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Adventures. You may sign-up by
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Greetings from Oregon,
Snow is falling in the mountains (update - It's
falling at 600' in Portland as I write, but will
likely be short lived) and we are getting excited
about snowshoeing and skiing. November was pretty
dry and we were able to get out and do some great
hiking, but we are ready for the snow. I'm going
downhill skiing for the first time this year on
Friday at Timberline on Mt. Hood.
The Winter Term catalog for Portland Community
College has been published and you can sign-up for
our classes
online also.
The Tualatin Hills Park & Rec schedule will be
available in late December.
Please continue for an overview of our upcoming
trips and activities.
We hope you can join us for your next adventure.
As
always, our intent is to send this newsletter only
to people who wish to receive it. If you don't want
it, please click the Unsubscribe link at the bottom
of this email. There you will also find a link which
allows you to send this eNews to a friend or
colleague. We invite you to take a trip with Oregon
Peak Adventures. You may sign-up by e-mailing us at
info@oregonpeakadventures.com, calling us at
(877) 965-5100, or using our
secure form.
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MT. ST. HELENS
Things are pretty quiet at Mt. St. Helens.
Here are some interesting details from the
USGS provided by the Mt. St. Helens
Institute folks:
Lava Dome Growth Slows
Lava-dome building eruption of Mount St.
Helens continues, but at a slower rate than
in previous years. Over the past year, the
rate of lava extrusion declined from 0.6
cubic yard per second in December 2006 to
0.4 cubic yards per second in April 2007.
This volume of extrusion is equivalent to
emplacement of a small pickup- truck load
every three seconds. Putting this growth
rate in perspective, the rate has declined
from 7.8 cubic yards per second for a short
time during the early months of the eruption
of 2004. However, the current extrusion rate
is equivalent to the average growth of Mount
St. Helens over the last 4, 000 years. At
the current rate of eruption (0.4 cubic
yards per second), it will take a couple
hundred years for the volcano to rebuild
itself to its former volume. Approximately
7% or more of the volume of the pre-1980
volcanic cone has been replaced;
approximately 11% of the present
horseshoe-shaped crater has been refilled.
High Point of Dome 200 feet Below
Shoestring Notch
The high point of the present lava dome is
1,290 feet above the 1986 crater floor. This
is slightly higher than the height of the
Empire State Building in New York (1,250
feet), and shorter then the Sears Tower in
Chicago (1,454 feet). The 7,569 foot summit
elevation is slightly lower than the 7,772
foot dome that grew during the summer of
2006. Vertical distance between the top of
the lava dome (7,569 feet) and the
Shoestring Notch (7,780 feet and the lowest
point on the crater rim) is 211 feet.
Daily USGS updates are available at
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/MSH/CurrentActivity/.
We have successive photos of the dome on the
OPA Website .
Our next scheduled St. Helens climb is March
8-9, 2008 via the Butte
Camp Route. This includes an overnight
snow camp and optional orientations at
Portland Community College on March 4 or
at Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District
on March 5. We can climb St. Helens on any
day (including weekends, November - March)
the weather and snow conditions are
reasonable.
Please check the website
for 2008 scheduled St. Helens climbs. If you
want to climb on other dates, please let us
know and we'll arrange a climb for you
(weekdays only April 1 - October 31).
You can observe St. Helens at the
VolcanoCam and check the weather
forecast at the
National Weather Service.
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WINTER HIKES
Of course we hike in the winter. It
may be wet, but it's always invigorating and
sometimes it's even clear and breathtaking.
We have scheduled three hikes to the Pittock
Mansion in Portland's Forest Park and one
Oregon Coast Capes trip for hiking with
hopes of seeing migrating whales. Let us
know if you want to go some other time or
place - if it isn't dirt, it's snow and we
can travel on both.
PITTOCK MANSION
The Mansion was constructed in 1916 by Henry
Pittock, publisher of the Oregonian, member
of the first summit ascent party on Mt.
Hood, and founding member of the Mazamas
Mountaineering Club.
 During
the holidays it is specially decorated. This
year's theme is "A
Fairytale Christmas....A host of
volunteers and friends will bring Portland’s
historic Pittock Mansion to life this coming
holiday season with favorite fairy tale
themes. Each of the mansion’s 23 rooms will
reveal the enchantment of such beloved tales
as “Beauty and the Beast,” “Alice in
Wonderland,” “Aladdin,” “Peter Pan” and
“Cinderella.”
Our hikes are scheduled for December 2, 15,
and 26. We'll pick-up about 11 AM and drive
to the beginning of the Wildwood Trail at
the Portland Zoo.
 We'll
hike two miles up to the Mansion and spend
about an hour touring and hike back down to
the Zoo. It's a great way to get out and
enjoy the day. The price is $50 for one
person and $20 per additional person. This
is a great adventure for the whole family,
office group, and for out-of-town visitors.
More information is
here.
WHALE WATCHING COAST HIKE
During December and January, gray, humpback,
and sperm whales make their annual
pilgrimages south from the chilly waters of
Alaska to their mating and birthing grounds
in warmer Baja California. Sounds tempting,
doesn't it? But, alas, instead of swimming
to Baja, we'll hike the
Capes on December 29.
Price: One person - $130, two persons - $90
each, 3-10 persons, $80 each. Includes
transportation, guide, and lunch. This will
be subject to weather conditions (high
winds, heavy seas and no visibility = not so
fun hiking). We can also do this trip
anytime you wish to go, given guide
availability. |
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DAYLIGHT & MOONLIGHT SNOWSHOE TRIPS
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 It
is time to go
snowshoeing!
It couldn't be easier since we provide
transportation, food, and snowshoes and
poles. Since you are walking on the snow
rather than in it, most hiking boots work
well, but we will provide a pair for you if
you need them.
Besides day trips, we will once again offer
our highly popular
Moonlight
Snowshoe Trips. The full moon for
December through March falls on about the
20th of each month. Since the moonrise can
vary by an hour from day to day, we will
time our departures to Portland to optimize
our viewing times.
 .
We hope you can do a snowshoe trip with us
this winter. Snowshoeing is immediately fun
and is the perfect office group or family
outing. More information on the snowshoe
trips is at
http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/winter.htm
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CATCH A RIDE TO TIMBERLINE SKI AREA
 I
have a Weekday (Monday-Friday) Plus ski pass
to the Timberline Ski area on Mt. Hood and
my goal is to get up there as often as I
can. It's a great deal at $249 for the
season and is good everyday after the end of
March.
If you would like to ride up, please send me
an
e-mail and I'll put you on a e-mail list
to let you know when I plan to go.
First trip - Friday, November 30
Price is $25 for one rider, $15 per person
for two or more. |
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TRIP SCHEDULE
Most of our scheduled trips
are posted on our website.
You can view the schedule by date or by trip. The
Schedule of climbs,
backpacking trips, and training activities is
updated through June 2008 on the Website.
If there is something specific you want to do,
please
let me know so we can put it on the summer
schedule.
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INTERNATIONAL TRIPS
We had great trips to South America and
Nepal/Cambodia this year.
For Spring-Summer 2008, I'm considering climbs of
Mt. Blanc and the Matterhorn plus a traverse of the
Haute Route that follows "glaciers, tarns, meadows,
and craggy mountain passes from Chamonix, France, to
Zermatt, Switzerland."
I am studying the guide books and will be making a
decision soon. Of course, it is very expensive for
us to go to Europe now and that is a factor. If you
think you might be interested please
let me
know. |
TIPS
For travelers going to areas with a risk of
Malaria exposure, the CDC announces the release
of additional malaria resources: the Malaria Risk
Map and an email subscription service for
notification about malaria outbreaks.
The (Malaria
Risk Map ) is an interactive map that provides
location-specific information on current CDC
assessments of malaria risk and recommendations for
preventive malaria treatment. This map was initially
developed to provide blood banks with information to
assess risk of malaria exposure in potential donors.
The map can also be used by health care providers
and travelers to determine recommended preventive
malaria treatment by country of travel. This map is
undergoing final development, and your
feedback
is appreciated.
CDC is also providing an email subscription service
for prompt notification about malaria outbreaks,
changes to malaria risk assessments, changes in
recommendations for preventive malaria treatment,
and other related information. Subscribe to get
email updates.
Two Good Causes
Buying the book
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David
Oliver Relin, from
Amazon.com will benefit the
Central Asia
Institute and make a great gift. A donation to
the CAI would also be a good thing. (My friend
Warren, has requested that I retract the statement
that he hooked the copy he gave to me from that
Lodge in Peru.)
When we were in the Amazon region in Peru, we met
Dr. Nancy Dunn, Founder and Director of the
Amazon
Library Project, Centro de Conocimiento
Compartido (Center of Shared Knowledge). Previously
a university music professor, Nancy runs a library
for the local people on the Amazon and is also
assisting with micro-economic projects to improve
the lives of the Amazon people. She is a neat lady
and would truly appreciate a donation. The
weblink
provides information and tells you many ways you can
help.
GIFT SUGGESTIONS
If you still have gifts to buy for your adventurous
person after "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday", here
are some suggestions:
1. An Oregon Peak
Adventures Gift Certificate. What could be a
better gift?
2. A Tivo
Digital Video Recorder. If I didn't have my TIVO, I
would get rid of the TV.
3.
Tivoli Songbook Radio. Great sound, looks cool,
and I just love the way it feels.
4. Jetboil
Cooking System. Light, efficient, and fast stove
for heating liquids.
5. Petzl
Tikka Plus (has a headband) or
Zipka Plus (has a retractable string thingy) LED
headlamp. Lightweight, compact and bright for
everyday use.
6.
Petzl e+Lite. Tiny and bright emergency light.
Great stocking stuffer.
7. A
MedJetAssist Membership. Have a medical
emergency anywhere in the world? They'll fly you
home -period!
8. A Photon
Micro LED light. Manufactured in Oregon, it
clips onto your keychain and is great for finding
things in the dark or for filling out the climbing
register early in the morning.
9. Personal Locator Beacon- If you like to go on
solo trips the
ACR Electronics Terrafix 406 GPS I/O Personal
Locator Beacon is a good idea. Especially if you
don't like to tell people where you are going (Not
recommended!). When it's your last resort, at only
12 oz. (343 g) it's lightweight and the price ($550
from REI)
is reasonable.
My recommendations on all kinds of gear can be found
at the OPA website.
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INTERESTED IN SETTING UP AN OUTING?
Please give us a call if you are interested in
setting up an outing for your work group or family.
We handle all the arrangements including
transportation and food at a reasonable price. If
you are coming to Portland for a conference or
convention, we would be delighted to set-up outings
for your attendees. Just let us know when.
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