Deschutes Descent
October 14-16, 2011
Report by Bob Sauer

We gathered in the parking lot at Catlin Gabel early on Friday morning. We quickly stashed our gear in the bus, and Pat drove us out to our put-in on the Deschutes River on Hwy 26 near Warm Springs. Silas and Travis were waiting at the launch spot with our All Star rafts and gear. We stuffed dry bags with gear, filled three coolers with food, donned splash jackets and neoprene booties, and discussed and demonstrated safety and rafting procedures. The voluminous gear was strapped into the gear raft, and the 12 students boarded the other two rafts to begin our descent. We floated under the highway bridge and into adventure.

The first day was fairly calm, river-wise. That gave us time to coalesce as crews and to appreciate our beautiful surroundings. There was plentiful birdlife – many great blue herons, neat, white collared king fishers, and little groups of mergansers in the eddies. The banks teemed with fishermen, casting, casting, casting but never catching anything that we could see. 

We floated 20 miles down to Whiskey Dick, where we set up camp for the night.  The volunteer dinner crew put together the dinner: southwest fettuccine. The extra southwestern-ness contributed by the inadvertently burned onions gave a smoky flavor that didn’t add well to the overall taste. There was a lot left over. On the other hand, the salsa ensalada disappeared completely. Winter is on its way, and it was dark by 7:30. We were happy to head to our sleeping bags soon after that.

The next morning we were up at 7:00 and enjoyed a pancake breakfast. We broke camp, loaded the rafts, and were under way on the river by 9:30. Just downstream we stopped to scout the Class IV Whitehorse Rapids. We subsequently ran them without difficulty. We passed through areas of extensive grass fires that had burned earlier in the year. Entire slopes of the deep valley were dark brown and a bit forbidding. The black ash wasn’t visible except in the burned areas right along the river. On the higher slopes the dark basalt showed through the sparse ash and rendered the landscape brown rather than black. With the usual grass gone, the spectacular geology was even more in evidence than usual. Alluvial fans debouching from the steep, narrow side canyons showed their spread of rocks openly. The dark, burnt hillsides contrasted sharply with those unburnt, whose napped golden hue was the color of lightly cooked buttermilk pancakes. We stopped at Turtle Rock for some jumping off the high rock of the turtle’s beak into the deep eddy below. We pulled out at Buckskin Mary to camp for the night.

That evening we had build-your-own-burritos for dinner. There were plenty of trimmings to put in them, and everyone ate well. The early darkness again pushed us to turn in much earlier than we would at home. In the night there were several rain showers, fortunately light enough not to drench people or gear left outside. Some animal with sharp claws tried to get into the garbage bag inadvertently left hanging on the table, but it didn’t find much of interest. Another animal (or perhaps the same one) dragged some nesting material into the bottom of one of the empty dry bags. But by morning the animal was gone.

We had 18 river miles to cover the next day, and we had to meet the bus at Sandy Beach in the early afternoon. That meant an early start. We got up at 6:45, when it was still dark. The sky lightened as we packed our gear, and we didn’t need flashlights to eat breakfast. After we consumed muffins and cereal, packing up went efficiently, and we cast off by 8:40. We ran the exciting rapids at Wapinitia, Boxcar, and Oak Springs. Shortly before the takeout we stopped to let those who wanted to float through a rapid. No one had done this the day before at Buckskin Mary, despite the example of another high school group, most of whom floated through the rapid there while some of us watched. This time though, most of our group braved the cold waves to bounce through the rapids, some more than once. The rest of the muffins from breakfast and the leftover Oreos from lunch made a welcome energy boost to the chilled. From this rapid to the take-out was a quick 10-minute float.

With our practiced experience we quickly unloaded the rafts, organized the gear, and set off back to Portland, arriving at Catlin Gabel ahead of schedule. It had been a fun three days, filled with thrilling rapids, napping in the calm stretches, teamwork, camaraderie, and fine self-cooked food. Sign us up for another trip!

A warm July day saw a dozen students board the shiny yellow bus for a trip over to the warm side of the mountains. We headed for Horsethief Butte State Park, just across the river from The Dalles. We parked in the new parking lot for the park, and paid the $10 parking fee before walking up to the crags that make up Horsethief Butte. Most of the students were new to rock climbing outdoors, but took to it like fish in water. We set up four different routes, and every student tried every route-- in fact, I think every student completed every route. In the early afternoon it got so warm that we headed over to Horsethief Lake and spent some time in the cool water adjacent to the Columbia River. During the drive home we stopped for ice cream in Cascade Locks, which added to the already exuberant feeling of accomplishment.

The day dawned gray, with the promise of dampness ahead.  Nevertheless, the intrepid hikers, 11 students and 2 leaders, gathered at Catlin to set off to climb Dog Mountain.  All were present before the hour for departure, so the expedition left 5 minutes ahead of schedule.  Driving through the Gorge the clouds thickened, the moisture condensed, and the wipers came on.  In the distance much brighter clouds over Dog Mountain enticed us onwards.

As we approached the trailhead, the summit of our climb was shrouded in cloud.  The trail at the base was clear and dry, so after introductions all around, we set off up the first steep pitch in high spirits.  True to tradition, some students charged ahead, while others (and one leader) plodded up in the rear.  With stops at each junction to ensure that everyone went the same way, the group was never overly stretched out.  Despite the chilly, damp season we’ve had so far in the Northwest, the wildflowers were emerging colorfully.  Yellow Balsamroot, red Indian Paintbrush, and, higher up, lilac Phlox were to be seen, along with many others.

The wind rose and the temperature dropped as we neared the summit.  We were very glad of the extra layers and warm hats and gloves we’d brought along.  As we huddled in the flower fields at the top, a light rain began to fall as the view alternated between the damp inside of a cloud, fleeting views of snowy slopes on the Oregon side of the Gorge, and spectacular panoramas westward over Wind Mountain and down the Gorge towards Portland.  Living up to its name there were many dogs of all sizes on the trail.  One even sported a doggy rain poncho. 

The wet, windy and chilly weather didn’t dispose us to linger on the top, so we soon packed up our things and set off down the alternate route towards the base.  The lower we descended the warmer it got.  By the time we reached the trailhead the sun was out and it was a beautiful day.

The group came for many reasons: conditioning to climb Mt Hood or Mt St Helens, to build towards a summer of hiking, or just to have fun outdoors.  Since all made it to the summit, the goals were achieved.  We returned to Portland and Catlin 6 minutes ahead of schedule, tired but well satisfied with our efforts of the day.

Three Middle School students, eight Upper School students, and four faculty/staff members just returned from a fantastic weekend of biking and environmental service.

We left Portland at 9:30 on Saturday morning and arrived at Trout Lake-Guler County Campground at about 11:45. We ate a quick snack, pumped up bike tires and practiced our hand signals, and set out through the beautiful countryside. Mt. Adams and the sun both smiled down upon us as we rode across the flat back roads between Trout Lake and Glenwood, WA.

We started in Trout Lake, took Sunnyside Road for several miles, and eventually turned right on Warner Road. We encountered minimal traffic. We then turned right on Little Mountain Road instead of Hwy 141, which again helped us to avoid lots of cars. After a few miles on Little Mountain Road, we encountered the White Salmon River and a perfect spot to stop for our picnic lunch. Students ate, visited, and lay in the grass along the banks of the river. Some enjoyed throwing big rocks in the water to see who could make the biggest splash.

We then hopped back on our bikes and finished the rest of the leg back to Trout Lake, and decided to ride into the area behind the little “town” to see what else we might find. Eventually, we encountered seasonal Trout Lake itself, and took photos of Mt. Adams reflected into the water. A few raindrops finally began to fall at this point, so we headed back to our campground after our 20 mile bike ride.

Just as we began to pull our rain flies onto our tents, the big, sporadic drops turned into a pelting and sustained downfall. We donned raingear and hopped back on our bikes for the half-mile ride to Trout Lake’s Station Café and their world-famous huckleberry milkshakes. Thunder and lightning began to rumble outside, but thankfully we were inside, nice and warm. We decided to get on the bus and drive to Cheese Cave for some exploration—the best outdoor activity possible in heavy rains.

That night we cooked a mac-n-cheese dinner, played cards and Bananagrams, and sang to guitar music thanks to Andrew and Graham, and went to bed to the soothing rain.

The next morning, we headed out to the Conboy Lake Wildlife Refuge. Dan and Lisa showed us how to use GPS devices, and we spent a few hours combing the area for a rare type of vetch, marking any unusual findings on our observation sheet and using the GPS device to mark the location. No one found any vetch, which will help the refuge make the case that climate change is making it hard for pollinators to perpetuate the various plant species, including the vetch, which means it may become endangered or extinct.

We returned to school Sunday evening feeling refreshed and tired--a perfect combination.

We left Catlin early Saturday—7:45—and took the ferry at Cathlamat across the Columbia because of a landslide on Hwy 4 in Washington. We arrived at Skamokawa at about 10:30, got suited up, and drove to our put-in. Four students went in tandem boats, and three when in solos. We paddled about 5 miles downriver, stopping for lunch on a windy beach a little over half-way.

Mark and Katie, our guides, were fantastic. They wove in stories of ancient tsunamis that impacted the local ecosystem, talked about Native American traditions of the area, and explained the white settlement process. They also helped students identify several birds and insects and make sense of the tidal patterns.

One student kayaked for the first time in his life, and several had only tried it once or twice. All got the hang of it fairly quickly. Katie towed one student through a tricky section where it was a bit exposed and windy, but otherwise students were self-sufficient and adequately challenged and successful.

We finished kayaking around 3:00, cleaned up, and drove out to Cape Disappointment. We set up our tents and then headed to the beach. After a few hours building incredible drift wood forts on Waikiki Beach, we went back to our campsite and cooked burritos for dinner. We were in bed by 10:15.

Breakfast consisted of peanut butter, banana, nutella, and honey sandwiches, along with hot chocolate. We packed up the bus and drove to the trailhead to the park’s lighthouse. The two mile hike proved to be plenty in the rain and wind, and we then went to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. After lunch beside an “urban” lake park in Ilwaco, we headed over the Astoria Bridge and home along Hwy 26. 

Students agreed that this was the perfect introduction to kayaking, and many are already looking forward to convincing their families and friends to try it out!

Winter Comes Back to Mt. Hood

The winter finally came back to Oregon and blanketed Elk Meadows in two feet of fresh snow. A group of adventurous upper school students prepared themselves with snowshoes, warm sleeping bags, and winter camping gear and set off onto the flanks of Mt. Hood. We had beautiful clear skies, which made for impressive sunsets, stargazing (including a shooting star that shot all the way behind the mountain), and incredible views of the east side of the mountain. The group met its first challenge arriving at the crossing of Newton Creek. A couple of wood saws, some engineering genius, and an hour or so later, and our group had a sturdy bridge across the icy waters. It is hard work living in the snow for the weekend, but the group worked beautifully together, and created an impressive winter camp, complete with snow-benches, an ice-block windbreak, a snow-table, and snow-stairs. Deciding to test the insulating power of the snow, the whole group dug a big snow trench and slept through the night in the tarp-covered shelter. Sunday we hiked up towards Elk Mountain and took part in some phenomenal sledding. Please enjoy a few photos from this winter adventure.

A game of Scrabble at the Greenery (Peter Green's cabin)

A Green at the Greenery

Our first, established crossing.

Building our own bridge across Newton Creek.

Working

Loving the project.

Carefully crossing.

Switchbacking up toward Elk Meadow.

Entering the meadow.

Rustic shelter that would serve as the center of our camp.

Buiiding our snow kitchen.

Sun starting to set behind the mountain.

Students digging their sleeping trench.

A beautiful morning.

The top of the ridge.

Some good sledding.

Hangtime Steve.

Soaking up the sun during lunch.

Our iced up bridge.

A memorable weekend.

It could have been the middle of May, as a group of adventurous 6th graders set out to enjoy a sunny day of snowshoeing on Mt. Hood this past Saturday.  Even though it was the first time snowshoeing for almost the whole group, we covered nearly five miles over the course of the day while still finding the time to explore a frozen lake, have multiple snowball battles, a snowball throwing contests, and build a bearded snowman.  We learned about the ancient hemlock trees, old man's beard, and the winter landscape of the Cascade Mountains.  Sitting on the back of the bus, we wrapped up a grand adventure with hot chocolate, homemade cookies, and rice crispie treats.  Please enjoy some photos from this great day.

Adventures on the Coast with the Outdoor Program

 A group of eight middle schoolers joined the outdoor program for a weekend of exploration along the northern Oregon coast. The weather was crisp, clear, and sunny, and the group was able to experience the beach in dramatic fashion.  After rolling past the clear cuts and rolling hills of the Coast Range, the group stopped to explore the beautiful Hug Point. Limited by the high tide, and wanting more room to run, we boarded the bus again and headed to the "secret beach" in Oswald West State Park. Accompanied by a group of nearby surfers, we built sand volcanoes, played touch football, and explored tide pools and waterfalls. Tired and chilly, we continued south down the coast and established ourselves in our yurts at Nehalem Bay State Park. We cooked burritos, made a fire, and played some ridiculous games before going to sleep in the comfortable yurts. A team of raccoons came by while we were inside our yurts playing cards, and stole all of our muffins that we had left outside. The heat went out in the girls' yurt, so they bundled up to stay warm through the night. After some cards and a big breakfast, the group headed down to the wide, open beaches of the state park, where we played soccer, jumped off of dunes, and collected shells before getting back on the bus to head back home. The sun joined us for most of the weekend, for which we were grateful!  Please enjoy the photos from this beautiful weekend.  Until the next adventure!

Several 6th graders climbed outdoors on real rock for the first time this weekend, and they are hooked! We met in the Catlin Gabel theater lot Saturday morning, played a quick game of pirate tag to help students get to know each other, loaded up the bus, and set out for Horsethief Butte near Lyle, Washington.

After donning harnesses, helmets, and shoes, students learned to tie figure 8 knots and began climbing. One student after another made it to the top of the thirty-foot climb, and others challenged themselves with harder climbs and made it part-way up. Adults belayed in the beginning, and after getting the hang of climbing some students gave belaying a hand. We also set up a belayed rappel station, and many students tried it out for the first time!

We left the climbing area around 5:30 and drove east to Maryhill State Park. We set up tents, ate a big burrito dinner, made s’mores around the campfire, and played card games. Everyone went to bed by 10:00. It rained hard all night, but we slept soundly to the rhythm of the rain and stayed dry for the most part.

The group awoke to blue sky peeking between the windmills lining the cliffs above the Columbia River, and packed quickly on Sunday morning. We ate a breakfast of Spam, muffins, bagels and cream cheese, and bananas. We then went to check out the Maryhill Stonehenge replica, and then drove back across the Columbia to Oregon to do the four-mile hike to Elowah Falls and Upper McCord Creek Falls. Students stood in the mist of the falls after hiking through lush green ferns and Northwest forest. We stopped for a picnic lunch at Ainsworth State Park, and returned to campus mid-afternoon, tired but feeling so refreshed!