Tick tock, you don't stop
We were back up on Mount Hood yesterday for yet another round of cross-country skiing. Conditions were once again phenomenal -- not just for April, but for any time of the year. And we saw fewer other skiers than on any other outing this season.
This time we were treated to a couple of wildlife moments. There were small monarch butterflies all over the place, and the birds are back. At one point a hawk flew right over us, maybe 50 feet up. A few moments later, this black bird flew the exact same path back in the opposite direction, with newfound food of some kind in its mouth. We could hear the wings whooshing as our friend headed home for lunch.
What a blessing it is to live so close to this amazing place.
| Posted at 1:37 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (9)
And to own a set of these.
Posted by Jack Bog | April 12, 2008 1:43 AM
Blessing.
Posted by Tenskwatawa | April 12, 2008 2:02 AM
Skiing is not for everybody but, it should be!!!!!
Posted by Wes Soderback | April 12, 2008 3:55 AM
I never did it until I moved here, at age 24. Have had some years since then when I didn't -- opportunity wasted! This year, I tracked more miles out there than ever. Obviously, the weather smiled on these efforts.
Posted by Jack Bog | April 12, 2008 4:34 AM
Spikes Spider Sport? Its a traction device AND a sobriety test!
Posted by BobM | April 12, 2008 8:14 AM
Hi, Jack - your former neighbor at SW Gibbs and Water (mom of Juniper!).
A small and picky correction re: butterflies. The ones you saw skiing are not monarchs, but, I believe, Milbert's Tortoiseshells.
I XC skiied yesterday at Hoodoo, and they were all over the place - wonderful to see butterflies in the snow. And the best skiing so far this year!
The Milbert's Tortoiseshells come out in huge numbers some years. The mountain passes can be full of swarms of them. It looks as if this will be a good year.
Great blog!
Posted by Joellyn Loehr | April 12, 2008 8:51 AM
Yee Ha, I can lose (return) the studded tires. Thanks for the tip.
Posted by genop | April 12, 2008 1:40 PM
Your wildlife description sounds like my yard on an average day!
Posted by al | April 12, 2008 3:54 PM
Milbert's Tortoiseshells
They weren't as big as monarchs -- I just figured they weren't fully grown yet because it's early spring. (Duh.)
Whatever they were, they were beautiful.
Posted by Jack Bog | April 12, 2008 3:55 PM