lookin' out

The view from atop Strawberry Mt.

He's got legs...

Check out that sexy dude. Yeah, the one front and center, silly.

I'm Queen of the World!!!

That's me standing at the summit. Strawberry Mt. Eastern Oregon.

the cute couple

Jon and I standing side by side after our trudge up Strawberry Mountain. We hiked this Mt. in our Tevas! We kick butt. Oh, and Jon was sicker than a dog too. He knew I wanted to summit that day; that's true wuv.

There she is

As you're coming up the Strawberry Mountain trail, you can see it looming ahead. Elevation of summit: approx. 9,300 ft.

Movies of Mt. St. Helens from Johnston Observatory

Check out these movies that I took with my camera up at Johnston Observatory, Mt. St. Helens, Washington. Beware-- you might have to crane your neck to the side. I forgot that *duh* when you turn the camera, it also means you change the movie screen. Since this version of Blogger doesn't allow downloads, you have to click on the links below. Just use you back button on your browser to get back to the blog. By the way, it takes a minute to download, so if nothing happens right away, don't worry. Go grab a snack, especially those of you with dial up.

http://www.sthomaslibrary.net/DSCN0562.mov


http://www.sthomaslibrary.net/DSCN0564.mov

Mt. St. Helens from Johnston Observatory

This is a slightly different view of Mt. St. Helens from the deck of Johnston Observatory in May.

Mt. St. Helens landscape

Nena and I, on the way to Johnston Observatory, May 2006. The landscape was breathtaking during this stretch. It is worth it to take 504 to go just to Johnston.

Strike a pose

Nena strikes a pose near a twisted tree remnant of the 1980 blast.

Inside the crater dome of Mt. St. Helens

Inside view of the dome of Mt. St. Helens in May, when it's still buried in snow.

Cannon Beach, Oregon

Nena and I at Cannon Beach, along HWY 101, Oregon coastline. Behind us is the famously photographed Haystack Rock. The rock and its tidepools serve as it's own bio-habitat for bird species. We have other pics of Haystack Rock on this blog from last summer. It's a popular summer destination, though you can tell that in May it's still a bit nippy. The Oregon coast is always windy, and you're more likely to enjoy flying a kite or going for a stroll than you would be to "lay out" and catch rays.

Wizard Island

Last summer, we took the tour boat around Crater Lake to this island. Wizard island is another cinder cone that has formed and risen from the caldera of ancient Mt. Mazama. It is the only cone that is tall enough to be visible from the surface, all other cones remain below. We hiked to the top of the island and Jon was even bold enough to take a freezing dip.

Right side of Crater Lake

The nice part about being at Crater Lake in May is that the tour boats aren't on the water yet. This makes for a pristine, crystal clear view of the perfect reflection. I challenge anyone to find a more pristine mountain lake in the US. Can't be done, folks.

ET Phone Home

If you look close, doesn't the Crater rim behind wizard island, look like the face of ET? You have to look close at the ledge part that sticks out. Maybe I'm just weird. :) If you don't believe me, just click on the image to blow it up-- sweet size.

Nena, Jon, and I at Crater Lake: May 2006

Nena and I standing in front of wizard island. You can see that the rim is still blocked in with snow. We were able to crawl up to this viewpoint to catch a glimpse of this awe-inspiring deep, blue, lake.

Triple Falls

The path to zen...

Weird tree formation (looks like a seahorse)

Greetings from the Columbia Gorge

This Postcard was taken courtesy of Mr. Jon (A.K.A. Ansel wannabe)

Ponytail Falls