Willamette Valley Snowstorm [Corvallis, Oregon]

Jackson-Frazier Wetland [Corvallis, Oregon]

Hundreds of years ago, the majority of what is now Northeast Corvallis was wet prairie wetlands fed by coastal mountain streams. As urban development and agriculture grew in the Willamette Valley, local ecosystems like the wet prairies were changed with shifting land use demand. What remains of this sacred ecosystem can be found in 144 acres of restored wetlands on the north edge of Corvallis in the Jackson-Frazier Wetlands, where Jackson and Frazier creeks meet to saturate the soil, creating an ecosystem whose primary benefit is to purify flowing water and control flooding. Snow showers and cold frosts are also rarities in the valley, but greeted me one morning when I decided to go for a walk around the wetlands. The frozen boardwalk and trees dusted with snow was the best way to wake up, better than any cup of coffee, as the crisp air filled my lungs. Evidence of beaver was abundant as the boardwalk passed downed trees and the beginnings of a beaver dam across the creek. The Jackson-Frazier boardwalk trail is a short, 0.8 mile loop interpretive trail that is a popular place for neighborhood runners. Being ADA accessible with interpretive signs sharing information on the wetlands' 300 flowering plants and abundant migratory bird species makes this trail attractive to a more diverse group of community members including educational groups and the disabled. In fact, this trail is perfect for almost anyone to come clear their head and take a walk in the woods. The Jackson-Frazier wetlands are managed by Benton County and open year-round, allowing visitors to experience the vivacity this land shares as each season comes and goes.

For more information:

http://www.co.benton.or.us/parks/facilities/jackson_detail.php

January Trip to San Francisco

Photo of the Month: Mt Hood, Oregon

Swift Ski Trail, Mount St Helen's National Volcanic Monument, WA

Taking advantage of a long 3-day weekend, what else is there to do but embark with some good friends, good food and a bottle of champagne on an epic snowshoe journey to Mount St Helen's!? Ok, I know I call every trip I venture into "epic," and maybe this time I am exaggerating a bit. New, exciting and challenging are better adjectives for our hike this weekend because, as we all came to find out, snowshoeing is a shit hell of a lot harder to do than normal hiking. Perhaps in place of epic, "adventurous," "monumental," "Herculean," or "very long" may suffice. Yes, I do believe this trail was "very long."

Our hike started at Marble Mountain sno-park at the end of Forest Road 83 in Mount St Helen's National Volcanic Monument. Marble Mountain sno-park is a good place for winter camping as it has composting pit toilets and a sno-shelter stocked with wood and a wood stove. Sno-park permits are required and can be purchased at the Cougar Store in Cougar, WA and other retailers in the area for $21 for a single day pass, or $41 for a season pass. Our plan was to hike the Pine Martin ski trail #245E to the June Lake ski trail #216B, arriving at a frozen June Lake.

The Pine Martin ski trail #245E begins from the edge of the Marble Mountain parking lot and is an easy hike with steady up and down terrain accomplished by any beginning snowshoer. It is rated at a "moderate" difficulty. At 1.8 miles long, we only intended to hike the first mile of the trail to the junction of the June Lake ski trail, but about 1/2 mile in, a wide and shallow stream crosses the trail, and having inadequate boots to handle even a small stream crossing, we swung a left onto the #244 Swift ski trail.

The Swift Ski Trail #244, also rated at a "moderate" difficulty, was a challenge for all three of us on the trail, even with our relatively good physical fitness level. The trail is 2.2 miles to the junction of the June Lake ski trail, and is uphill the entire way. It is a relatively constant grade, but taxing non-the-less for anyone even little out of shape. It took a good part of 3 hours to make it to the junction of the June Lake trail, but was a nice workout weaving through doug-fir, western hemlock and pacific silver-fir forests.

We attempted the top half of the June Lake ski trail, but about 1/4 mile down a very steep hill we decided to give up and turn around back down the mountain. Did I mention it rained heavily the whole weekend? I still recommend snowshoeing as an activity everyone should try once. I loved it, both of my friends hated it. To get to Marble Mountain sno-park from the highway, take Interstate 5 east to State Route 503 to Forest Roads 90, 83, 8312 junction.

Summary:

Mount St. Helen's National Volcanic Monument, Marble Mountain Sno-park

Pine Martin ski trail #245E, "moderate" difficulty rating with varied terrain

Swift Ski Trail #244, "moderate" difficulty rating with uphill terrain

June Lake ski Trail #216B, "difficult" difficulty rating with uphill terrain

For more information:

http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/winter/

Dedication to the year

Oakland, California: Urban Forest

Wednesday November 24: After months departure, the rhythmic sway and screeching wheels carry me across the urban forest as I shrink slightly in my clothes from the stench of urine. Vacant lots of West Oakland streak by as we speed toward the city.

Thursday November 25: Ten strangers gather in ritual as a downtown studio apartment fills with the aroma of holiday feast. Hours later we realized it was the best thanksgiving we've ever had. SpermAfroKite. One word, Three syllables.

Friday November 26: City thrifting yields a backpack full of cassette tapes as I stalk extravagance and fail. My soul fills with musics of the open mic and I feel home again.

Saturday November 27: Last night Shareef the cowboy from St. Louis, Missouri drove us home to Oakland in a magical motor car with sparkling lights of the bay gleaming in my eyes and 45 minutes of bliss engulfed us whole. Its time to collage.

Text Message Poem:

The ice on the road divides foreseen destinations.

Defrosted comfort.

Any place could take us.

You are.

I am.

We are in company in any stretch of land.

By Jesse Meade

news paper poetry:

Join us on Thanksgiving for roasted goose and gluewien.

I'm a 23-year old female college student whose life consists of going to class and going to the gym.
Nature requires nurture.
You bike to work and your bag is not plastic.
Talk with sexy local singles.
FREE COUNSELING.
Sex advise the easy way.
Closed for Thanksgiving.
In celebration of Thanksgiving.
Bay area habitat has disappeared since the gold rush?
So speak up.
Voices of light.
We can help!

By Jesse Swansburg Meade and Andrew Michael DelGreco

Cafe International Open Mic Found Poem:

Sipple died from pneumonia at the age of 47 on February 2, 1989.

If you live in California and you watch a lot of sports on television...

Getting rid of it is the priority.

Robert Joseph Carr, 60, died peacefully October 24, 2010.

Holidays are coming.

I grew up in Ohio rooting for the big red machine.

Peron said there was no pornography on his computer and he never saw the pornographic material in question.

"I think I run the Cathedral," she said, "I have oversight of everything that goes on here."

Need to retrieve market trends in South Beach?

By David Alexander Navarro Jr, Jesse Swansburg Meade, Andrew Michael DelGreco

I'm Oregon-bound.