standard self portrait.

 

self timer picture :)

we found a nice place to rest. a gate to keep cars out.

during the summer this road leads to a camp ground.

Jason having a little snack.

burried stop sign. shows again how deep the snow is.

stop (ignorance)...jason's responce to this "you mean like the ignorant person who wrote on a street sign?" i love him.

a happy surprise that was awaiting us in the jeep. it was much needed.

We had such a great experience today...even with our currently sore hips. We'll definitely be making trips back there, especially since it was just over an hour and a half from our house. It is nice to have found an outdoor and snowy sport that Jason will partake in, since he has vowed to never go skiing or snowboarding.