Memorial Day Weekend In the Mountains

A beautiful day in the Columbia Gorge and the northern Oregon Cascades. Here, Tom and Kirby pay honor to a pioneer woman who died in the 1840s at the top of the cold Oregon mountains. We placed a rhododendron bloom at the top of her grave, a measure of respect for someone who, with her young family, ventured it all for the promise of a new life in a garden state. She never made it, but she died trying. It was interesting looking at the stone pile marking her place, and all of the mementos people have left there in her honor: flowers, plastic animals, coins, sea shells, incense, sticks fashioned like peace signs, candles...and a rhododendron on top. Pretty cool.

We all loved the day in the mountains, but especially Kirby. He swam and got high centered on a rock in the swift East Fork of the Hood River, he hiked to the Cooper Spur ski area, he swam in the Columbia River, he mosied around the cemetery in Hood River while Tom put flowers on her dad's grave. Today was Kirby's Great Adventure, and we were just along for the ride. 

This is my favorite annual road trip through the most beautiful part of the most beautiful state in America.