A Walk that Turned Into a Hike

 

 

 

Last week Jesi needed to blow off some steam.  We ended up walking eight miles and didn’t get back until nearly dark.  Here, the old sheep barns have been taken down and a new barn is getting ready to rise.

 

 

The last week or so we’ve had coastal low clouds and fog rolling across the valley.  It reminds me of San Francisco.  Perhaps this is what global climate change will look like.

 

 

 

 

On this day the fog never quite made it to the valley.  On other days it has gone all the way to the Cascades.

 

 

 

 

On top of Bald Hill.

 

 

Some artwork in the barn on the flank of Bald Hill.

 

 

 

Old Growth Trail with Cory

A couple of weekends back, Cory and I went for a hike on the Old Growth trail in the McDonald Dunn Forest.  It was an absolutely gorgeous walk.  And almost devoid of people.  That’s a nice change for what normally would be a busy trail.

We found an old quarry pond with oodles of salamanders (or more likely poisonous newts.  Thanks Sean!).

The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Corvallis

 

Yesterday I went on a hike from Chip Ross Park to Dimple Hill and back.  The entire way, I used all of about 500 feet of the same trails.  This photo is near the east entrance to Chip Ross, hiking up the grass-covered hills.

 

 

The oak trees in the middle of the frame are in a gully that bisects the large grass area of Chip Ross Park.

 

 

Corvallis down below.

 

 

Looking into the ravine.  There is a LOT of poison oak in the ravine and in the grass on either side of it.

 

 

 

The hillside is incredibly steep.

 

 

 

Walking along lower Dan’s Trail toward Dimple Hill.

 

 

 

Under the transmission lines.

 

 

 

 

Along the road between Lewisburg Saddle and Dimple Hill.

 

 

On top of Dimple Hill looking south and a little west.

 

 

Corvallis far below.