This is long overdue, but it’s time to examine the beers that we imbibed in Denver! We were pretty busy with wedding activities, so you’ll have to forgive us for not having the same, comprehensive list that we created in Beer in Portland.
Obligatory(??) Coors at a Red Rocks concert- Tap the Rockies 🙂
We lived in the Capitol Hill/Five Points area, and we prefer to explore breweries within walking distance (for obvious reasons). We also like dog friendly breweries so the pup can join us for a brew after a hike! However, we found that the week we moved to Denver, the health department said Dogs were no longer allowed in breweries [or patios]! Boo, Denver. This was enforced even on patio areas, where the dog needed to be outside the gates. Don’t get me wrong- I don’t need the dog around all time, I prefer her like while we’re eating, but when we want to grab a beer after a hike (when we have her along), it would be nice to sit on the patio because she can’t stay in the car on those sunny, hot Colorado afternoons.
Denver does have a healthy brewing scene. The difference here is that you will not always find them filled with bearded beer connoisseurs that spend a good portion of their income on beer; on the contrary, Denver breweries are full of beautiful, young, polo-wearing yuppies! And if I were a brewery/taproom business owner, this would not be a bad thing. I’m just saying, it’s not our scene.
Grandma’s House is an eclectic stop on Broadway, South of downtown Denver. The whole area is very hip and up-and-coming. This place features doilies on the tables, rocking chairs, and a Super Nintendo on an old tube TV. The beers are solid, though the smaller production can make it tough to try everything they produce. Order some take-out from some of the restaurants in the area; we ordered from Maria’s Empanadas, which was a great combo with the beer.
Crocheted taps at Grandma’s House
Ratio was a good example- a Saturday afternoon will have you in the middle of a Match.com meetup, dodging happy peddlers, and looking for a table so you can sip the delicious suds without having a bro talk about how crazy last night was and how great tonight will be (see the background of the photo). Ratio has solid offerings, and there are many breweries in crawling distance in this RiNo area, so check it out. We had wings from a food truck posted out front, settled me down a bit about the other patrons. There is one plus- we ended up talking to a professional “grower” for 20 minutes or so- God bless Colorado’s lax weed laws.
Epic Brewing hit a good note for me. It’s also in the RiNo area and features a large brewery and tap room. They have a big fireplace which would surely be wonderful to huddle around in the cold Colorado winters.
Lost Highway brewery is on the Colfax, “the longest, wickedest road”, just East of downtown. We enjoyed this hole-in-the-wall feeling, chill brewery. It has a small-er facility and brew with some interesting ingredients- They do an almond porter where they actually start with almonds and not just extracts, pretty cool. It was a great spot to run for some weeknight brews. They also will can 32 oz “crowlers” right in front of you–this is a tall-boy that would be easy to take on a weekend camping trip.
Twisted Pine in Boulder is a nice stop after tackling some foothills mountains in the area. It is just East of the downtown area and offers a good selection of food with decent beers. We did this with Beth’s parents one lazy Saturday afternoon.
Great Divide has been brewing in downtown Denver for quite some time, and puts out solid beers. It’s a busy place, but you should be able to find a spot as long as a giant bike group hasn’t just walked in to celebrate a good ride.
Barrels and Bottles Brewery is another Golden brewery that served decent beers, but the more interesting feature is the wine dispensing system they use–very high tech!
Mountain Toad in Golden offered some good beers and a solid selection of rotating food trucks! This is actually the place we went to get the pizza food truck, Basic Kneads to cater our wedding- delicious! Dogs are everywhere here, since it is not in Denver and does not need to adhere to the Denver No-Dog policy.
Avery has quickly become one of my favorite breweries, period. They just do really good beer, all round. We took down quite a few of them on this list; including my favorite here, the 17% Imperial Stout with Espresso- Tweak! The brewery was packed with people, but the servers are really good at finding you when you arrive, so it was a pleasant experience despite having to eat while sitting on a bench; which reminds me- great, upscale food!
Declaration has a beautiful patio area and nice indoor spot about 4 miles South of Denver. Solid beer, and great place to hang out on a sunny weekend day (dogs are NOT allowed, unfortunately, since it’s still in the Denver metro area).
During our wedding we did some 5.5 gal pony kegs of Upsloap Pale Ale and Great Divide Titan IPA. Sorry no pics, not even the keg stands… 😀
You can check out June’s beer and food pairing here!
We’ve been doing these beer and food pairings now for a year and a half. We love them not only because we get to eat and drink beer, but it forces us to cook new things or try pairings we may not have otherwise tried – blueberry pancakes and sour ale was probably the strangest. We cook together pretty frequently, but this gives us something different to look forward to each month. Without further ado, July’s pairing:
Kolsch + Potato Salad
This was a perfect pairing for summer. The 8 Second Kolsch by Elevation Beer Co. is light but flavorful and you can’t go wrong with potato salad. In addition to the potato salad we whipped up some burgers topped with brie and onion and asparagus to make a full, satisfying summer meal. We chose to do a cajun style warm potato salad and it did not disappoint! The potatoes were cooked until fork tender and then slightly mashed leaving large chunks to the desired consistency. We made a base of mayo, mustard, and hard boiled egg yolk then mixed in hard boiled egg whites, green onions, and a bunch of herbs/spices (pepper, paprika, cayenne, cumin, oregano, garlic, etc.) to taste. We very loosely followed thesetwo recipes, but, as with all the cooking we do, we modified it to our tastes and what we had on hand. The recipe is below; it’s super versatile and delicious if you want to give it a try!
Cajun-style potato salad
Most of the measurements for the spices are estimates, we tend to start small, taste, and add more until it’s just right.
4 medium sized red potatoes
3 hard boiled eggs
2 green onions, sliced
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 C mayonnaise
2T mustard (we used Dijon, but any will work)
1/4t paprika
1/4t cumin
1/4t oregano
1/4t cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Cube the potatoes, place in saucepan covered with water, and boil until tender, 10-15 min. While the potatoes are cooking, slice the green onions, mince the garlic, and chop the eggs removing the yolks first. To make the dressing, in a large bowl mix together the mayonnaise, egg yolk, mustard, spices, and garlic. Once the potatoes are finished, drain, and slightly cool. Slightly mash the potatoes and add to bowl with dressing. Mix together and continue mashing to your desired consistency (we like it a mix of mashed and chunky). Add the green onions and egg whites and stir to combine. Can be served immediately or cooled in the fridge until ready to serve; it’s delicious both warm and cold!
If you’re interested in doing your own monthly pairings, the calendar we use is from redcruiser on Etsy.
I miss the RAAAIIINNNSS down in Africa! — That was the refrain for the week in South Africa; thank you, Toto.
A safari is a must-have bucket list item
If you don’t have an African safari trip on your bucket list, you really need to add it right now. This is the experience that can really enrich your life. Maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but if you like traveling you should put this high on the list.
Ezulwini
Male lion, happy and fed
Big buffalo
White rino
We purchased this vacation package through a fundraiser, like every other American couple at this lodge, for Ezulwini Resorts Lodges. We both volunteered for the Louisville Zoo’s annual Zoofari, and we were lucky enough to win the bid for this via the silent auction items. We couldn’t pass up on the opportunity. You should check if there are any auctions with this package in your area. What a trip! Even better was that it became our honeymoon adventure.
We had the 7-day package, which included 2 nights just outside Johannesburg, South Africa at the rural Maritime Bushveld Estate and 5 nights in the Balule Nature Reserve where we split time between Billy’s Lodge and River Lodge, all of them part of the Ezulwini Lodge. The 2 nights in Johannesburg were nice to give us time to adjust to the 8 hour time difference and recover from the roughly 24 hours of traveling to arrive–not to forget to mention Brenda and Conrad were wonderful hosts for us while we were there. The estate is a nice place to get an initial feel for the safari adventure that lies ahead, since there are wild springbok roaming all over the 200 or so acres.
Impala- Fast food of the bush
Vultures circling a day-old kill
Waterbok
Worthog
Our time in Africa was luxurious
The main event, however, happens once we took a quick flight from Johannesburg North and West to the tiny town of Hoedspruit. As we flew in to Hoedspruit, we took a look out the window and it became obvious we were “not in Kansas anymore.” The bush starts here! As we left the airport we passed many a warthog eating something along the roadside, probably even kudu and zebra, and definitely an impala or two dozen. We got transported directly to the lodge and felt a bit lower on the food chain than when we started. We got in at 13:00 and took some time to rest before lunch. Maybe the best way to tell you about the lodge would be to take it step by step.
Before we begin the day trip; it’s worth mentioning that this is by no means a roughing-it outing. In fact, it’s much closer to your 4-star resort feel including plush accommodations, three wonderful meals a day, great staff, and of course beautiful grounds. The standard housing is a nice 1-room, thatch roof bungalow that would rival most hotels for space, décor, and comfort. When you add in the fact that is it is absolutely dark and quiet at night, you’d be hard-pressed for a better night’s sleep. If you get the chance to upgrade to the suites, TAKE IT! We were lucky enough to stay in one at Billy’s Lodge that had a modern concrete and wood feel with an indoor-outdoor shower, private pool, and gorgeous interior–I could happily live year round in that place.
The suite at BIlly’s Lodge
Billy’s lodge at night
A typical day at either of the Ezulwini Lodge locations
05:00 – Expect an early wake-up call from one of the game rangers for the morning game drive. During winter the sun may not be up, but there is hot coffee, tea, and a variety of cookies to grab before jumping onto the truck. You may opt to skip the game drive, but if you’re like us, the one day you decide to sleep in you will probably miss a jaguar sighting or some other rare and beautiful event! Though, sleeping in did feel really good. 🙂
05:30 – Grab your camera and a few extra layers and head to the truck for the drive! Bring along the good camera, because the early morning light makes it tough for anything but the bigger DSLR cameras with the proper settings. And you should be able to catch some rhinos, hippos, and giraffes eating breakfast.
White rhino eating breakfast
Giraffes in the bush
Hippos taking a morning bath
08:00 – Find an open area to stretch your legs and take some morning coffee and cookies in the bush. The sun will be getting high enough in the air to begin to warm you, so shed a layer and take in the warmth. Don’t forget to take a moment for some pictures with the rangers or some selfies next to some giant termite hills.
Morning coffee in the bush
09:00 – After a game drive grab a hot towel, put in your breakfast order, and take a few minutes to refresh yourself before breakfast.
09:30 – Time to fuel up! There is a variety of juices, yogurt, cereals, and of course the order of eggs, sausage, bacon, the list goes on. After lunch it’s free time at the lodge. Hang out on one of the decks, take a dip in the pool, or head back to the room for a late morning nap–because you earned it. 🙂
14:00 – Now that you’ve had the morning to recover from the early drive, it’s time for lunch! They definitely don’t let you go hungry here. Lunch was usually a lighter meal of salad, cheese, crackers, and maybe crispy crust pizza or bruschetta. Lunch was a lot of work, so why don’t you take an afternoon siesta! Or maybe spot some local wildlife that meanders around the lodge area–you are in the middle of the bush after all! Don’t forget to put in your selection for dinner because you will be hungry again soon.
15:30 – Ready for another game drive?? This is why you came! Make sure you have an empty camera card, because you will need it for all the memories you will undoubtedly have to capture. This is really the best time to shoot pictures- the light is very forgiving and you can get clear shots with even a point-and-shoot.
Waterbok
17:30 – It’s dusk, the sun a bright red ball near the horizon. What could be better except maybe getting out of the truck to stretch your legs and have a drink! Have a nice double-double of Jack and cheers to the great game rangers and trackers for showing you all the critters of the bush. After the drink the sun will be down and the trackers will pull out the spotlights for some night-sightings. Though no common, keep an eye out for the variety of cats that come out to hunt when the sky goes dark.
18:45 – Grab another hot towel and rub that dust off your face. Grab a shot of whatever the house is serving and cheers to the adventure! Head back to your room to clean up because dinner will soon start.
19:30 – They know you’re a hungry bush critter. Your table will be set with candles and a tablecloth, so select an amazing South African wine and enjoy dinner under the stars. The food will be enough for a hungry lion, so bring your appetite. If you get the chance to try the kudu steak, do not miss it. Although it’s lean with a lot of bones, you’ll feel much more like an animal by the time you’re done.
Romantic, candlelit honeymoon dinner in the trees
Entrance to the honeymoon dinner in the trees
20:45 – You’re full and ready for bed?? What’s your hurry? The stars are just starting to fill out the sky. Grab another drink- maybe the Black Label beer and grab your camera for some night shooting. If you’re from North America, better bring a star map because it is very different down here. Orient yourself with the Southern Cross and behold the glory of the Milky Way in an area with very little light pollution. You might want to bring along a jacket or cuddle up with a friendly person because it cools off quite nicely in the winter when the sun goes down.
Milky Way, 30 second exposure; Southern Hemisphere
Another long exposure with foreground image (tree branch)
Long exposure with foreground image; Beth reflecting on the starsLong exposure with foreground image, playful, right? See the shooting star just above me?
22:30 – What, you’re not yet in bed?? You have a game drive at 0500! Take a hot shower under the stars in the outdoor shower if you’re lucky enough to stay in the suites that have them and then head to bed. Enjoy the absolutely dark and silent night. Don’t be afraid if you hear roars, howls, crunching, or pattering noises in the dark- it’s just Africa saying good night.
Thank you to everyone at Ezulwini for the wonderful time!
The staff did a splendid job and made it a memorable experience. Upon arriving we were treated to a warm welcome, a refreshing lemonade, and shown to our lodging to relax. That about sets the tone for the rest of the trip.
The game rangers and trackers are so good at what they do! They work well together and make sure everyone- both in the vehicle and other vehicles have a good time and are able to get an up-close-and-personal view of the animals. Most of the rangers and trackers grew up in the surrounding area, so not only are they well-trained but they live and breathe the bush.
I want to give shout-outs in particular to several people who made the trip so special for us:
Josh Duffus! What can I say? You made it a trip we will surely never forget. Everything from the impeccable hospitality, to the hilarious and intriguing stories, to the life-changing camera tips. There are so many more great things, but let’s leave it there for the blog. Stay in touch, and we hope to see you state-side!
Jim and Cathy – Fate put us in the same lodge at the same time. You guys made the meals more enjoying, the game drives more interesting, and the drinks go down way too easy. Keep in touch!
Frans and Hector– The two of you made being in the bush look easy! You did a masterful job of tracking, getting up close and personal with the animals, and giving us amazing views and photos.
Lawrence and Edward – You guys were more than just a great game ranger and tracker: The heart and enjoyment you put into the drive and back at the lodge is awesome. And… the magic you guys performed to make the lions come out and pose for us was mysterious and wonderful!
Su, Knox, and all the Billy’s Lodge staff – You really gave us the honeymoon of which we hadn’t even dreamed! Including the avalanche of flower petals in our room and the amazing dinners.
Jochan, Glori and the River Lodge staff – You added to one of the greatest adventures of our lives with the spectacular and romantic in-the-trees, candlelit dinner and wonderful last few days of our trip.
Gorgeous pictures will require an a higher-level camera
Josh is without a doubt a resident camera expert. He has a vast well of knowledge including shooting tips, essential editing tricks, and even recommended the camera I purchased. A few minutes talking cameras with him is gold.
I went with the Canon EOS 700D / Rebel T5i kit, which included 2 lenses- a 18-55 mm lens (wide angle) and a 75-300 mm lens (telephoto), an 8 GB SD card, and a carrying backpack. I also opted for a tripod and remote/bulb (both required for night shots), a cleaning kit, and an extra 8 GB SD card. I chose the 700D over the 1200D because the 700 offered more ISO settings (better for low-light shots) and faster continuous shooting (for catching anything the animals might do). I will have to get into specifics in another post but just know the bigger lens stayed on for almost all the game drives.
We wanted to get out for a _real_ Colorado mountain hike before the wedding, and in our minds that means doing a 14er (a 14,000+ ft peak). There are many options, few within close-ish proximity to Denver, but one of them is Grays Peak–on that note I wanted to give a shoutout to a great website, 14ers.com, that has more information than you can shake a stick at around hiking in Colorado mountains. This trip is a 8 mile round-trip in which you can actually hit TWO 14ers, Grays and Torreys. We planned on doing both, but by the time we hit Grays we were DONE.
Perhaps the best tip about hiking a 14er is Start early! This means boots on the trail around 5am. The main reason is to avoid summer lightning storms, which frequently occurs without warning in summer afternoons. You don’t want to be stuck above the tree line during one of these. Not to mention the sun can be brutally hot during the day. Note that even at 5am you are going to be in the middle of pack of people–I believe there were literally a thousand people hiking by the time we finished at 10am.
We drove to the basecamp on Saturday night to sleep and make the early start. There were so many campsites and vehicles by the time we got there, but the next day there were hundreds. We did stop for dinner on our way to Grays at Georgetown, CO at a delicious Mexican restaurant that was started by who else but a Minnesotan. Cute little town.
Evening sunset
Grays Trailhead marker
Grays trail map
Grays trailhead… The peak in the WAY back
We slept in the Forester and it was not so much sleeping, but moving around uncomfortably all night waiting for 4:30am so we could start hiking. We heard cars rolling in as early as 3:30am. The start of the hike is through beautiful mountain meadows, with wildflowers and rolling streams, flanked on both sides by tall, granite peaks. Absolutely picture-perfect Colorado mountain valley.
Morning hike in the Valley to Grays Peak
Sound of music, anyone?
So pretty!
Beth and Snickers were doing great on the way up, but I am pretty sensitive to the altitude; I was feeling pretty green- nauseous, light-headed, and oh so wore out. It was GRUELING! Check out our Grays Peak Garmin tracks–we did 2,880 ft of gain, most of it during the last half of the uphill portion of the hike. There were plenty of people in the same boat as me, we passed quite a few, then quite a few others passed us. It was like a highway out there.
The relief we felt when we hit the top was palpable. The thing that kept me going was thinking of going down! 🙂 However, the vista at the top was fantastic. See the pics below, but everyone seemed to be in the same place as us. As warm as it was hiking in the sun, the top was cold and windy!
Grays Facing West?
Grays Facing East?
Rocky and snowy in July.
See the mountain goats in the background??
We really made up time heading back down the mountain. That’s not to say it was easy- it seemed so much longer going down. Gotta say, the down is when trekking poles really earn their keep. A few miles down my legs get wobbly and the rocks give more often beneath my feet. By 10am we were back at the car, a 25 min drive 3 miles down the car-lined (yes a 3 mile line of cars!!) and we were back on I-70. The Forester handled it well, but it’s worth noting that we saw some car with less clearance had hit a rock hard and was leaking SOMETHING all the way down–not sure if they even knew it since we didn’t see them on the side of the road. We were back home before noon and eating pizza and breadsticks as a reward not more than 30 min later. It was a well-deserved afternoon nap.
Beth and I have been doing a monthly monthly food and beer pairing for a year and a half now. The pairing is suggested from an Etsy calendar that really has no authority on beer or food, but it is fun and delicious to try it out!
June 2016 is Saison + Picnic. We choose to interpret this as a charcuterie plate with cheese pairing! We are experienced in consuming this topic (can’t turn down a good meat and cheese plate!), and like to experiment with a variety of meat and cheese styles and flavors. This one is composed of the following, in no particular order:
Crooked Stave, Vieille Artisanal Saison, Colorado
Trinity Brewing Company, Mr. Saison, Colorado
Olli Molisana Pepper+Garlic Salame
Creminelli Barolo Red Wine Salame
La Quercia NDuija Spicy Prosciutto Spread
Fontina Fontal, Italy
Taleggio, France
Cambozola Triple Cream Blue cheese, Germany
Apricot Preserves
June 2016, Saison + Picnic
We are not experts at arranging these plates, but we followed a few ideas:
Include a range and variety of cheese milk types, flavors and textures- we included the soft taleggio, resilient fontina, and sharp blue. The taleggio was a bit earthy, the fontina a delicious mild cheddar flavor, and the blue very sharp and funky.
Choose a variety of meats- we stuck with some classics salamis that were spicy (Olli) and tangy (Crminelli) and also wanted to try something different (Prosciutto spread). Both the salamis were as expected, but the spread I would pass on- a strong cayenne flavor that overpowered it.
Include a sweet jam or jelly with it- we chose the Apricot Preserves since we had used it in a Ham+Chevre sandwhich earlier in the week. 😉
Nothing better than the skiing/snowboarding in Colorado, right?? We did this on our first weekend in Denver. Even though it was the end of the ski season for Loveland Basin, there was still so much snow to be had with over 90% of the runs open. Check out my Garmin tracks below and enjoy the pics.
The weather was a sunny low- to mid- 40’s at the beginning of the day, but 2 hours in to the fun the lightning and thunder started and slowly one-by-one the higher ski lifts began to close, so we made a frantic run to the highest ones while we could. When the front finally washed over us the bottom dropped out- the temps dropped about 10 degrees and a hard, driven hail pelted us as we were going up the ski lift. It was bad enough to drive us into the mountain top chalet with about 2 dozen other folks. We proceeded with a few more runs about 15 minutes later when the worst was over.
Dark storm clouds on the horizon
Loveland Basin in May
Having some private time on the lifts
We scarfed down some extra-loaded chili dogs back at the base. It was such a fun, cheap ski trip!
Long overdue! But now that we’re done with Portland, we can try to put a pin in them. We went to so many more beer-oriented places and events than the pictures describe, but I list a few of them here. I can’t even begin to list all the Portland beers we had in bottles and taps in restaurants and food stands around the area. In no particular order, breweries we visited!
Breweries
Zwickelmania – Annual one-day beer event throughout Oregon, breweries open door for tasting and tours. Occurs in February in 120+ breweries across Oregon (probably 80+ in Portland). We visited near a dozen breweries this day, were able to get several tastings from each one, free shuttle service, but we used public transit.
Base Camp Brewing – Great outdoor area, dog-friendly patio/tent, and permanent, delicious food trucks. Great location near other breweries, too.
Rogue – A force in Portland, sponsors a lot of beer- and social- related programs including nano-brewers and has plenty of good brews. We would hang out at Rogue Hall on the PSU campus.
Green Dragon – “…dedicated to the education & appreciation of craft beer.” ok, I’m sold. This one has so many rotating taps from local and regional breweries, as well as taps from the nano-brewers. Food available and dogs welcome!
Cascade Brewing – an all sour brewery? Be still my heart! Some tasty barrel-aged brews.
Baerlic Brewing Co – a new (opened just a couple days before we went) brewery. Beth attended a yoga session in the brew room.
Ground Breaker Brewing – a gluten-free facility! They make their brews from lentils, hazelnuts, etc. These are not your grandma’s gluten-free ciders, they include many hop-a-licious offerings including IPAs and Saisons. They offer a full gluten-free kitchen at the same facility.
Culmination Brewing– located conveniently near a VooDoo Donuts, has some fine taps and nice-looking kitchen menu.
Full Sail Brewing – We made the 1-hour drive to Hood River, OR for a March brewmaster dinner- a nice event pairing a 4-course dinner with their beer. There are other breweries in the area that are worth a visit, too!
StormBreaker Brewing – offers a wonderful selection of beers and a great dog-friendly patio and fire pit.
Ecliptic Brewing – has a great beer selection and a hell of a fine kitchen. It is also located with a nice view of downtown Portland on the patio.
Ex Novo Brewing – Wonderful neighborhood setting, dog friendly, serves good food and is dog-friendly outside.
Bottle shops and other
Belmont Station – great local and regional tap list and so many bottles to purchase
Imperial Bottle Shop – Another extensive list of taps and great bottle selection, arranged by brewery
Ground Kontrol – Put on your neon pink ankle warmers and grab your quarters! You are going to love playing classic arcade games and pinball machines. And… Oh yeah, DRINK BEER!
Extra-Portland
Cannon Beach Hardware and Public House – while not a brewery, this hardware store/pub and restaurant had a nice theme “screw and brew”. Great stop if you’re hiking the Pacific Coast 100 miles West of Portland.
Rooftop Brew Co – Seattle, WA?? Well, we visited during a weekend trip. Great beer and order-out for pizza! Dog-friendly patio.
A leather 6-pack bottle holder for your bike. Hell yeah!
I wanted to write this while it was still early in the year, so you can appreciate the weather we encountered! It was a beautiful, clear, 80 degree day in Portland which means we were looking for a hike! It was time to head a bit north, back into the Washington side of the Cascades.
We chose what is supposed to be one of the most spectacular views of the Columbia River Gorge and the surrounding mountains (at least 4 of them!) on a clear day—we headed to the Silver Star Mountain in the Gifford Pichot National Forest. We chose to go via the Grouse Vista Hike due to the fact it was mid range distance at 3.2 miles out and aggressive elevation gain of 2,000 ft. The drive up was long and slow, since it was utilizing gravel logging roads, but when you get to the trailhead you see it is clearly open to the public with a dozen vehicles on this pre-season day.
The trail goes straight up 500 ft in the first half mile then settles in to a doable grade for most of the remainder. Early on you are rewarded with some great valley views in an open meadow-like field that still shows signs of what must have been a massive forest fire that tore through in the early 20th century.
The Grouse Vista trail
The Grouse Vista trail is just starting to green at 3,000 ft in April
[Beth- There were also rock faces that would be a climber’s dream; we actually ran into a guy who was climbing through the crevasses looking for a wallet he dropped the day before. Talk about bad luck!]
[Beth- The most surprising thing to us was when we encountered snow! And now just slushy remnants of months ago, but legitimate 2 foot deep snow covering the entire trail. It was pretty packed down for most of it, but it was slippery. It might’ve been more work to traverse the snow than to climb that first 500 ft.]
The snow on the trails was surprising and plentiful! As soon as we moved into the shaded side of the trails, we were up to mid-shins in the stuff. The air temp when we started was 67 F, so we were sweating in shorts and t-shirts at the beginning of the hike! Although the snow as deep and cold, the air was still warm enough, especially with the uphill battle we had to get up these snow-covered paths.
Snow-covered trails beginning at 3500 ft
The pup really enjoyed the snow!
Beth coming up the last, and snowiest, leg of the trail.
The last leg to the top was the snowiest, knee-deep for most of it! The bright sun was doing it’s job melting the snow, and it provided a good, hard pack for us to walk on top for most of it. After that last snowy leg, the whole mountain opened up into a saddle. THIS was the view that made the whole thing worth it! Silver Star Mountain is claimed to be one of the best views in the Columbia River Valley, and I believe it. We were able to see everything on this clear sunny day- Mount Hood to the East, Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier to the North, and Mount Jefferson and 3 Sisters to the South–we were able to see more but they remain unidentifiable to me. Take a few minutes to check out these panoramic shots.
Beth and Snickers on the highest point (around 4500 ft), which is a the foundation for a long-gone fire watchtower.
After spending some time enjoying the breath-taking views on the windy ridge and eating some nuts and fruit, we started our way back down. We met several other dog-friendly groups that were making their way to the top! Plenty of people dressed similarly skimpy, so we didn’t feel so bad. The trip down was still a lot of work. In fact, this was the coldest part of our trip because we kept sinking into mid-shin deep snow! Our ankles were getting very cold, so we were glad to pick up the pace to get to the lower, dry trails.
We got back to the car and made the slow drive down the logging trails back to the main roads!
If you are ever in Portland (and the rain stops for a few hours), get on top of a hill (Mount Tabor is a great place) and look East! You cannot miss the soul-filling sight of 10,000 ft, ice-capped Mount Hood. Unfortunately, the camera doesn’t do it justice from the ground on Portland, so I snapped this shot on a flight into PDX at about 10k ft, to give you a sense of the grandeur.
Mount Hood (front) from the plane into PDX at 10k ft; Mount Jefferson (??) in the way back
Ever since the clouds parted the first week we were in Portland and we were able to see this mountain, we knew we had to get close enough to at least hike the base–we were finally able to do it on the last weekend in March 2016.
We took the Mount Hood Scenic Byway (Highway 26) down towards Rhododendron, OR. We picked the Ramona Falls Hike due to it’s accessibility from Portland, dog-friendliness, and length (7 mi out-and-back)–check out the Ramona Falls Garmin Tracks we took! As we approached the small access roads, we found them barricaded since the campgrounds are closed through March, for the winter. Ugh, that was annoying! We didn’t realize and now needed to find another hike; at least there were plenty of other people who saw the same thing and turned around. However, there were plenty of cars parked, so some must be in the area. We decided to park here, and do the 2 mile hike on the blocked, paved access road to the trail head–this was going to turn around 7 mi hike to closer to 12 miles! We were game [Beth here – but ask us again in 10 miles 🙂 ].
2 mile paved-road hike back to the Romona Falls trail head, due to winter closures
The trail was traveled, but very few people on it this day, due to the 2 mile hurdle to get back to the trail. The trail head markers were very clear when we started- the bridge to cross the river has been out for nearly 2 years with no plans to put it back into place. Of course that’s a deterrent for family hikers, but they also had instructions for proper crossing during the summer. Luckily, it is much lower in the winter and early part of the year, so we were game! We found one particularly well-worn log crossing most of the water and rocks, which served as an excellent bridge! Even though Snickers was unsure, she crossed it with ease–brave little pup.
Romona Falls river crossing- downed trees and rocks everywhere
Pup making it across the log bridge
This is the best crossing point on the river
Once we crossed, we walked into a floodplain that gave a perfect vista of Mount Hood- THIS is the picture we wanted! We walked along this for nearly a mile, allowing the mountain to come into full, glorious view before we split off.
First look at Mount Hood- that looks _cold_!
Mount Hood- good luck getting a better shot, this was amazing!
The trail went back into the banks, into the woods, and met up with a segment of the Pacific Crest Trail. The trail kept taking us up, closer to Mount Hood, but we never got to see another great view of it [Beth here – the day also got more and more overcast so even if the trees opened to a clearing, we wouldn’t have seen much. Typical PNW]. The higher we gradually climbed, the more snow we encountered! Before we hit Ramona falls we were ankle-deep in quickly-melting snow. That’s when we hit Ramona Falls, which is a wide, beautiful wall of water in a well-shaded side of the valley. We spent only a few minutes here, since it was very wet and cold.
Temps in the 50’s and sunny, so even with snow on the trails short sleeves were right for the uphill hike
Snow gets deeper a little higher up and further in
Romona Falls! Beautiful
We missed a pic of Beth in front of Romona Falls, so she gets this tiny falls. 🙂
We continued on and found some beautiful rock-faces on the valley walls, some escarpments came out 20 ft or more over the valley floor and it really felt like it was towering above us. The rest of the walk back was along the creek on the far side of the valley in which we entered. At some point the pup had a nice gash on the bottom of her foot; she must have cut it on a sharp rock at one of the creek crossings–she was being a trooper. By the time we got back to the main river crossing we were getting tired, but still 3 miles to get back to the car!
Once back to the car, we were *done*! Take off those hiking boots and settle in for the 1.5 hour drive back to Portland. Of course, we scarfed the rest of our food- a second PB&J, jerky, almonds, and an orange. 🙂
We took a pure vacation-vacation to Hawaii. It was our Christmas gift to each other. We took advantage of the cheap, cheap flights in Mid-January from San Jose (since we were on the West coast!) that went 6 hours directly to the Garden Island of Kauai, Hawaii. It was such a great trip: white sand beaches, 80 degrees for highs with upper 60’s for lows, mountain hiking, small towns, and plenty of nature and waterfalls!
Napali coast, gorgeous
We stayed at the pleasant Kauai Beach Resort, which is located an easy 10-min drive from the airport. The resort is a great place to relax, if expensive; however, the most appealing reason to stay here is that it is centrally-located on the island, making all of your day trip activities less than an hour away. That is because there is really only 1 road on the perimeter of the island and it is about 70 miles from point to point, which does not quite circumnavigate island, leaving inaccessible about 20 miles of the Northwestern Na Pali coast, only available by some vigorous hiking. We rented a car and were very happy we did–it’s really the only way to get around and see the entire island. The tiny Chevy Spark did the trick for us, no need for the Jeep even on the off-road paths we took to some beaches–though you will see a lot of locals with big trucks and sand tires for off-road and on-beach driving.
The first morning, and each subsequent morning, we dined at the wonderful local spot Tip Top Café in Lihue! Everything there was good, with some hearty breakfasts to enjoy before a grueling hike, but top on the list is the banana macadamia nut pancakes topped with the coconut syrup (you have to request this syrup!!). After that we took a beautiful morning drive to Wailua Falls. On a Wed morning before 7:30a, we were the only ones there, but when we went back on a Mon afternoon there were dozens of cars so that you aren’t even able to park. Go early for some of the best morning light and to enjoy it with some privacy.
Sun cresting near Wailua FallsWailua Falls in the morning
After that quick trip we were ready for some adventure and decided to go all the way to the Northwest coast where the road ends to Polihale State Park. This required a drive on a rough gravel road, but with our tiny rental car and a slow 40 min, we were able to make it back to some relatively secluded and completely un-developed beaches. There were several tents and it would be a gorgeous place to spend a night camping under the stars. The water was much too rough here to swim, but it was a wonderful place to soak up some rays! It may be worth noting that this is the western-most public beach in the USA.
Sunning on a remote Polihale State Park beach
On our way back, we took a side-trip to the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, Waimea Canyon. The drive up to and back from the canyon was more beautiful than the canyon itself, in my mind. So take your time and enjoy the changing landscape that quickly brings you from 0 ft to over 3000 ft above sea level–pro tip is to take 552 up to the canyon and take 550 back down to get some amazing ocean views. And, on your way back, be sure to stop at Jo-Jo’s Shaved Ice for some of the most delicious ice cream/shaved ice combinations you will have, not to mention they donate all profits to a local children’s charity.
The next day took us to the other far end of the island, to the Northeast past Princeville, where the highway ends at Haena State Park. This is where we took a vigorous hike along the Napali coast and the Kalalau Trail! We took a good day hike 2 miles along the most gorgeous costal hiking trail to the beach and then turned inland another 2 miles following the stream to the jaw-dropping 300ft Hanakapiai Falls. We were warm after the 4 mile morning hike, so I decided to join several other hikers and take a dip in the 55 degree (!!) pool under the waterfall. Worth it! After a quick shore lunch, we made the 4 mile hike back to the car, passing so many people making the hike to the falls–go early to make sure you have space and time to see it. If you wanted a good 22 mile round-trip overnight hike, you need a permit to continue to perhaps the most remote beach on the island for an excellent backpacking adventure, I hear. After our 8 mile hike, we treated ourselves to some Huli Huli chicken next to the Anahola Café–it was a German woman with an organic stand next to the road and pretty sure the chicken was the free-range ones that are so prevalent on the island which I give two thumbs up!
300 foot falls, I feel so tiny
Napali coast, gorgeous
Napali coast, gorgeous
Jungle on the Kalalau Trail
Long shot of the falls
Wonders of the falls
300 foot falls!
For some less strenuous activities, there are many. We visited the Kauai Coffee Company one day, which features a plethora of coffee tasting a small walking tour of their campus. The most amazing part is the miles of coffee trees that surround the company. As you drive through the area, you will smell the wet, bitter, caffeine filled air. It is worth a visit, especially if you have never seen any part of the coffee making process. Earlier that morning we also took some time to go snorkeling! There is no shortage of places that rent equipment, but we went to the Poipu area to rent and got recommendations for some beautiful spots in that area. A quick tip, since we are in this area. Poipu is a developed, touristy area. So, if you on the same page with my tastes, I would recommend to _avoid_ this area except for a half day of snorkeling. Though, you will find excellent snorkeling all around Kauai, just look for a beach with a rocky bottom. By the way, this was my first snorkeling experience, and I didn’t realize how *easy* is it to snorkel! You just float there and breath through the tube. The tropical fish, coral, and other marine life was so colorful, beautiful, and easy to see through the crystal clear water.
Perfect snorkeling waters
Another tip is that although a Hawaiian luau sounds like an essential Hawaii vacation experience, Beth and I found it an *expensive* and hokey experience and one that you should SKIP. Even with an open bar and buffet, you will not be able to drink enough Mai Tais or eat enough pork to make it worth your time. The show we watched was good, but not to make up for the hotel conference room in which it was hosted–yeah, you read that correctly.
I drank so many Mai Tais… and loved it! Can’t pass up that fresh Hawaii pineapple juice and rum. I did have a few beers and, not surprisingly, they all seemed made for drinking on the beach. 🙂 I see a long Wikipedia List of Hawaii Breweries, but I encountered only a few of them and 1 or 2 of them on tap at the Kauai bars–Kauai is the garden island so perhaps the less metropolitan towns makes for a smaller selection. Kona Brewery Longboard Island Lager is everywhere and is a rosy-looking refreshing draught.
Some last thoughts:
During your stay, go to a grocery store and pick up some delicious, refreshing longons and a real Hawaii pineapple to snack on–it doesn’t get any better than that since Hawaii pineapples don’t come to the mainland. Apparently you can check a case of pineapples on your plane flight back.
You also _have to_ try real poke and there is no better place than Fish Express in Lihue, which features deli-style containers of so many good, fresh things. We made that our first and last stop around our flights–we even took some with us to eat on the long flight back for dinner.
Thank you for taking this trip with us! Aloha and Mahalo!
mattandbethtravels 