Table Rock Wilderness

Yay for Backpacking! Nurse Betty (we work together with the oldies) and I embarked on a short two-day trip to Table Rock Wilderness. It is about 45 minutes south of Milwaukie and one of my new favorite outdoor destinations. Eventhough it was foggy and rainy for our ascent up to Table Rock, it was still a beautiful hike full of wonderful things to look at. Because I am obsessed with photography, I took the liberty of posting a bazillion photos..... all from a two-day one-night trip!

This was at the beginning of our hike.
The trail definitely had it's steep parts. The trailhead sign was missing, so we hiked more than we had planned- about 8 or 9 miles total and an elevation gain of 1500 feet. Not a super hard workout, but we over packed hoping to get some extra training in. There was also no water, so we packed in all our water, and wine of course!!! The trip down was MUCH lighter.
Loved these JuJu Bee Mushrooms!
I like bugs.
Baby posing at a viewpoint about half way up.
There was a huge landslide that we had to traverse across. It was full of snow and large boulders. We were happy to get passed that point....both times.

Once at the top, it was a bit disheartening. We knew there was so much to see, but the fog was just too dense.

I was imagining what my excitement would look like if Mt. Shasta was behind me in this pic. Apparently on a clear day you can see From Mt. Rainier (WA) to Mt. Shasta(CA)! We will be back on a clear day for a day hike to prove this theory.

I heart Mountain House dinners and wine from a cardboard box while camping. So does Betty.
Betty's camera takes awesome panorama photos!
Wish I could build a log cabin on this spot- What a view!
Happy Ladies about to hike down.
=-)
Say Cheese!
The trail down the begins.
Loved the fresh air.
This tree photo was taken especially for Dr. E.G.S!
Mini-pine cones.... I know I take too many pictures!
So these photos do not do this rock formation justice! The thick fog kept us from seeing the source of the major landslide we climbed over on the way up. Day two was much clearer and we were able to see the entire Table Rock. It was impressive! It is difficult to capture the magnitude of this rock. It was massive and the rocks fell so geometrically. I swear if I didn't love old people I would be a geologist. The earth is awesome!
Betty took this photo with me in it for perspective.
Another panoramic shot by Betty.

And of course, a cheesy shot to finish up with.  It was hard to go back to work today. All I could do was sit around and daydream about my next life as a forest ranger. Luckily, I'll be back outside next weekend with my Brother Dave and Nephew Will on the dunes on a 4-wheeler. Seriously- when did I get so lucky? Lovin Life right now fo' Sure!