Moominmama's Adventures

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...

Wherein Moominmama travels over a thousand miles to get from one mountain range to another and sees the strange remnants of former lakebeds... Photos don't always tell the entire truth. Take the photo above, a lovely sunset over Utah Lake near Provo. Moominmama made arrangements to stay overnight at Lake Shore RV Park, next to the Lindon Marina. Sounds nice, huh?   I was parked in a boat storage lot, along with several sun-scorched and road-weary old RVs. The water behind us was soupy and smelled bad. Mosquitos and other bugs were numerous, as were the spiderwebs seeking to capture them. In a stroke of marketing genius, this town is called Vineyard! Besides cottonwoods and pond scum, the only plants I saw were a natural gas plant and a solid waste treatment plant. When Moominmama has to get from point A to point B, she often doesn't research closely but makes snap judgments about where to stay along the route. After the cool of the Rockies, it seemed wise to get somewhere with...

In which Moominmama snaps photos of cooperative critters and comes face to face with the latest presidential order on a bathroom door... Rocky Mountain National Park has been a national park since 1915, and the animals here are accustomed to its protections. Moominmama can't find any other reason to explain how she got a photo of this yellow-bellied marmot!  Of all the wonderful things I see in our national parks forests and preserves, wildlife is the hardest thing for me to photograph. Lifting up my phone camera basically guarantees the birds take flight or the critters scamper off.  But not only did this marmot pause to check me out as I crouched on the trail, a mule deer expressed only minor concern as we crossed paths in my campground this morning. Moominmama has been doing some spectacular hikes in this national park, which includes snow-capped peaks and alpine tundra.  One third of the park is above 11.500 feet, where the marmots scurry and elk wander. It can look s...