2013.3.31. Table Mountain

3/31. Sunday. Sunny with thin clouds, warm (~76°), plenty of breeze. Table Mountain, broken heart route loop, ~8 miles, ~3350' gain. Started hiking ~9:30. Started the heart break up slope at 11. ~25 minute of steep 0.6 mile tread. Rest and gathered up in the saddle before scramble up a big rock slide (big rock, mostly stable). Reached summit and PCT sign shortly before 1pm, in a comfortable pace. More slushy snow. St. Helens, Rainier, Adams to the north. The ridge is grassy, plenty space to soak in the view to the south: Hood, and a little bit of Jefferson, Columbia River, Cascade Locks down below. Lunch time. Avinash produced a bottle of wine, 8 plastic cups, and a wedge of Parmiggiano cheese. This is to celebrate Barbara's first as a hike leader. I also appreciate this group who's not in a hurry. We lingered for ~1 hour here.

This hike is not for fear of height: cliff drop right next to trail. Took a different route down. Snow obscured trails. So a bit bush whacking. Then came a steep section of loose small rocks, which I don't like. View is still great until we get into trees and better trail.

8 people. 4 CPR certified hike leaders. Both Todd and Robert hiked this route before. The start of trail (faint) can be easily missed if not for their experience. Barbara claimed that she spent 3 hours looking for the trail a week ago. Also we avoided logging roads and power lines. Encountered ~a dozen other hikers.

Trillium, skunk cabbage are blooming. Bugs are out.

Direction: Left off Hwy 14 at mp 38.5 onto on Hot Springs Way. Right at the stop sign onto East Cascade Drive for .5 miles to Bonneville Hot Springs Resort. Park in the left lot.

Stopped at Walking Man Brewing for beer and meal. The only drink is beer and tea (no cream). Good for them! 10 varieties of home brewed beer on tap. Possible to order all 10 as in a tasting flight. I liked my Walking Man IPA ($4.5). The alcohol level ranges from 5% to 12%. Okay food, but limited options and somewhat pricy. 2 sandwiches, 1 burger, 2 salad, ~5 pizzas. My Steelhead sandwich is $9.5. Fish is good, bun is lousy, a dash of salad, chips out of some bag. Outdoor seating (no view).

2013.3.30. Sing-along with Pink Martini

A gloriously sunny and warm Saturday (maybe 76°F?). Pink Martini and friends lead a Sing-Along at Pioneer Square of Portland downtown. 3-5pm. Thomas Lauderdale on piano, China Forbe announcing. Former governor Barbara Roberts was also singing on stage. A surprising participant is Von Trapp family, great grand children of Captain Von Trapp of Sound of Music.

Towards the end, after those little children left the stage, the lead singers - China Forbe and Storm Large did some more interesting vocal arrangements.

Cherry blossom by the river is about a couple of days past their prime. Still quite lovely. Saturday market, and pub row on SW Ankeny st. Lots of people. Quite convivial.

2013.3.29. NW Dance' Spring Performance

Friday. Northwest Dance Project performed at Newmark Theatre.

Chi – Wen Wei Wang
Love – Sarah Slipper
World Premiere – Patrick Delcroix 

Young and muscular dancers: 5 slender yet strong girls, and 3 boys. Lots of force and big movement. The dancers were drenched in sweat after each number. I'm not sure that I like this kind of dance. Often not too graceful. Good choice of music, but the sound quality is poor here. Sarah Slipper (artistic director) and Scott Lewis (executive director) talked and thanked everyone at the beginning of the show. Sarah's vocabulary is limited to "amazing", "wonderful". A pity for a creative choreographer.

2013.3.26. The Gin Game

3/26. Tuesday. First preview of The Gin Game (1976) by Donald L. Coburn at Artists Repertory Theatre. Two septuagenarians met on the porch of a nursing home, and struck up a friendship by playing a game of gin. Both have no other friends, nor visitors. The woman is always winning, the man toggles between paranoia/anger and caring (seems too exteme and too quick). Discussion about the fellow inmates and their former lives turns into a game of probing and winning (a bit too quickly here too). Maybe 90 minutes is not enough to more realistically portrait the mental transition.

Very good acting: Allen Nause as Weller, Vana O'Brien as Fonsia. Vana is especially good making herself look old. Stage is good, but could use more plants and lighting scheme. If they didn't mention it in the dialog, I wouldn't be able to tell that it's a sundeck. Small intimate theatre of 180 degree. The lobby is spacious, modern, comfortable and pleasant, with art works on the wall for sale. The red building looks like a warehouse from outside.

2013.3.24. Swale Canyon in search of buttercup

2013/3/24. Sunday, Cloudy.
Lead by Don Hardin of the Native Plant Society of Oregon and a couple from Klickitat Conservative and Friends of the Gorge, about 25 people walked along a small creek, to look for the rare Dalles Mountain Buttercup. We saw maybe 3, only one close enough to take a photo. It's just like any other buttercup.

Our hike starts from Harms Road Trailhead, ~10 miles NE of Lyle, WA, on Centerville Hwy. Elevation 1570'. Trail is flat, small rocks, mostly dry. Most of group is at least 20 years my senior, and knowledgeable of flowers and the area. Slow walk, so I had enough time to take close-up photos of flowers and ask questions. Not too many flowers to speak of now, but a good variety. Maybe 2 weeks later would be better. ~2 miles into the trail, the canyon looks more like a canyon. Lots of pungent desert parsley and the endemic Columbia desert parsley dot the dry slope on both ends. Others are: midget phlox, prairie star, gold star, yellow bell (taste good with a hint of sweetness), salt and pepper, whitlow grass (invasive?). Don, the lead, walked here 3 days before to scout the trail and flowers, when it rained. That, I call responsibility! We were warned about ticks and rattlesnakes. Today, it was a bit chilly, so no chance of snake coming out. But we are in the tick season (I saw one on one of the ladies' pants). At the start of the hike, Don passed his tick repellent around.

As suggested by Don and some fellow participants, Mary and her friend, whom I carpooled with, agreed to make a detour to Catherine Creek to see carpets of Grass Widows. But we were ~2 weeks late. There're still quite a lot left, but no carpet to speak of. This is a prime spot for flowers in the area. From March to June, different waves of flowers grace the slope and along the tiny creek. There's even a paved path for wheelchair south of the road. View of the Gorge is also superb (too cloudy Today to see Mt. Hood). Without any information, we headed on the West Loop, but did a out and back, got higher for better view. We saw some early blue eyed Mary, shooting star, chickweed monkey flower, death camas. Will have to come back here again for different trails and flowers.

Direction: Hwy 14 in WA, ~4.5 miles east of Hood River - White Salmon Bridge, or ~3.5 miles west of Lyle, on Old Highway 8.

2013.3.23. Oregon Symphony

• Jun Märkl, conductor
• Kirill Gerstein, piano

• Liszt: Prometheus
• Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 1
• Dvořák: Symphony No. 8 ("English")

Märkl is very energetic. Big body movements, prefers contrast in amplitude. He talked at the beginning of each half. Humorous. Nice for layman like me. Still, I prefer music only, leaving the explanation to the concert notes where audience can read at his/her own's pace. Or like what Seattle Symphony does, a free 30 minutes lecture one hour before curtain, or market the concert with a "speaking" label.

A pleasant surprise for an encore performance. Gerstein accompanied Storm Large to sing Summer Time. Deep voice, slow and magnetic arrangement.

Arlene Schnitzer Hall is such an ornate and beautiful theater, its plain stage seems out of place. It's also on the small side: the stage barely fits the orchestra, the lobby is jam packed during intermission. Photos are not allowed inside the hall, only in the lobby.

2013.3.23. The Whipping Man @ Portland Center Stage

2013/3/23. A beautiful sunny Saturday. The Whipping Man is a drama about freedom, history, family. It's surprising that Matthew Lopez, a Florida gay man in his 20s, the son of a Puerto Rican father and a Polish-Russian mother, wrote this new compelling play about a Jewish Confederate soldier and two former slaves raised as Jews who, in the charred wreck of a Virginia home after the Civil War, celebrate Passover together.

Excellent stage set by Tony Cisek. Powerful performance by the 3 actors. Gavin Gregory as Simon, speaks a bit too fast, but he sings very well. Carter Hudson as Caleb was so realistic playing someone with an injured leg. Christopher Livingston as John, is equally good. I shall be coming back for more of their performances.

Gerding theatre at the 1891 Armory is a wonderful place, combining old and new tastefully. On this sunny afternoon, the lobby is airy and full of light. The award winning rehabilitation of the Romanesque Revival building by GBD Architects achieved a LEED platium status.

Tip: Portland Center Stage offers $20 rush ticket to all performances.

2013/3/16-18. Visit uncle in New York

3/16 Saturday. We arrived tired at La Guardia ~11am. Had lunch with my uncle, aunt, and one cousin, within walking distance from where we stayed. But they insisted on driving. Might as well. The snow was getting heavier. After a nap, time for dinner. A different restaurant with the whole family in the same neighborhood. Chinese food cannot be more convenient, except for in China. I took off earlier for Manhattan.

8 pm, Avery Fischer Hall, Bach's Mass in B minor.

Alan Gibert, conductor 
Dorothea Roschmann, soprano
Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo soprano
Steve Davislim, tenor
Eric Owens, bass baritone
New York Choral Artists

The choir is quite impressive. Bach made fugue like arrangements for the voices. Must be difficult to coordinate. I don't quite care for the solo, nor the instrumental part. Mostly strings, sound old and lack of color. I dozed off a couple of times. Gilbert conducted with big motion. Seems common these days: conductors want the audience to see them?

Avery Fisher Hall is one of the 3 lofty glassy modern buildings in Lincoln Center. At night, lights dancing off the fountain in the central plaza. By now, the snow has stopped. All these well dressed people pouring out of all 3 buildings, chattering in the air, bustling Broadway. Very lively. It's hard not to love New York.

3/17 Sunday. Sunny. Chilly. Dad wanted to visit the Metropolitan Museum (now $25 admission!). He goes there every time he's in New York. So, after a late breakfast at a randomly picked hole in the wall on Main Street (excellent soy drink), we headed to town.

Last day of Matisse, a temporary exhibition at the Met. Very nice arrangements, showing quite a few works by their progress. However, we didn't linger long here. Matisse isn't my favorite artist.

Another temporary exhibition Impressionism Fashion is more to my taste.

Sau-Wing Lam 林寿荣 Collection of Rare Italian Stringed Instruments lead me to Met's large (5000+ pieces) musical instrument collection. vielle à roue, cecilium, melophone, sita, sarinda, mayuri, vina, tar ... Some look really bizarre. Too bad that you can not hear their sound. In this photo, Lam's daughter is posing in front of some Guarneri's Baltic and Stradivari's Bavarian and Scotland University. Met also planned two concerts in April and May using these violins and lectures about violin making and collecting.

The temple of Dendur area, the Tiffany courtyard are two of my favorite areas to rest between galleries. The 700 year old Buddha of Medicine wall painting is quite impressive. The works by Florine Stettheimer is funny. Lots of tourists today. I didn't see any St Patrick's Day parade. Maybe was yesterday?

Another big dinner, this time with uncle's family and some relative of my aunt's. Afterwards, aunt took me to a big grocery store, and I bought some Chinese veggie and dry food.

3/18 cloudy - snow. Breakfast at the same hole in the wall. I bought some more junk: a pair of slippers for $3, 2 pairs of sunglasses for $2/each. Time for food again. Lunch with a former colleague of dad's and his wife. They have reached 80 already, just came back from a trip to SE Asia. Good to see them both healthy and happy.

2013.3.9. Multnomah - Devil's Rest loop

March 9th. A beautiful sunny Saturday. 8 of us + a dog hiked Multnomah-Wahkeena loop with a spur to Devil's Rest. ~6 miles total, 2000' elevation gain.

Direction: I84 exit 31. Big parking lot. Walk under hwy to Multnomah Falls lodge - a historical hotel. There's also a visitor center and a big public restroom. 6 of us stopped at McMenamin for drinks afterwards, where I tried a Ruby (doesn't taste like beer at all). I preferred not have stopped. However, without a car, I'm at the mercy of my driver. Rebecca and Semeer from Intel took me back.

Zigzag up and down steep slopes. Going anti-clockwise. Wahkeena Falls at 0.6 mile, Lemmon's Viewpoint (overlooking Columbia River) at 1 mile, Fairy Falls at 1.3 miles, Wahkeena Spring at 1.7, Junction to Devil's Rest trail at ~2 mile. Too bad that we stopped at a flat spot for lunch and didn't find a good view here. Along the way there were glimpse of Silver Star through trees.
Coming down along Multnomah Creek is very scenic, especially between Ecola Falls and Weisendanger Falls, ~1.5 miles from the lodge. Lots of small cascades, mossy rocks, overhang rock. Then you hit the asphalt and crowd.
The lower half of this loop is paved, with hordes of people, some in flip flops. Serious traffic jam around Benson Bridge. Should be better on a weekday. But still worth the trip. A very good and short workout so close to the city.

2013.3.3. Eagle Creek to Twisted Falls

Sunday, more or less sunny with brief rain and hail. Eagle Creek trail. ~13 miles out and back (14 from the Fishery parking lot, 10 min before the trail head), unnoticeable elevation gain (~1300'). Lushly green and mossy, numerous waterfalls, steep narrow canyon, green rushing creek. Some times narrow trail above sheer drop. Beautiful scenery. Perfect for early season: a lot more water. Waterproof boots are essential. Literally, at times water falls on your head. Metlako Falls at ~1.5 miles, Punchbowl Falls at ~2 miles, Loowit Falls at ~3 miles, Skoonichuck Falls at ~4 miles, Wy'East Falls at ~ 5 miles, Tunnel Falls (when walking in the short tunnel, feel the vibration of the rock!) at ~6 miles, and Twisted Falls at ~6.5 miles. Now you are at the water level. Our lunch spot. It hailed for a few minutes. Rarely I enjoyed coming back as much as going in, seeing all these waterfalls again. Encountered maybe 50 people (4 backpackers, 5 runners), less than half made all the way to Twisted Falls. Not too bad for such a popular trail.

Direction: Hwy 84, exit 41 east bound only. To returning to Portland, drive further east to exit 44 and turn around at Cascade Locks (people on PCT cross Columbia River here). We stopped at Char Burger by the river for snacks, good view, quick food. Rebecca kindly offered me a ride home.

2013.3.2. MOMIX

March 2nd, Saturday matinee. White Bird presents Momix with their new show Botanica at Newmark Theatre - a midsize venue of 880 seats (3 steep levels, rectangular). Good choreography for groups, excellent costumes, not too difficult for individual dancers (10 total). Music is by playing recording over loudspeakers, not very good sound. No stage set, using light and projection to create an ambiance. Nice arrangement of programs, from winter to fall. Overall, entertaining for young and old.
Newmark is just one theater in Portland Center for the Performing Arts, which offers free public tours. Blue glass dome airy and light, red velvet seating (narrow) around the atrium overlooking all 3 floors, a funny looking chair in the main lobby is the magnet for kids.

I finally had time to enjoy a weekend since I moved to Oregon. Visited the Portland Art Museum before the show. Not bad. Some classic dated from 1500s and impressionists in the permanent collection. I especially liked the temporary exhibition titled In The Studio. The series The History of Printmaking by Warrington Colescott is a lot of fun. On my way out of the theatre, I saw people dancing to a live band playing at Director's Park. Quite a lively city. Maybe I'll like living here.

Additional note on 3/26. PCPA's box office charges service fees as much as online ticket sale.