July 31, 2006 by annie.

the chicks finally have our photo galleries up. check out pics from each of our hikes. we’ll be adding more along the way.

Chick Adventure Photo Gallery Index

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July 27, 2006 by annie.

date hiked: july 27, 2006
distance (planned): 3.4 miles
distance (actual): 4 miles
elevation: unknown
time: approx. 2 hours

today’s hike was actually two separate hikes within about 15 miles apart. it was also a solo chick hike. kelli was unable to make it this week…so annie was on her own. annie’s son was up for the adventure though so we picked an easy trail and headed out. panther creek falls is a stunning waterfall that you don’t even really hike to. the trail is only about 100 yards. yet, it seems it is not well-traveled and we had the place all to ourselves.

the second waterfall we hiked to was falls creek falls. supposedly, when you arrive at the falls the temperature is ten degrees cooler because of the mist from the falls. it certainly seemed like it to me. honestly, the highlight of this hike wasn’t the waterfall at all. as we were hiking a man approached me and said his hiking buddy was further up the trail and collapsed from diabetic shock. he was hoping i had some type of food that would help. because tyler was with me i had made two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (which i would not have made for myself). i gave him a sandwich, a protein bar, some cookies, and a water and he ran off up the trail. by the time we caught up with them on the trail, his friend was recovering well (a little bruised up from the fall). tyler and i both felt glad that we were there…it sounds cheesy but we were really honored to have been able to help. anyway, we made it to the falls, sat, had lunch, and took in the beauty.

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July 25, 2006 by annie.

the chicks are taking it on the road! we will be leaving in one week to head through the southwestern states. we’ll be hiking and camping along the way.

• our current stops include: sacramento, ca; carson city, nv; grand canyon, az; page, az/navajo reservation; sedona, az; phoenix, az; carlsbad, nm; santa fe, nm; salt lake city, ut.
• our current hikes include: grand canyon, az; antelope canyon, az; red rock state park, az; humphrey’s peak, az; chiricahua national monument, az; carlsbad cavern, nm; and more to be added.
• our capital city visits: sacramento, ca (with a visit to “old sac“); carson city, nv; phoenix, az; santa fe, nm; and salt lake city, ut

so…we’ll be writing it all down and blog it to you when we get back mid-august.

a special thanks to my (annie’s) friends at eurotrek.net for offering suggestions and helping with route planning and ideas….especially v and snakes. i appreciate all of your help. if you want travel information and guidance go to eurotrek!

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July 20, 2006 by annie.

date hiked: july 18, 2006
distance (planned): 6.2 miles
distance (actual) 6.56 miles
highest elevation: 6525 feet
elevation gain: 1800 feet
time: 3 hours 23 minutes

we have been fortunate enough to hike to some awe-inspiring views and this was yet another one. the hike from the trailhead to the lookout mountain summit is only 1.2 miles and an elevation gain of 600 feet. at the summit, you can see (on a clear day) nine peaks in the cascade mountain range from the three sisters to mt. rainier. we were able to see all nine. it was an amazing view. you can also see the columbia river plateau and the badger creek wilderness. after the summit, we descended an alpine ridgecrest heading to oval lake.

we had to hike through some snow drifts…and annie was having some anxiety and flashbacks of zig zag mountain. kelli was kindly offer soothing words of support. we hiked down to oval  lake…which was nice, but inundated with bugs. we had lunch and hiked back. we would recommend this hike to anyone wanting a spectacular view…just make sure you go on a clear day. also, the trail to oval lake can be rather steep at times…but we’d think it’s worth it.

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July 16, 2006 by annie.

date hiked: july 13, 2006
distance (planned): 6.8 miles
distance (actual): 8.04 miles
highest elevation: @ 6100 feet
elevation gain: @ 1500 feet
time: 4 hours 5 minutes

well, what can we say about this hike. was it a success or a failure? technically, we never made it to mcneil point and we’re still trying to figure out where the damn trail is that would take us there. quite a few things about this hike were challenging. the trailhead was difficult to find so we had to turn around several times. on the hike, there is a huge field of rocks/boulders to climb. annie was having flashbacks of ape caves. however, this hike had awesome views of mt. hood.

we also had to cross a large creek. (of course annie insists it was a river) we had to take off our hiking boots and socks to cross. the water was so cold because it is the snow run off from the mountain. eventually, we were almost at the base of the glaciers and had no where to go, so we had to turn around. we took kelli to the urgent care center, it turns out, she had a sinus infection. (no annie didn’t push her into the river.) so eventually, there will be an attempt #3.

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July 12, 2006 by annie.

well, we attempted to hike up to mcneil point this morning. we made it across the 205 bridge in the car. it was pouring down rain. somehow we thought if we left our homes to go hiking, the weather gods would cooperate. also, according to weather underground there was a 30% chance of slight showers…we thought our chances were good. yeah right…obviously we don’t read our own blog.

so as we were contemplating turning around, in the downpour, we thought for a moment how funny hiking up a mountain in the rain would be. then we realized, it would be funny…just not that fun…and if we’re going to hike up a mountain, we want to see something at the top. not clouds. so we’ll try again tomorrow.

incidentally, instead of the hike we went to annie’s apartment and had a nostalgic viewing of ice castles and watcher in the woods. isn’t that the best!?!?

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July 6, 2006 by annie.

we’ve mentioned our disclaimer before but it is no longer our tagline (please don’t get the impression that we’ve improved). so…for future reference:

Disclaimer: Serious injury or death was not (and still isn’t) a result during the making of this blog. It should be noted; that we are not experts in any field related to hiking and, in fact, are somewhat insane. Please take proper precautions when enjoying the outdoors.

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July 5, 2006 by annie.

date hiked: july 5, 2006
distance (planned): 8.7 miles
distance (actual): 9.4 miles
time: 3.75 hours

today, we opted for an easy hike. silver falls state park is at the lower elevations of the oregon cascade mountains. our fearless leader, kelli, made the call for today’s hike and it was divine! the weather was overcast, with temperatures in the mid to hi 60’s. perfect for an easy hike that is normally full of people. for much of the trail, we had the place to ourselves. there are no antics to report…just amazing displays of waterfalls and nature. we ventured by ten waterfalls and stopped in several spots to take it all in.

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July 5, 2006 by annie.

date hiked: may 27, 2006
distance (planned): 6.8 miles
distance (actual): 7.2 miles
highest elevation: 2948 feet
elevation gain: 2828 feet
time: 5.5 hours

have we told you that we’ve developed a new 12-step program? yes, it’s for annie…12 steps up a mountain, then rest for a minute…12 steps up, rest…you get the idea.

actually, this was our first hike (sorry things have not been in order…after this, they will be). dog mountain is one of kelli’s favorite hikes. it offers slopes covered in wildflowers. it is quite extraordinary. it is a trail with frequent traffic, especially on a sunny day. not that this was a sunny day. kelli’s halo has not earned her the privilege of controlling the weather (and for the record, she doesn’t have a good track record on dog mountain…her sister will back me up). truthfully, the weather was not too bad until we reached the top, at which point it rained and the wind began. there’s more proof that kelli is trying to kill me (annie). take annie up a mountain, on a 12-step program, and bring in the hurricane force winds. worst part is…trail runners run up and down dog mountain. of course, they fly past and annie wants to offer them a psychiatrist’s phone number. who runs up a mountain? and you thought we were crazy?

we don’t have pictures from our dog mountain hike but Adam Schneider has an awesome collection of pictures.

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July 4, 2006 by annie.

date hiked: june 3, 2006
distance (planned): 11.4 miles
distance (actual):
highest elevation: 5000 feet
elevation gain: 2400 feet
time: 10 hours

have we told you where we are from…originally? who cares, you wonder? you would be surprised how significant these simple facts are when hiking. kelli grew up in central oregon, where it snows. annie grew up in south florida, where it never even gets cold (but there is a csi miami so we’re even).

so east zig zag mountain was supposed to take us by burnt lake, to a lookout, and offer spectacular views of mount hood. no where did anyone mention snow. whoever heard of snow on mountaintops? (floridians…help me out here.)

picture this… (and since we really don’t have pictures, you really have to try hard) we are happily strolling along, up the trail, singing out loud and there is a creek to cross. for the official record, annie insists that it was a small river. for some strange reason annie decides to get a wild hair up her you-know-where and become “the fearless leader”. for those of you that have been keeping up…kelli is and should always be “the fearless leader”. so annie attempts to cross the small river first and lands in it. oh…and in case we are not being clear…she did not land on her feet. kelli on the other hand walks on (across) the freakin’ water without a drop on her. that halo/karma thing really works against annie sometimes. point is, being soaked from the thighs down should have been a sign! (annie would like to interject that it is possible that kelli pushed her into the river.)

back on the trail, heading up the mountain, we start to see patches of snow. sane people acknowledge that snow is not conducive to hiking without snowshoes. sane people also recognize that floridians + snow = fema. as we hike up…snow patches become snow drifts which become a hip-deep, snow-covered mountaintop! (atleast if you measure using annie’s hip.) the trail disappeared under the snow, annie fell and slid numerous times (we stopped counting when it reached the double digits), and even kelli went down once. by the way, trees stop you when you crash into them.

today’s poll:
do you think we turned around?
1. yes, of course, because we always err on the side of caution
2. no, we are suffering from an undiagnosed mental illness (actually…annie is diagnosed)

well, eventually, we had to turn around. you cannot loop without a trail. but this was the day we decided that the fact that we are both extremely stubborn means there is no voice of reason telling us to pack it in. (and despite the halo, kelli does not hear the booming voice from god offering directives.) we made it back to the car just as the sun was setting. fortunately for us, that insanity thing means we were cracking ourselves up the whole time.

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