September 5th Hike: Mirror Lake and Tom, Dick and Harry Ridge

Hi ladies! Bonnie will be leading a hike on Mt. Hood on Saturday, Sept. 5th. Mirror Lake and Tom, Dick and Harry Ridge is the trail of choice for September. Meet at ALC campus at 9, or Mountain Mocha in Sandy at 9:30 a.m. Bring money for trail pass, gas if you carpool and a snack on the way home. This is a moderately difficult 5 mile in and out trail, with a beautiful alpine lake at the half-way point and a killer view of five different mountain peaks at the top. There might even be some huckleberries to enjoy along the way!
Bring layers, water, food, camera, dog . . . and a friend! Email Bonnie if you have any questions: buganddonniemoo@aim.com
See you on the trail!

The next two events . . .

Bonnie has rescheduled the Triple Falls hike for this coming Saturday (May 16th). As usual, meet at the ALC campus at 9, or at the trailhead at 9:45 (but let Bonnie know you plan on meeting up there). Greg and I did the hike on Saturday, it was gorgeous. The bridge beyond the falls is out, but you can still get the wonderful view. This is a moderate, 5 mile in-and-back hike. Bring food, water, camera, dog, etc. You'll need money for gas, but there's no trail fee.

The June hike has been postponed a week. Meet at 9:00 on June 13th at the ALC parking lot to tackle Dog Mountain. This is a very strenuous hike, described in my hiking book as "insane." But I hear it also has the most magnificent wildflowers in the northwest! It's a steep, seven mile trek, I wouldn't recommend it for beginners.
Dogs are welcome, but there's lots of poison oak along the trail.
Bring lots of water, layers, trekking poles, bandaids, food, camera . . .
You'll need money for gas and snacks, don't think there's a trail fee on this hike, either!

Call Bonnie for more info: 503-492-1411

Snowshoe from Glacierview sno park to summit 3/7

Hi ladies! We had a wonderful Valentine's day snowshoe up at the White River Sno Park this month! In March, on Saturday the 7th, we'll head up the mountain again and do the snowy trek from the Glacier SnoPark up to Summit Inn (the Gov't Camp rest area). It's a short hike and not too steep, so good for beginners.

If you don't have your own equipment, rent it the day before. Joes, REI, Sportsman's warehouse, etc. have equipment. There are also several spots in Sandy.

Men, dogs and even older kids would do fine on this trek. We can get a cup of coffee or bowl of soup at the summit before heading back.
As usual, we'll meet at 9 at the Abundant Life campus and 9:30 at Mt. Moka in Sandy. Bring water, snacks, camera, layers, money for gas and sno park pass. And bring your camera!
Call or email me for more details: 503-415-0206
See you on the trail,
Shawn

Snowshoe pics--here's what you missed!

Valentine's Day Snow Play at White River SnoPark

Notice I said "snow play" and not just snow shoe? That's because Greg and I checked out the White River SnoPark last Friday and saw all kinds of activities going on: hiking, snow shoeing, cross-country skiing, sledding. And we thought it would be fun to open this event up to everyone, to come and do whatever it is you love to do in the snow!

So ladies, bring your friends, sweethearts, children, dogs . . . and enjoy the day! There's a 3 mile loop along the river and through the woods that can be hiked, skied or snow shoed. There are lots of hills along the way for those who want to stop and go sledding. We even saw someone using a blown-up air mattress!

Let's meet on Feb. 14th at the ALC parking lot at 9 or the Mountain Moka lot in Sandy at 9:30. If you just want to meet at the White River Sno Park, we should be up there by 10:15. You'll need a SnoPark pass, gas money, stuff to snack on and/or lunches, water, a camera, layers.

If you are going to rent equipment, please do it the day before. Joe's, Sportsman's Warehouse and several places in Sandy rent snow shoes and skis.

It was so warm the day we went, we wished we'd worn t-shirts and brough sun screen!

White River Sno Park is 4 miles east of Government Camp on highway 35.

Dec 6 HIke--Wildwood Trail (zoo to Pittock Mansion)

Hi ladies! In December, we'll do one of my favorite Portland hikes--the Wildwood trail from the zoo to Pittock Mansion and back. The trail is a lot of fun, but can be muddy and steep in spots.

Meet at 9 at the Abundant Life campus, or 9:30 at the zoo parking lot (but make sure you let me or Bonnie know that you'll be meeting us there). Bring water, lunch, layers, camera, dogs, guys . . . yep, this is a coed hike!

We should get back between 3 or 4, depends on how much time we spend wandering around Pittock Mansion.

November Hike and Mirror Lake pics

We had a great hike at Mirror Lake/Tom, Dick and Harry Ridge! The sun never came out, but we still had a grand time. Ten ladies and three dogs made up the hiking troup.

In November, on Saturday the 1st, we'll tackle a tougher mountain. Mt. Hamilton is an 8 mile trek, described as "difficult" in my hiking book. Greg and I climbed it a few weeks ago in our training for Three Fingered Jack. It's a pretty tough hike--but there are amazing views from the top. I don't recommend this for beginners. We'll do a mellower hike in December :)

Link to trail info: http://www.localhikes.com/Hikes/Hamilton_Mountain_0000.asp

Let's meet at ALC at 8:30. If you live in Gresham, let me know a good meeting place and we'll hook up at 9:00. As usual, bring a lunch, water, walking stick or poles (it is steep), camera, dog, rain gear . . .

Email me if you have questions! salyne@hotmail.com

See you on the trail!

Shawn

October Hike (10/18) and Lost Lake pics

Our next hike will be the 5.2 mile loop up to Mirror Lake and Tom, Dick and Harry Ridge. This is a moderately difficult hike, but there's really only one tough spot, near the top of the ridge. You can read more about this trail at: http://www.localhikes.com/Hikes/TDH_6442.asp

We can meet at the Abudant Life campus at 9:00, or at Mt. Mocha in Sandy at 9:30. Let me know where you'll be meeting us. Bring water, picnic, camera, dog . . . and there may even be some huckleberries to pluck along the way, so maybe a baggie or two! We should be back between 3 and 4.

Let me know if you have questions: salyne@hotmail.com

Bring money for trail pass, gas and latte' on the way home!

Lost Lake Family Trip on September 6th

After giving some thought and research to the challenge of a great hiking/fishing trip, I've decided that Lost Lake on Mt. Hood is the place to go! It's quite a drive to get there, but the lake is beautiful and there are a variety of trails we can choose from. I'm posting a link to the site so you can read more about it. http://lostlakeresort.org/default.php There's an easy 3.2 mile loop around the lake and some more challenging trails as well.

We'll need to leave at 8:30 from the Happy Valley ALC campus--or meet us at Mt. Mocha in Sandy at 9. No trail pass needed, men, kids and dogs are welcome! Fishing licenses (and bait) can be purchased at the general store. Paddle boats and canoes are available to rent, as well. So bring extra $$ if you'd like to do that.

Bring a picnic lunch and plan on spending most of the day in the beautiful spot. Even if you forget your sunscreen, the store has all necessary supplies. Bring fishing gear--I couldn't find anywhere on the website where it said what kind of fish you'll be catching. But light gear should work, and we can get what we need at the store.

Email me if you have questions/suggestions: salyne@hotmail.com

Hikes for July and August

We had a blast hiking up to Angel's Rest last Saturday. Scout and Wrangler led the way :)

It was a gorgeous day--everyone and their dog seemed to be out enjoying the sunshine.

In July, there are two hikes to take note of: on July 12th, Bonnie Moore will be leading the Wahkeena Falls/Multnomah Falls hike. It's a great trail--you see a gazillion gorgeous waterfalls going up and trek down over the top of Multnomah Falls on the way back. Of course, we treat ourselves to an ice cream at the Lodge when we are done! This trail is a five mile loop and has some pretty serious elevation gain. Dogs welcome! Meet at the church at 9:00 am or meet at the trailhead at 9:45. For more info, call Bonnie: 503-492-1411,

Then on July 26th, we'll team up with the stop and smell the roses gang and do Ramona Falls together. This is a favorite of mine--Scout has some pretty wild tales to tell about this trail. Check Dana's site for details (see sidebar). (Extreme Women lite)

Then, tentatively we hike around Timothy Lake on August 2nd and maybe even do a little trout fishing while we are at it. This hike is easy but long. Stay tuned for details!

June 14th Hike--Angels Rest

This has become my favorite hike in the Gorge! Read more about it at this link:

http://209.85.141.104/search?q=cache:PDyfP_I00p8J:www.localhikes.com/Hikes/AngelsRest_6442.asp+angels+rest+hike+gorge&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us

My trail book says it's 6 miles round trip, but this link says 4.6. Believe what you want!

The hike is dog friendly, no trail fee required. We'll meet at Abundant Life church at 9am if you want to carpool, or you can meet us at the trailhead at 9:45. Pack lots of water, sack lunch (we'll eat at the top, overlooking the Gorge) and $$ for gas and a snack on the way home. Should be back between 3 and 4 that afternoon.

This hike has some fairly steep places, might not be the best for non-hikers. Bring a camera to capture the beautiful views.

Email Shawn if you have questions: salyne@hotmail.com

Pics from Triple Falls hike

We had a great day--and beat the drizzle! 11 gals from 5 different churches (oh, and two dogs) showed for the super hike. We never saw the sun, but that didn't darken our spirits at all!

Triple Falls hike on May 3rd!

Let's meet at Abundant Life at 9:00 Saturday May 3rd for one of my favorite hikes in the Gorge. If you want to read more about this hike, check out this link: http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:1xKb677t3asJ:www.localhikes.com/Hikes/TripleFalls_6442.asp+triple+falls+hike+in+gorge&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us (although this says the hike is only 4 miles, I know it's longer).

Bring the usual lunch, water, dog, cash for gas and snacks. Oh, and a camera would be good as well!

Call if you have any questions: 503-415-0206

Last Snowshoe of the year on 4/5

Weather permitting, we'll strap on our snowshoes one last time this year. My goal is to do the six-mile-long loop from the Glacier Sno Park (right across from the Mirror Lake Trailhead) to Summit Sno Park (at Gov't Camp). We can get a latte', to potty, take pictures and catch our breath at Summit before hit the return trail. How fun is that?

As usual, have snowshoe equipment rented ahead of time and meet at Abundant Life church at 9 a.m. Saturday April 5th. Bring a sack lunch--something you can eat on the go--and lots of water. Wear layers and don't dress too warmly. We've found that extra socks and snug boots are the best defense against blisters. If you haven't been snowshoeing before and have questions, call either Bonnie Moore (503-492-1411) or Shawn Strannigan (503-415-0206)

Dogs are welcome! You'll need $$ to chip in for gas, treats and maybe sno park passes. We should get back to the church between 3 and 4 that afternoon.

If meeting at ALC is out of the way for you, we can meet up at Mountain Mocha and carpool from there. Let either Bonnie or me know if you prefer to do this.

New Blogs!!!!

Hi friends! First of all, I want to introduce you to a wonderful new blog:
www.extreme-lite-hikers.blogspot.com (You can click on the link to the right and access it without having to cut and paste). It will be moderated by Dana Biles and will keep you up-to-date on all the upcoming "Stop and Smell the Roses" (otherwise known as "Extreme Women Lite")events. Please check it often and don't hesitate to contact her if you have any questions.

This blog will continue to highlight the more challenging outings. As I mentioned earlier, Bonnie Moore and I will be co-leading the "Extreme Women" ministry. She will be leading the March 1st snow shoe at Trillium Lake, which is described in a previous blog: MARCH 1 EVENT: Bonnie Moore will be leading a snow shoe expedition to Trillium Lake (Lord willing, we had to cancel last month because of winter storms). She would like you to have your equipment rented beforehand and meet at the church at 9 that Sat. morning. As usual, bring a sack lunch, bandaids, $$ for gas and snacks on the way home. Wear layers, extra socks, bring sun glasses and a camera. Call Bonnie for more info:503-492-1411.

For those of you who are hopelessly addicted to the never-ending saga of my spazzy little dog, Scout--I have designed a new blog just for the latest info on her long road to recovery. That site is: www.spazzylittledog.blogspot.com. I hope you'll continue to visit the site and offer up your prayers on her behalf.

Scout update 2/14/08

Happy Valentines Day to you all!
Scout is doing great on this second attempt to wean her off prednisone. She struggled the first two days, then I saw Kris B. (my vet friend from church) and she said sometimes the weaning has to happen in very small increments--like cutting the dose down by an 1/8 of a tablet.
So that night, I added just a sliver to the 1/2 tablet I was giving Scout and it made all the difference. She's acting almost back to "normal" (which Scout never was, so it's kind of hard to tell :). I haven't given her any pain meds the past two days, have taken her on short walks . . . and she seems to be doing great.
I'm seeing a new vet on Monday. She's the one recommended by Kris B. and we talked at length on the phone yesterday about the prednisone weaning process. She seems to have to good grasp on immune mediated illnesses and predisone treatment, although she admitted she's never treated a dog with Scout's condition (I've yet to talk to a vet who has). So Scout is out of the woods and I'm excited to have someone walk me through the process of getting her off the meds and keeping her healthy. I just have lots of questions like: Can I still give her flea medicine? What about Vaccinations? How can I prevent relapse? How hard can I exercise her . . .

I definitely feel we are on the road to recovery!

Scout update 212/08 & March events info

Well, Scout has survived two days on a little over 1/2 dose of prednisone. I give her the dose at night and she gets up in the morning and acts perky. By around suppertime, however, she's starting to crash--limping, has trouble getting up, panting and just seems to be very uncomfortable. The good news is that she's eating and drinking and not running a fever.
I asked my vet friend, Kris B., what the difference between a relapse and acceptable discomfort (during the weaning process) looked like. Kris said that it was considered a relapse if neurological symptoms reoccurred. So, I'm not sure what that means . . . so please keep us in your prayers.
I contacted the Berryhill Animal clinic (in Oregon City) yesterday--I was told the vet uses holistic and western medicine and was interested in immune mediated conditions. His tech, or whoever answered the phone, had never heard of Scout's illness and had me repeat it several times for her so she could give the info to Dr. Simpson. He never called me back . . . I'm not too surprised. I've discussed Scout's case with four different vets now and not a one of them has ever treated an animal with immune-mediated steroid resistant polyarthritis/meningitis.

MARCH 1 EVENT: Bonnie Moore will be leading a snow shoe expedition to Trillium Lake (Lord willing, we had to cancel last month because of winter storms). She would like you to have your equipment rented beforehand and meet at the church at 9 that Sat. morning. As usual, bring a sack lunch, bandaids, $$ for gas and snacks on the way home. Wear layers, extra socks, bring sun glasses and a camera. Call Bonnie for more info:503-492-1411.

Extreme Women Lite: The next “Stop and smell the roses” hike will be Saturday, March 15. We will meet at 9:00am in the church parking lot and head over to Powell Butte. It is a local, easy hike that offers beautiful views of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens – if we are lucky! The hike is about 3.5 miles long, pack a lunch and we will stop along the way. Dogs on leashes are allowed. We go – rain or shine!! Please contact Dana Biles (503) 667-3661 or email dana@formanalysis.com if you have any questions.

Our theme for the spring is “Urban Outings” exploring our own backyards. In April we will go to Forest Park, May is Mt. Tabor and June will be The Botanical Gardens where we hopefully will finally smell some roses J. Exact dates will be announced soon.

During the summer and fall we plan to explore as many falls as we can! Hope to see you all!!

Scout Update 2/09/08 and some news . . .

First the Scout update: She went snow-shoeing yesterday! We only went about a mile and she was really stiff and sore the rest of the day, but we had a blast. When she got up this morning, she wasn't limping at all, so I'm excited. I'm going to try cutting her prednisone dose in half again tomorrow. Pray that the weaning will be successful this time. I have heard from several dog lovers around the country (thanks to Karen and her email plea for help) who have been down this road and their input has been very encouraging. Although some dogs fail weaning and have to be put on other immun-suppresant drugs and weaned off those . . .

Now the news: Many of you may already have heard, but Greg has resigned from Abundant Life and will be going on staff at Cornerstone fellowship (in Gresham) in March. It will be announced this Sunday. It will be more of a "sending" than a "leaving," as we've had wonderful partnership with Cornerstone in the past (Sportsman Banquet, trips to AK, etc.). Greg will be "co-pastor" with Barry Arnold and will be doing more preaching, teaching . . . the things he really loves. They only have one service at 10:30 Sunday mornings, so you all need to come visit every now and then. We are still all in the Lord's service together!

And I will continue on with Extreme Women Ministries! Hopefully, we'll just add a few new faces from Cornerstone! Bonnie Moore will now be the pointperson at ALC, though, although she and I will be planning and leading trips together. This blog will continue to be the spot to get info and updates. You can always contact me, but Bonnie's info will be listed in Coolstuff and on the church website now. Dana will also be listed as a contact for the Extreme Women lite, "Stop and smell the roses" events.

Bonnie and Dana talked last week and instead of doing both events on the same day, they will stagger them--giving two outings each month instead of one. We'll try to have all the info for March's events in next week's coolstuff--and here on the blog.

I love you all and am looking forward to many more extreme outings with you in the future!
Shawn

Scout Update 2/3/08

Poor Scoutie! The vet had me try to start weaning her off prednisone this weekend. I didn't give her the evening dose on Friday and she woke up yesterday very stiff and sore. I gave her the a.m. dose, thinking she'd perk up as the day went along. But she never did. In fact, Scout seemed to go into decline so quickly it was shocking (and scary) to me.

She just shut down. Didn't stop eating and drinking this time, but Scout quit moving. Just lay in one spot most of the day looking miserable. The spark I'd seen returning in her the past few days was gone.

The vet said if Scout showed any adverse reaction to the lowered dose to put her back on the previous schedule for another week. So I gave her the evening dose of prednisone last night, but she's still not feeling well today. Greg had to carry her down the stairs to go potty, then back up to her bed. She was trotting up and down the stairs quite easily just 3 days ago. I am amazed how fragile her health still is and how dependent Scout is on prednisone. I feel bad for putting her through this suffering all over again . . .

I visited a holistic pet store this week and got a top-grade organic dry food for her, plus digestive enzymes and probiotics (to help her combat the effects of the doxycycline she's taking).

So I am supporting her now with prayer and good nutrition. Hopefully, she'll be able to wean off the meds eventually . . .

Extreme Women "Lite" event Feb. 2nd

Hi ladies! Sorry I'm so late getting this info to you all, but Extreme Women will now be offering a "not-so-extreme" event each month! Dana Biles has asked if she could put together some "stop and smell the roses" kind of outings--which is a wonderful idea! She'd liked to invite all ladies who don't feel inclined to go snow shoeing to join her on a hike:
We thought we would hike at Tryon Creek State Park over by Lewis and Clark College. We will take the 4 mile loop around the park and stop for lunch along the way. We will meet at the church at 9:00 am on Saturday, Feb 2. Dogs on leashes are allowed and there are no fees.
If you'd like more info about this trail, here's a link: http://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/PARKS/index.shtml
Dana's contact info is:

dana@formanalysis.com
(503) 667-3661 home
(503) 449-4540 cell