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!!