day hike

Mount Hood's snowy white peak commanded the skyline above the green forested ridges of the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness.  We stood atop the old fire lookout site and practiced our map and compass skills, orienting the map to visible landmarks and taking bearings on Mt. Jefferson and other Cascade mountain peaks.

Wildflowers and Wildlife on the Clackamas River

It was cool in the shade of the big old growth Douglas firs, and sunny on the pebbly beaches of the Clackamas River.  Next Adventure Outdoor School led another guided hike, this time focusing on the west-side wildflower blooms.  Bleeding hearts, calypso orchids, wood violets, anemones, and tiny twayblade orchids (pictured) were in bloom along with a host of other flowers like salmonberry, oxalis, sandwort, monkeyflower, dogwood and strawberry.

There were oysters, lobsters, coral and salmon along the trail.
We weren't at the beach, but hiking the Clackamas River Trail on Mount Hood National Forest.