My Winter Home

(Charming Chalet)

As luck would have it, a perfect winter home opportunity stumbled across my path. I currently reside in a charming chalet tucked on a hill with a view of Mt. Adams. Chalet you may ask? I wondered the same thing! I basically have my own detached living space from a house but use the bathroom, kitchen & laundry inside. I even enjoy modern conveniences such as wireless internet, an endless supply of DVDs with a comfy coach to watch them on and warm cozy queen sized bed.

(View of half the Chalet)

It also offers other luxuries such as a breathtaking view from the toilet. Yes, as I sit on the toilet I get to watch the sun illuminate the massive snow covered Mt. Adams. But that’s not all this place has to offer.

(Mt. Adams trying to hide behind the evergreens)

There is a whole trail system (which I still have to get figured out) right here too! It’s amazing to have the option to come home and go hiking until my little heart desire.

How far did I go to find a place like this? Not far at all. This charming chalet is located 1.5 miles from my job at Wet Planet Whitewater in Husum, WA. I have the option to commute via bike or Monte Carlo to work.

I am happy to call this my home for the winter months. Heck, there’s even a lama here too! Special thanks to my friend Alexa for traveling to Australia, the Grand Canyon & Europe to make this possible. What a true friend to leave her place allowing this to be my winter home. :)

Thank You 2010 - Bring it on 2011!

2010 was full of many changes for me. I rang in the New Year in New Orleans while on a road trip in the Southeast. After my new found love and appreciation for whitewater kayaking, I ended up going back to the Southeast in April for a kayaking trip. This trip confirmed my need to work in the outdoor industry which led me to applying for a seasonal job at Wet Planet Whitewater Center. After a phone interview and a 2 week notice, I packed my car & moved to the Pacific Northwest. I found myself in whirlwind of changes including a healthier diet, daily kayaking & outdoor living. Yes, I lived in a tent by the river for 6 months. This experience, unfathomable by most, was phenomenal. I spent my nights cooking under the stars, falling asleep to the rushing river below & waking up to the refreshing air of the great outdoors. I’m currently living indoors for the winter months but am looking forward to returning to my tent life in May. My family was also able to visit me in August and get a taste for my new life here.



(Took my siblings to the local hot springs; Horseback riding in the Columbia River Gorge)

My initial intention was to be here only for a summer; little did I know what was in for! I ended up loving the area, the people and my job. What was a seasonal position turned into a full time year-round career. I am working on marketing initiatives and sales for our 2011 season. Wet Planet hosts numerous team building events, family reunions, wedding parties and so much more. Part of my position is to assist in the planning for these groups. People + Whitewater Rafting = Long lasting memories & tons of FUN! What more could you ask for in your job? I feel very fortunate to have found an industry, career & company I love. Heck, I even get to go kayaking & rafting with my bosses!


(Enjoying whitewater kayaking; Training a new guide so my co-workers & boss had to go rafting)

I recently took a trip back to Minnesota for Christmas and enjoyed the company of family & friends. I was even fortunate enough to be there for 12+ inches of snow. Oh now I miss shoveling… not! For those of you I wasn’t able to catch up with, hopefully next time. But, I always enjoy getting emails from back home. :)

(Sunset in the Columbia River Gorge; Winter is here, Husum Falls on the White Salmon River)

In 2011 I plan to officially become a Washington resident & continue my adventure in the Pacific Northwest. I will be going on a few multi-day river trips and hopefully an international trip this fall. I just wanted to say thank you for all of your support in 2010. I do miss the networking groups, community involvement, family & friends in Minnesota. You are always welcome to visit! I currently reside in Husum, Washington which is an hour and 15 minutes from Portland, OR in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. This is an area of pristine beauty, fine wines, full flavored micro-brews, adventurous hikes, crystal clear waterfalls and so much more. I promise, there’s something for everyone. Enjoy the New Year!

A Pleasant Surprise

Since I moved to the Pacific Northwest in the beginning of May I have been trying to make the most out of my days here. I wake up early in the morning to kayak, spend a day working hard at Wet Planet and finish the day with an adventure with friends. On this particular day, I was beyond exhausted and couldn’t image doing anything after work aside from sleeping. Even though a group of my friends were heading to my favorite Hot Springs after work, I decided to go home and sleep on the couch (aka a van seat). It was 9:00pm and I had been sleeping hard for a good hour or more. I was awoken from my sleep by a voice saying, “Lori, get up, it’s time to go to bed. Lori, you should really go to your bed.” I opened my eyes to this voice that sounded unusually familiar to me. There, in my living room, at my home in the woods stood my mom and Lenny. I quickly jumped up from the coach and began to cry. I was so shocked and overwhelmed I didn’t know what to do with myself. All I could say was, “Mom, I can’t believe you’re here” or “how did you find me?” After the initial shock and many tears, I composed myself enough to show them my tent, the office where I work and found them a place for the night.

I went with them on their journey to find this cozy bed & breakfast tucked on the top of a high hill overlooking the White Salmon river valley with an amazing view of Mt. Hood. Still overwhelmed that they were here visiting me, I insisted on staying with them their 1st night.

I was fortunate to get the next day off of work to give them a taste for the area which I now call home. We started our day with a delicious meal at the Husum Highlands Bed & Breakfast. This filling breakfast would be much needed for their day with me J Our first adventure was to hike up 400 feet in elevation to the top of Steamboat Mountain. After a little huffing and puffing on the way to the top, they were able to enjoy a classic view of the area. The peak of this hike reveals 4 snow covered mountains: Mt. Hood, Mt. St Helens, Mt. Rainier & Mt. Adams. I was very grateful to share this amazing view with two people I care so much about. Once we took our photos and enjoyed the view with a gentle breeze, it was time to make our way down for the next adventure, whitewater rafting with Wet Planet!

Yes, for those of you who know my mother well, this adventure may seem unfathomable. For a woman who dislikes being wet, cold and terrified of swimming willing signed up for whitewater rafting on the Wild & Scenic White Salmon river. Lenny didn’t have any time any problems signing up for this adventure too! After getting outfitted we were on our way to get a sneak peak of the grand finale, the legendary Husum Falls. Keep in mind this is one of the largest commercially rafted waterfalls!

After a short drive to the put-in, Lenny & my Mom were about to get a taste of whitewater. From the moment they both sat down on the raft an instant smile came upon their faces. As we made our way through the first rapid, Triple Drop, I heard my mom giggling like never before. This was an uncontrollable happiness followed by spitting out any water she swallowed and finished with a smile. When it came time to jump off a 20’ cliff into the water, they both passed.

Finally, at the end of our journey came the legendary Husum Falls. This waterfall has an established reputation that gives even the most experienced rafters butterflies in their stomach before going over it. In fact, the rapid just before it is named Butterfly just for that reason. Much to my surprise, my mom & Lenny both chose to go over it. Even though I have photos & video to prove this whole excursion took place, still people don’t believe it. The woman who hates being wet, cold & swimming perhaps overcame one of her biggest fears. My mom, Lenny & I all got to share this experience as our first time over Husum Falls. Even though I have lived here for months, I have always walked around it. I am thankful that my first time going over this memorable waterfall was with people that I love so dearly. In the end it was beyond rewarding to show my mom & Lenny the river that I spend most of my days on. Thank you Wet Planet for going above and beyond to make this happen for us.

They weren’t done with their adventures for the day just yet. We made a journey into the little town of White Salmon to try some local micro-brews at Everybody’s. We started with the sampler which included 9 different beers. After the taste testing we each ordered our favorite one. But, we didn’t have much time! We still needed to go back to my home and cook supper. I wanted my mom & Lenny to get a true taste for life out here. We finally finished our supper at 10:30pm and they were off to bed.

I woke up early the next morning to pick some fresh black raspberries & plums to send them on their way. I wasn’t the destination for their road trip, just a stop along the way. Thank you Mom & Lenny for visiting; it was truly a pleasant surprise.

A Gourmet Breakfast

Breakfast (aka brekkie) is probably my favorite meal of the day. Living in the backwoods of Washington, it can be hard to find a good place to go. Unlike Minnesota, there are only a couple places that make breakfast on the Washington side of the Columbia River. So, on my day off, my friend Jen offered to make me one of her signature breakfast dishes at her house. I was in for a real treat!

Jen started with freshly sliced mushrooms, onions and garlic sautéed in extra virgin olive oil. She then added some fresh spinach and let that steam for a short while on top of the other veggies. The next step was to create “nests” in the spinach for the eggs. After all the eggs were in, she covered them in more spinach and allowed them to steam. This steam and moisture from the veggies then poached the eggs to bring them to a delightful finish.

While she was preparing our main course, I sliced some potatoes & onions for hash browns and added some of her fresh ground pepper. Never before have I seen peppercorns crushed in such a fashion. Check out the photo of Jen’s making her own pepper!

All of this was served on a tortilla with freshly grated cheese. This delicious breakfast was served with French pressed tea for a phenomenal combination. This breakfast was so delicious, I tried to recreate it when my family visited. You’ll have to ask them what they thought of this gourmet breakfast…

Morning Adventure

This brief blog is dedicated to Danielle Magnuson! Thanks for reminding me I need to keep this update. I love reading your blog (http://jeffreyanddanielle.blogspot.com) I hope that I too can write like you!

I love going on morning adventures. The sun here is awake far before most of us even think about setting an alarm. This past month or so I have been trying to get up earlier & make the most our of my days here. My favorite thing to do in the early morning is to paddle on the glacier fed waters of the White Salmon river. Sounds exciting... right!??! For those of you less adventurous folks, you can experiment by filling a bath tube with ice cubes & splash around it in the morning. ;)

On this particular morning I went on a different kind of adventure, a little hike. Lindsay was the brave trooper to wake up early & go. We decided to check out Rattlesnake Falls.


It was an easy hike to a deep little canyon. Check it out! This little journey is about 15 minutes from my tent. And... for my mother, I made sure to put some people in the photos ;)

Learning about a whole new kitchen…

From the kitchens of Minnesota to the tent life of the Pacific Northwest, my diet has surely changed. No more milk & cereal for breakfast but instead yogurt & granola (from Trader Joe’s preferably) or oatmeal. The option of running to McDonalds, Burger King or KFC for a quick lunch is no longer an option. I now indulge in leftovers, chicken sausage (which I had never heard of before moving here) or some other simple meal option. Snacks now consist of avocado on toasted whole grain bread, locally made tortilla chips, or Cheerios & Dr. Pepper. I found that I couldn’t give up on my lifelong combination of Cheerios & Dr. Pepper. This will probably always be my favorite snack.

When meals are cooked at camp, items no longer come pre-manufactured or from a can (with the exception of beans). Instead, fresh veggies are chopped and sautéed in extra virgin olive oil & typically served over white or brown rice. I also took part in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) where we get a batch of fruits, veggies & greens delivered every week. This is extremely interesting for me as I haven’t heard of most of the veggies & greens before. At times it feels like a weed in Minnesota is a cherished source of nutrition out here. Recently we had “lambs ear” which is a green that I swear up & down that my mother used to always pick as weeds.

I really had to laugh when we made our first salad. We didn’t have any dressing so, the Midwestern in me, thinks about going to the store to pick some up. Oh no… we make our own here! It really caught me off guard that after adding the extra virgin olive oil, fresh ginger, organic honey & fresh garlic that we were still missing an ingredient. Brian & Nicki made the dressing and, after tasting it, came to the conclusion it was missing rice vinegar. Rice Vinegar? Never before had I heard of rice vinegar! This is just ONE of the many examples of how life in the kitchen has changed. Fresh ginger & garlic are now common “household” items.

One of the funniest moments was when I volunteered to cook family dinner. Every Saturday night someone from Wet Planet offers to cook supper for everyone & Wet Planet buys the groceries. I thought sauerkraut & dumplings or tater-tot hotdish would be perfect for my night of cooking. Ryan called & volunteered to help… perfect! The only catch was instead of making my tater-tot hotdish (which, by the way, no one out here had heard of) we were going to use up some Japanese noodles instead. After searching in Todd & Jaco’s cupboards for 20 minutes looking for these noodles, Nicki came to my rescue & found them in less than 2 minutes. What was going to be a Midwest meal now turned into a huge learning experience for me, Asian cooking. It was off the grocery store with Ryan & Jaco where I would continue my education in foreign cooking. After lots of team work, chopping of fresh veggies & adding a little “zest” (graded parts of lemon, lime & orange peels) another successful family dinner came together.

This little story doesn’t do justice to how many things I’ve learned in the kitchen. I practically learn something new every day and it’s awesome. Before I left Minnesota Jodi, Drew, Emily & I were having a gourmet cooking competition. (Drew & I always have to make things a competition) I’m getting more confident that I will be able to return this winter & make a meal that they won’t forget. The best part is I probably won’t even need a recipe because out here I’m learning about a whole new kitchen...

Curious Gorge...

I have officially been in the State of Washington for two months now and finally starting to expand my horizons. Since I arrived in May, my focus has been on work and paddling as much as possible. I know there are many other things to explore in the Columbia River Gorge aside from the awesome whitewater. So, with a little motivation from a group of friends from Minnesota, I began to explore some of the hikes & waterfalls that I have heard so much about.

Eagle Creek is a well-known hike whose reputation far exceeds the Gorge. As you can see from the photo, it's breathtaking canyon walls are one of the many reasons this hike is so famous. If the mossy green walls aren't enough to lure you onto this hike, perhaps the notorious Punch Bowl Falls will! This is just one of the many waterfalls that you will see if you complete the 6+ mile hike through Eagle Creek.

Another famous waterfall, Falls Creek Falls, got the best of my curiosity as well. This 3 tier, 220+ foot waterfall provided quite the adventure trying to arrive at it. After dropping some friends off to paddle a nearby river, Nora, Chris & I started our journey to explore this phenomenal waterfall.

We started up the trail (supposed to be 2 miles) around 5:30 pm. We thought we would surely beat the crew off the river, little did we know what we were in for! We were all caught up in the tall, mossy tree scenery which followed along the creek. Seeing as we all love whitewater, we were imagining what it would be like if you were able to kayak it. After walking for over an hour, we started to wonder if we took a wrong turn. We turned back to go on another trail we had seen a short while back. After hiking an intense trail up the side of a mountain we were wondering if we would actually reach our destination. Just when we were about to give up, Chris wandered off to find a scenic overlook which gave us a sneak peak of the waterfall. We decided it was time to indulge in a well-deserved beverage and enjoy the view.

As the darkness started to set in, we decided to keep hiking until our drinks were gone and then we would turn back. I think we all will be forever thankful of this decision. Just as we finished our drinks, we stumbled upon the most gorgeous waterfall ever, Falls Creek Falls. We got to stand 6 inches away from the top of the 1st tier of the 220+foot waterfall. Words cannot describe an experience like this. After recomposing ourselves, we started our glorious hike down, right next to the waterfall on a root ladder stopping at each tier to take photos.

With the sun already set behind the horizon, it was time to hike out... and quick! We ended up running about 2 miles in the semi-dark trying to make it out on time. I strategically chose a nice soft dirt spot on the trail to trip on a rock and take a HUGE digger. I felt like a kid sliding head first into home plate. Nora arrived just in time to see me completely laid out on the ground. No injuries, just a little bruised knee as a friendly reminder of what happens when rocks jump up and trip you!

If you plan to visit the Columbia River Gorge, I would highly recommend a book by Scott Cook, Curious Gorge.