Greetings from Oregon,

The snow has arrived. Yesterday I went skiing at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood in the middle of the latest storm which dumped 34 inches of snow. The snow was deep and fluffy and the trees were totally flocked. We've gone from 1 inch at Timberline on November 22 to 111 inches as of this morning, December 5. Looks like it's going to be a great snow year. And we're ready to go play!

Our first snowshoe trip is scheduled for Saturday, December 15 and we'll plan to go every Saturday through March 2002. We can also do trips whenever you want to go if you give a few days notice so we can make arrangements. We provide guides, transportation, snowshoes, boots (if you need them), and poles, and food. Snowshoeing is a great family or office outing - it's easy and fun and we take care of all the logistical hassle. Some of the trips are through Portland Community College or Wilsonville and Sandy Park and Rec and include a classroom orientation session.

See http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/winter.htm for more details.

GIFT CERTIFICATES

Oregon Peak Adventures Gift Certificates make very cool gifts. It's not only the price reduction, but the fun of deciding what trip to take and the anticipation of doing it. Call at 503 207-5100 or 877 965-5100 or e-mail. We can do any amount.

HIKING IN PORTLAND

A really fun thing to do is to hike through Forest Park to the Pittock Mansion and do a tour. The Mansion is lavishly decorated for the holidays and is an amazing place. See http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/portland.htm. Our normal price is $60 for one person and $30 for additional people. Tell us you're on the e-mail list and it's $10 per additional person. Call at 503 207-5100 or 877 965-5100.

TANZANIA ADVENTURE

We still have space for more folks on our trip to Tanzania scheduled for February 3-23, 2002. The entire trip consists of a nine-day climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro, a five-day safari, and four days on the island of Zanzibar. Sign up by December 12 and receive a $300 discount. See more details at http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/Tanzania.htm.

NEPAL

We are now accepting applications for trekking and climbing in the Khumbu region in NEPAL in October-November 2002. See http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/nepal.htm

WINTER SCHEDULE

In January and March, we will also be doing Snow Camping and Cross-Country Skiing as well as snowshoe trips. We will also offer an Expedition Climbing Training in January. This is for you if you are interested in climbing a big mountain like Denali or are just interested in getting more experience for winter climbing. We're only taking eight people so don't wait if you want to do this. See http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/expediti.htm.

We are offering some of the activities in cooperation with Portland Community College (PCC), Wilsonville Parks and Recreation, and Sandy Parks and Recreation.

And, of course, we can hike at the Oregon coast, in the Columbia River Gorge, and in the Portland area all year round, especially if you don't mind a bit of dampness!

We are working on a section about equipment choices to the website. It's at http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/equipmen.htm. We make recommendations on what we have found that works for us in the backcountry.

We hate being cold and uncomfortable. Now that winter is here, we need to prepare ahead of time so we can have fun outside rather than being wet and miserable. Most of us understand the concept of layering and the importance of wearing synthetic clothing and avoiding cotton and sweating. Here are some specific tips:

- When you're heading out of town in the car, it's a good idea to have emergency gear in case you need it. We carry a sleeping bag, warm socks, boots, hat, gloves, and coat, a shovel, chains/cables, and tow strap, a small stove and pot, flashlight, and a first aid kit. Your cell phone is a good idea as well. Keep track of the mileposts as you drive so you can tell the emergency response folks where you are if you or someone else needs assistance. I just bought a unit which combines an emergency battery to jump start the car and an air compressor to inflate the tires. Hope to never use it, but will be glad to have it if we return to find the battery dead at the trailhead.

-Those chemical hand warmer packets do work. Place them on your palm in between your liner glove and your mittens. They react with the air and stay warm 4-6 hours. I haven't tried the boot warmers because I've been told they don't work well because there isn't enough air in the boot. I'm going to try them out and see for myself.

- Always bring extra gloves.

-Wear full length gaiters. They keep the snow out of your boots and off the bottom of your pants.

- Goggles and a neoprene face mask are great if you are going to be out in windy conditions.