2008-12-21 Camassia Natural Area in West Linn, Portland

[Peder]

I am amazed that the site is not flooded with trip reports after such a wonderful weekend! We stayed close to home: Tryon Creek State Park in Lake Oswego on Saturday and Camassia Natural Area in West Linn on Sunday. Here are some pictures from the Camassia Natural Area; it had rained early in the morning, so there was ½” of ice on top of the snow. We saw one deer bouncing through the snow to the sound of shattering ice.

The trailhead on Walnut Street:


Many trees and bushes are weighed down by snow and ice:




There are some open areas:


Older people are wiser and know what their legs are for. Young hikers tend to move forward in the most enjoyable manner:




The freezing rain had left a thick ice crust on the snow; in places it would carry a child’s weight.


The ice sheets could be planted upright in the snow as “monuments.” So if you should do the hike soon and find “monuments” along the trail, you know the source!

[justpeachy]

I've been to Camassia in the spring/summer; it sure looks different now! Great pictures!

I am amazed that the site is not flooded with trip reports after such a wonderful weekend!

Actually, I'll be amazed if we see more than a handful of trip reports here, considering how difficult it's been to drive anywhere and the fact that all the hiking trails are under snow, not to mention the fact that all the trails on the Oregon side of the Gorge are inaccessible due to the freeway closure. But I look forward to any trip reports from people who WERE able to get out! I'll live vicariously through you since I've been snowed in for two days now.

[pdxgene]

I'd love to get out to some exciting places but I don't like taking my little Honda out with all the behemoths on the roads in these conditions.
I have spent the last couple days walking (yesterday) and snowshoeing (today) thru the miles of paved trails along Fanno Creek. I'm just waiting to see if there's better pictures to be taken tomorrow and I'll get them up. I like the thicker puffy snow for pictures better than this real thin powdery stuff we had out here.
If you could get to Silver Falls State Park ,this is a great time to go when everything is covered with snow.