Moominmama's Adventures

  Wherein Moominmama visits a land of shrinking glaciers and brilliant wildflowers and meets another friendly marmot... Behold the Meeting of the Waters, where the runoff from the Illecillewaet and Asulkan glaciers meet. Moominmama took a hike that originally led to the foot of the Illecillewaet Glacier, (pronounced ill-a-sihouette) an area that is now just a cascade of water. The glacier itself is out of view, having retreated almost a mile and about 2,000 feet vertically up the rock.  Moominmama is not yet in the Canadian Rockies. It turns out these mountains west of the Rockies are called the Columbia Range, and Moominmama is staying in a section known as the Selkirks where Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Park are located. This is one of the benefits of travel -- I've just discovered an entire mountain range between the Rockies and the Coastal Range that I never knew existed! This year is the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation (per the United Nations), and I...

In which Moominmama attends a Pacific Northwest Alto-gather, reconnecting with old friends and trading tips about our Alto trailers... Meet my friend Janet, the selfie photographer in this picture, and all my other Alto friends as we gathered for a potluck dinner at a group campsite on Vancouver Island. We all own Alto trailers of one sort or another, all made by Safari Condo, a Quebec company.  As someone commented, our trailers create instant friendships among people from very different backgrounds. But what we do have in common is an appreciation for a small, well-made and energy-efficient trailer, a love for the outdoors and an openness to new experiences. It turns out I am pretty much guaranteed to hit it off with a fellow Altoiste. It was also fascinating to hear from my Canadian friends exactly how angry they are at the current U.S. administration. They are not planning trips into the States and are doing their best not to buy American products -- and they support their new ...

Wherein Moominmama explores the Olympic Peninsula and the Pacific Rim (Canadian) National Park on Vancouver Island... This may be the summer of the marmots! On a hike up Hurricane Ridge within the Olympic National Park, a dozen or more were running around and munching on bluebells in a field below Mount Olympus.  This "Olympic" marmot is unique to the high elevations of the Olympic Mountains and under threat from coyotes, which are not native to the peninsula. But these marmots are still fat and cute and not that afraid of humans. This has also been a summer of vehicular challenges. Olympic National Park is large but near a major population center in Seattle.  It was very difficult to score a reservation so I only had two days to explore, with long drives between the areas of the park.  These drives were made more challenging when an oil tanker overturned, forcing a significant detour between Port Angeles and the rest of the park. It was even more inconvenient for the peo...

In which Moominmama meets up with her brother's family to explore Mount Hood and takes a look back at some special sculptures... For much of the past week, Moominmama has had her brother, sister-in-law and their dog as hiking companions. We camped together near Mount Hood and explored some trails around its base.  Mt. Hood is another one of those dormant volcanoes that stretch up the northwest coast, in this case, the tallest in Oregon at 11,125 feet. My brother is more familiar with the area, so it was nice to take advantage of his expertise starting with a primo creekside campsite on the East Fork of the Hood River. During our days together, we hiked to a spectacular overlook where these photos were taken, swam in Trillium Lake at the mountain's base and did a section of the Pacific Crest Trail near the Timberline Lodge, a historic site featured in the movie The Shining.  Back at camp, we shared meals and conversation. It was a nice visit and a chance to scope out my br...

Wherein Moominmama goes beachcombing in Bandon, Oregon and hikes the Oregon Coast Trail... The state of Oregon passed a brilliant law in 1967 that established a public easement along its entire seacoast from the Columbia River to the California border. This area is now dotted with state parks and conservation areas. Bandon beach, just below the Coquille River, is ideal for tidepool exploration at low tides because you can wander among the sea stacks and observe what's clinging to their sides or hiding at their bases. The volcanic pillars further out provide nesting sites for birds, and offshore rocks serve as beaches for seals and sea lions to take the sun. Moominmama did her best to photograph a group of resting seals in the distance. Without a zoom lens, this is difficult. So imagine my surprise and delight when I rounded a corner and saw a young seal on my bit of beach! Rather than approach, I crouched down. State law prohibits beachgoers from bothering the seals in any way. Sig...

  In which Moominmama hikes the PCT (3 miles of it) and views (for now) dormant volcanos... Mount Shasta, pictured above, dominates the skyline in northern California. Apparently, it can be seen as far as Redding to the south, and Moominmama saw it faintly on the horizon from Crater Lake to the north.  Driving in California, the mountain has a way of popping up over the pines as you turn a corner, and in many spots, it towers over the landscape like here at Siskiyou Lake beach. At 14,179 feet, it has a lot of presence! Unlike the granite peaks of Castle Crags or the sedimentary rock of the nearby Klamath Mountains this is a dormant stratovolcano.  One of Moominmama's favorite hikes this week was along the southeastern flank of Mount Shasta, a hike that took her up to tree line, where the volcanic rock is still plainly visible despite the snow. The most recent confirmed eruption dates back 3,500 years, but Shasta is part of the so-called "Ring of Fire" that follows the edg...