More of Mount Hood, Portland, Puna, etc.

So we're back in Seattle. Gotta love the Sorrento Hotel. We've managed to pick really good places this time. We stayed here Sunday night, before heading for Montana, and we came back to staff who said, "welcome back," greeting us like old friends. Added to that was a "welcome back" note from the Managing Director, with his phone number in case we need anything--along with a bottle of wine and some chocolate truffles. So much for the diet today! :)

I told you we went back to Mount Hood and promised to explain why. So, here goes... Before our first visit to Mount Hood, my last pictures had been in somewhat low-light conditions. (The non-photographically inclined are probably dozing off about now, so I'll make this as quick as I can...) I had set the ASA/ISO to 1000 for the prior pictures. When I shot Hood the first time, it was at this setting. The pictures were good, but they'd never stand up to enlargement. So we went back--yes, we're insane.

This time, we actually went up the mountain (not to the summit, of course). We went to Timberline Lodge, at 6,000 feet elevation, and it was a heck of a hike!

Okay, so we drove, but it was still fun. While 6,000 feet may seem high, Mount Hood rises to 11,235 feet, so there's still a lot above you when you get to the lodge. Also, from that elevation, it's clear that this isn't just a mountain. No, it's a volcano. The color of the soil on its slopes look like the remnants of a volcano. Also, for those of us who were earth science geeks, the exposed rock in the area also tells you a volcano was at work. Of course, Hood hasn't erupted for many years, although any of the volcanoes in the Cascades has the potential--remember Mount St. Helens in 1980? Also, I understand that Hood has occasionally rumbled underfoot and vented steam.

After our visit to the lodge, we went back down and then found a lovely vantage point for some photos. Much to Marc's concern, I took our Ford Taurus off road for a bit. It survived the trip intact--if it hadn't, well, I guess the Hertz people would have been mad at me. In any event, our little off-road adventure gave us an even better angle for shots, and I managed to avoid driving into a nearby river of mountain runoff when I turned us around on a tight dirt track to get back out of there.

After this, we headed back to Portland to see Puna, our massage therapist (mentioned below). That, followed by dinner at Jake's (picture below) capped off a busy day.

More to come, but that's enough for now!