2015.9.15. Tech Talks at Simple

There're many tech events in Portland for its size. This Tuesday, I went to 2 talks about how to keep your customers engaged via social network, presented by two Simple employees at their office. Simple is an online-only banking company: an interesting concept. They seem to do very well with this business model. They were acquired by BBVA last year.

This event, they've provided a lot of food this evening. Simple also lends space to other meetings, which food is not available.

2015.9.12-13. Hannegan Pass and beyond

9/12, Saturday. Departed from Seattle at 9:30am under cloudy sky. After a regular stop at Glacier ranger station, arrived at Hannegan Pass TH (~3100') at 12:30 under full sun, no cloud at all. Lots of cars parked along the gravel road. Pretty hot, maybe 80°F. The trail to Hannegan Pass starts leveled, within 5 minutes you are out in the sun, for most of the time, great view to the south (right) of the Nooksack Range, and the Ruth Creek below, and thin waterfalls draping between. Elevation starts to pick up after an hour, and autumn colors became more vivid. Around 2:30pm (mile 4, 5066'), we arrived at the pass. Along the way, met many day hikers, backpackers, a ranger walking with 4 horses and a couple riding 4 horses. Hannegan Camp just below the pass has a board walk, privy and a creek (needs filter). Saw more tents further on the slope with better view.

Hannegan Pass (~5100'), as a destination, is a bit anticlimactic, given the nice view along the trail getting here. But it's an excellent starting point of adventures. At the pass, we headed up south on a trail to a knoll for lunch, hoping for better views. Instead, found a small (stale) pond, and some camp sites below on grass, rimmed with red huckleberry bushes (not a single berry left). Great view of Ruth Mt and a piece of the menacing back of Mt Shucksan. So, pitched the tent, washed, packed a day pack, started out again at ~3:45pm.

The trail towards Copper Ridge continues east, zigzags down (-700') 1 mile from the pass to Chilliwack River valley, a nice rushing rocky creek - you want to fill water here for the next 4 miles. Here you also enter North Cascade National Park and Stephen Mather Wilderness, the Boundary Camp, with established privy and a big iron bear box. Saw 3 grouses. Lots of fireweed, their flurry heads shine in the sun and floats in the air upon a breeze. Great color. Here, the trail splits. The northern one (left) goes to Copper Ridge; the south one (straight) goes along Chilliwack River for 7 miles to junction of Brush Creek Trail, and another 5.4 miles will lead to Whatcom Pass. Yes, a lot to explore (wading water may be needed, there is a cable car over the Chilliwack River north of US Cabin Camp--gloves recommended). Then, you are in the woods for awhile, gaining back the elevation. Pickett Range soon appeared in the horizon. At 5:30, snacked on a knoll, great view to all sides. From there, it's high country ridge, rolling hills now painted red. Lots of heather (earlier in the season, this should be a flower garden). 3.2 miles from the junction is the fabulous Camp Silesia, with grand view to Challenger Glacier and the sharp granite peaks of Pickett Range. No water, but who wouldn't camp here instead of Egg Lake, 0.4 miles down. (Probably need to get to Glacier ranger station at 8am to snatch a camping permit for this site.) I had to walk quite a ways to north to get a glimpse of the small lake. We turned back here at 6:30pm. (If continue on Copper Ridge, 3.2 miles will reach Copper Lake, half way is a lookout tower. Another 7.5 miles will connect to the lower Chilliwack Trail.)

Sunset over the southern ridge, now to our left, is quite pretty. We returned to our tent after 9pm, in darkness. Stars were brilliant at 10pm.

9/13 Sunday. No sunrise. Too many thick clouds.
Head up to Ruth Mountain. The beginning, 5 minutes above our tent site, is straight up: see the yellow-marked route in this photo. Using roots as ladder, hands required at times. The grade eases right after. The well established trail curves around a knoll of ~5930' (which we hiked up to on the way back) to a lovely wide ridge (with some camping remnants). Excellent views all sides. Colorful mountain ash and huckleberry leaves decorated the slopes. Saw a group of 6 slowly descending the glacier. Alas, my bad, didn't bring crampons. Have to come again. I should be able to climb this with traction device.

Back at camp. Lunch. Packing. Back down to Hannegan Pass. Hannegan Peak is a must. 1 mile and 1000' up to the crest. There's a puddle (the only water) and a few camping options. Summit is rather flat (6187'), and there will be my future camp site! (Have to haul water up here). Absolutely fabulous 360° views. You can see Canada! All the way along the trail, autumn colors were amazing.

9/14 Monday. 6:45am bus from Seattle downtown International District to Portland. Rare to see China Town this quiet and pretty. This weekend, my phone recorded 41885 steps on Saturday, and 32885 steps on Sunday. I estimated it to be 16 miles + 12 miles, about 3000' elevation gain each day.

2015.9.8. Jonathan Franzen at Powell's

9/8 Tuesday. Jonathan Franzen reads his new novel Purity at Powell's bookstore at Cedar Hills Crossing. Good Q&A session.

This week, a few more well known authors: Ursula Le Guin talked on writing craft on Thursday 9/10 at the original store downtown. It was not big enough, that I was banned from going to the 3rd floor where the book reading took place, because the capacity had reached. She didn't read, not an interesting event, maybe because I couldn't concentrate being on a different floor.

Salman Rushdie came on Sunday 9/13 for his fairy tale Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights . I didn't go. Probably would be terribly crowded.

2015.9.5-7. City walks in greater Vancouver

Labor Day long weekend: visiting my family in Vancouver area.

Friday. This is the pizza my nephew made from flour and water: my dinner.

Saturday. Coquitlam Crunch: a hiking trail under power line. Not steep at all, but it does go up. Wide, quite a few people. There's a community garden near the trailhead. We took a different route coming down with a mix of streets and trails. A good and short workout without needing a car.

Sunday. Burnaby Mountain Park. Big parking lot. A restaurant, public WC, totem pole ensemble titled "Playground of the Gods", a rose garden, many lawns and picnic tables. Good view of Burrard Inlet, and all the way to downtown highrises. A few easy walkways, one of two of them link to Simon Fraser University. Should come here for sunset.

2015.9.3. Oregon Symphony at waterfront

Again on the Thursday before Labor Day weekend, Oregon Symphony, as well a few local music groups celebrated the end of summer at Waterfront Concert, together with Coast Guard (and their canons). Here's a link to my last year's blog. This time, I'm copying the program here, it resembles a lot like last year's.

The Star Spangled Banner    — John Stafford Smith (arr. Norman Leyden) 
  Mars from The Planets       — Gustav Holst 
  Scherzo from Symphony No. 6 in D major — Antonin Dvorak
  Act I finale from L'Italiana in Algeri — Gioachino Rossini (with Portland Opera)
  "The Moldau" from Má vlast  &mdash Bedrich Smetana
  Intermezzo from Carmen: Suite No. 1 — Georges Bizet 
  Overture to La forza del destino    — Giuseppe Verdi (with Metropolitan Youth Symphony)
Hooray for Hollywood        — John Herndon Mercer (arr. John Williams)
  Bedroom Scene from Romeo and Juliet — Sergei Prokofiev  (with Oregon Ballet Theatre)
  Presto from Symphony No. 28 in C major, K. 189k — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  Colonel Bogey March         — Kenneth Alford
  1812, Overture solonelle    — Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (with Portland Youth Philharmonic + Coast Guard)

Audience includes 1 crying baby and many talkative adults. I still very much enjoyed the concert. I especially like the opera 6-tet. 1812 of course, with the real canon. A quarter rainbow to start. A fireworks to finish. Similar to last year: thin and lasted for a good 15 minutes.