I am highly motivated by food. I generally have snacks stashed at all my regular haunts: home, work, car, suitcase, jacket pocket, Bible case, etc. Whenever I run low on snacks (I mean, is one granola bar ever enough??), my stomach immediately tightens into a knot with a gurgle. So you can imagine that food…

Sunday, August 4 Early start today, with a push up the ridge to reach Timberline Lodge for their hiker infamous all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet. I made it by 8:15 after climbing the last mile up glacial silt similar to a sand dune, but with a view of Mt Hood (swoon 😍) in the background. The food…

Thursday, August 1 We survived the Dust Bowl last night. The wind howled as we bedded down for the night, and we awoke to a layer of fine, gritty black dust over all of our belongings. We'd put the rain fly on the tent, but apparently wind can create a vortex that tosses dirt up…