Beer, Bigfoot, Backcountry

Part 2 - Bigfoot

"Whether heavy on its feet or as light as a ghost that never was,

Bigfoot walks the Northwest woods."

--Robert Michael Pyle

The Columbia River Gorge is hiking heaven. It's one of my favorite places to quickly get out of Portland and into the wilderness, but on Saturday me and Andi were searching for adventure a little beyond our backyard. We wanted to escape the crowds and sports junkies that flock to the waters and cliffs of the Gorge. We wanted to find a camp spot where we didn't have to hear neighbors yell at their kids, play bad music, or have screeching sex at night... "oh what? Did you hear that mounatin lion.....oh, err, nevermind."

"Lo," I said unto Andi, "let us travel to these set of lakes on the North flanks of Mt. Adams. Let us take bumpy dirtish roads through high mountain passes and Bigfoot country. And let us not commit the boooring sin of over-planning. We'll grab the first camp spot we like...wherever that might be."

And Andi said unto me, "let there be toilets."

"Amen!"

And we were off. With our untrusty 7 month old puppy sidekick Bella in the back, we began our journey...to Trader Joes for food...then Fred Meyer's for ice...then back home because we forgot the saw...then to the gas station...and then...two hours later...we were really off!

In Stevenson, Washington there is a great brewery called Walking Man. Usually we stop there for a beer at the end of a play day in the Gorge, but today we were just driving through. Luckily we remembered to bring our growler and filled it up with Homo Erectus Imperial IPA. It's a great beer, but I was really hoping that they had their barley wine or Black Cherry Stout on tap. Their Black Cherry stout is the best non-imperial stout you will ever drink. It warms the soul.

From Stevenson, we continued down HWY 14 into the town of White Salmon and then headed north toward Mt. Adams. Mt. Adams is one of four Volcanoes in the general area . The other three are Mt. Hood to the south, Mt. St. Helens to the west and Mt. Ranier to the North. They're all a part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, and all four have the potential to blow their top again someday. The mountains, rivers, and woods that make up the area between the four volcanoes is truly a magical place. Despite the encroachment of civilization, there is still something wild and spiritual here. It is a place where I find inner peace. Also, if there is a Bigfoot, there is a good chance he/she/it resides here. Many of the famous sightings and reports of Bigfoot come from this area.

Last summer I read Where Bigfoot Walks-Crossing the Dark Divided, by Robert Michael Pyle. Pyle spent some time backpacking in the very area we were now heading through. Pyle is a naturalist, Bigfoot searcher, and an examiner of the human psyche behind the search for Bigfoot. In his words, "...the phenomenon of Bigfoot exists." He's just as interested in looking for Bigfoot as he is in understanding why people have a need for Bigfoot to exist. However, the lasting impression that Pyle leaves with the reader is that this area needs to be protected.

The "Dark Divide" is an area between Mt. Adams and Mt. St Helens. It is a place that is rugged, rich in wildlife and flora, and a place that is starting to suffer ill effects from being too near large populations of people--logging, off road vehicles, mountain biking, hiking/backpacking, etc. I realize that I am part of this problem too, and I'm not sure what the best solution is. I love the outdoors. The people that come here to recreate love the outdoors. I'm not a big believer in isolating vast stretches of nature from humankind. As Andi reminded me, "The fact that more and more people are coming to the outdoors means that more and more people are starting to care for the outdoors." This is a good thing. We just need to figure out how to not kill that which we love. The world is running out of wild places. It's running out of habitat suitable to the idea of Bigfoot/Sasquatch/Yeti/Troll. When the idea of Bigfoot dies so does the last wild place on Earth.

With evening fast approaching we needed to find a suitable campsite. The first place we stopped to check out was Council Lake campground. It was packed. We continued on to Takhlakh Lake campsite. Despite being the end of July and Takhlakh Lake being at 4300 feet elevation the campsites were half under snow and water. It was a loooong, wet, cold winter. After driving past a few other campers we found a nice spot with a good view of the lake.

Ahhh, fire, beer, food.....and errr...lots and lots of mosquitos. Luckily Andi has thin, white glowy skin and tasty blood; they left me mostly alone and ate her. I think she still loves me. I have to believe that in a way Mosquitos are nature's way to keep people away. The same goes with poison ivy/oak, ticks, snakes, grizzly bears, and maybe Bigfoot. At Takhlakh Lake I began to feel like I was on the edge of wilderness. I could imagine eyes staring at me beyond the comfort of our fire.

The feeling of wilderness didn't last. As darkness enveloped our little campsite our closest neighbors, who were 300 feet away, began partying. From their car really really bad country music started blasting out. I enjoy old school country music--Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, but this was pop radio country music--shallow and lacking soul.....sigh. It was time for bed.

I awoke at some point that night to something screaming. It wasn't someone having sex, it wasn't a mountain lion. It was loud and on the other side of the lake. When I went outside to go the bathroom I brought Bella with me. Maybe she had to go the bathroom too. I didn't want to be alone, in the darkness, with whatever made that sound. I didn't want to be alone, in the darkness, with an imagination like mine. The idea of Bigfoot is very much alive.

To be continued (Part 3 - Backcountry)

Beer, Bigfoot, Backcountry

Part 1 -Beer

Finally! A warm, sunny July weekend in the Northwest. While everyone on the East Coast and Midwest has been frying in hell, we've been relegated to that part of hell where it's cold, wet, and gluemy (gloomy + glue = sad and stuck). With the great thawing, Andi and I decided to put on our best weekend warrior gear, load up the truck with camping equipment, and wreak some fun.

Friday afternoon found us at The Oregon Brewers Festival. Although not my favorite Oregon Beer event (see PIB), it is a place to party, see old friends, and find the occasional super yummy beer.

Portland's waking zombies were out in force. As the sun and beer brought life to the city and its people, the crowd roared and swayed in hive-like unity..."beer"..."Beeeer"..."BEEEEEERRR!" The lines were long, the jostling and bumping were annoying, but trying to follow my elfin wife as she weaved through tiny gaps of flesh and shirts raised my anxiety level from blue/guarded to red/severe. A panic attack was narrowly averted with my first beer! In the BUZZ tent I found a very nice surprise: Cascade Brewing's super super sour Porter. Wow! Was it ever sour....mmmmmm. Warning: sour beers are not for everyone. The owner of Cascade Brewing company, Art Larrance, played a role in getting the Oregon Beer Festival started. Cascade is also known for their innovative sour beers. I highly recommend checking them out when in Portland.

Ah...Beeeer. I felt human once again.

However, my humanity was shaken once more when I realized that Dogfish Head's "Black & Red" beer was "OUT." Its style was listed as "Raspberry Mint Imperial Stout." I love Dogfish Head, and I especially love imperial stouts. It was the one beer I really wanted to try. It was the only imperial stout at the festival. Grrrr. When I asked people about it and I got responses like "gross," "yuck," and "weird," I knew that I truly missed out on something special. Alas, our plan was to head out camping Saturday, so there would be no chance to try again. O ye cruel beer Gods!

To be continued (Part 2 - Bigfoot)

Portland International Beer Fest 2009

This weekend ushered in the beginning of beer month heaven in Portland. The Portland International Beer festival (PIB) is my favorite beer event to go to. Beer from all around the world magically finds its way here. There are Imperial Stouts, Barley Wines, Strong Ales, Trappist/Belgiums, Bocks, Imperial IPAs, and on and on; there is even Mead.

On Friday me, Andi, and my cousin Joey made our way downtown to the North Park blocks where the event is held every year. I love the location....the large shady trees....the beautiful old architecture surrounding the park. However, this year began with a bit of a shock. We planned to get there at 4pm, right at the opening, but we were running a few minutes late. I always experience a little bit of anxiety when I show up to these events:“What if they tap one of their super deluxe beers early and I miss out?” “What if they are so full of people I can't get in?” “What if I forgot my ID?” “What if a random meteorite hits me on the head?”

Friday turned out to be a hot day by Portland standards. It was somewhere in the high eighties with no clouds in sight, but that was OK. Very soon we would be underneath trees sipping on a yummy beverage. As we approached, the sound of music and laughter greeted my ears; my heart started beating a little faster; my tongue started imagining all kinds of tasty sensations; a little nervous twitch started tickling my neck. But then we turned the last corner and that's when we saw it. A line of people went from the entrance, 1 block down the street, turned a corner, and kept going as far as the eye could see. Gulp! Oh no! Disaster. I've never seen the line here this bad. We shuffled against the slow flow of the line to the back. The little devil in me thought of the many different ways I could sneak to the front, but I knew that whoever I cut in front of would not be happy. I accepted my misfortune. I embraced my cruel fate. As we found our place at the back I began debating which of the better beers would be gone once we were inside. The heat weighed heavy on my soul. Time seemed to slow down. Joey and Andi were quiet as was I. Maybe an hour long line wait?

But then it happened. The magic that is this event tugged on all the hearts around us. The people in front of us were laughing and joking about the wait. The people who showed up behind us were smiling. Soon one of the beer volunteers walked by and assured us that the line was moving fast and that because we were in the line before 5pm we would all get the happy hour entrance special of 15 tickets and a glass mug for twenty dollars. My spirits began to rise. As we went around one of the corners a small sliver of shade running along the edge of the building greeted us. Finally, some relief from the sun! Within twenty minutes we were inside.

We were meeting some friends inside but first we needed some beer! For starters I wanted to try Rogue Brewery's new creation, “John John Hazelnut.” This beer was aged in rum barrels. It's a collaboration between the Rogue's brewmaster John Maier and their distiller John Couchot (yes, I know...beer from all over the world and the first beer I go after is locally born....well the Rogue makes some damn good beer!). Expectations were high and....and....it was a little disappointing. The rum was too subtle for my taste and at the same time the hazelnut seemed a little masked. It was still a tasty beer...I was just hoping for something more. Maybe it needs to be aged a little longer? But I was not complaining! Mmmmm...beeeer.

The next beer I went after was an Oregon product as well. Deschutes brewery had Mirror Mirror 2009 tapped. This oak aged Barleywine style beer uses twice the ingredients of their traditional Mirror Pond Pale Ale. Again, I felt a little disappointment creep in. But I think it's because I was comparing it to their Abyss beer (Imperial stout) that they put out in prior years. In my mind the 2006 Abyss is the best beer Oregon has made to date. But really, what it comes down to, is that these beers need to be aged longer to be fully appreciated. Give Mirror Mirror 2009 one year of aging and it will be a better experience.

My favorite beer that day was Nogne-O Dark Horizon. This imperial stout comes from Norway and is 16% ABV. It's dark, thick, bitter, with hints of coffee. My tongue was awash in sensations that lingered for some time after each sip.


We stayed until close, which is much longer than one should do at these events. At some point taste buds lose the ability to fully appreciate the beers being sipped and the mind loses the ability to function properly. But when you're having fun, and you're hanging out with friends drinking good beer, time loses it's hold.

Final Note:
We went back to PIB on Sunday for the 12pm opening. We made it in time to appreciate Dogfish Head's tapping of their 120 Minute IPA (21% ABV) and their World Wide Stout (18% ABV). We tried each alone, and as Black and Tans (both beers combined). The Black and Tans were amazing and had me returning for more. By 1pm both beers were gone. One hour of heaven. We meant to get some work done that day, but instead slept much of it away.

Dubbel Trouble

This last year began our first beer making experimentation. We started with an IPA in September, followed by a Chocolate Hazelnut Porter in November, and then a Belgian Dubble in Febuary (currently we're working on a Koslch). The IPA and Porter turned out great, but we've been having problems with the Dubbel.....the head is lacking.....no carbonation. Hmmm. With the Dubble we used a liquid yeast for the first time and this type of yeast requires a higher than normal temperature to activate and do its yeasty thing. I'm hoping that by putting the the primed bottles in a warmer location it will wake up the yeast so it can convert the corn sugar into carbonation. Fingers crossed. We tried a Dubbel last night and it seems that there is a bit more carbonation...we'll see. If this doesn't work then i plan on calling our local beer Guru "Kevin", owner of Main Street Homebrew Supply Co. out in Beaverton. We've been getting supplies and advice from him from the start and I'm sure he'll have a better clue, but hopefully the yeast are just being sleepy.....Dubbel dubbel toil and trouble; my mouth burns for some bubbles.

Beer Alert!!!: Abyss '07

I stumbled across a store in Eugene this weekend that actually still has a decent supply of The Abyss '07 in stock. For those who don't know The Abyss is a super yummy Imperial style Stout made by Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon. It's brewed with "Licorice and Molasses with 33% aged in Oak and Oak Bourbon Barrels." It makes for a tongue tingling, mind warming, heart smiling drinking experience. This beer is my favorite Oregon stout at the moment (other than Abyss 06' which is a year older and is 100% brewed in Oak Bourbon Barrels.....mmmm.....a very rare find now). Those who want to buy this beer need to visit Market of Choice in Eugene (1960 Franklin Blvd 541-687-1188). I bought 3 bottles. One for myself and two for friends....they cost 10 bucks each so even though i love the stuff I'm not rich. If only i had the will power to let it age properly....at least one year.....alas, i know i won't make it longer than a week.

I was in Eugene this weekend because my wife, Andi (yes...it's sick...i know Andy + Andi....Andyi Squared....The Andyis...), is a glass artist who was taking a class through Eugene Glass School. She had classes all day Saturday and Sunday so i had to find ways of entertaining myself. I didn't feel like hiking....it was cold/rainy/snowy....so i decided to check out some of the local disc golf courses. I went to Dexter State Park where there is a nice (and very muddy) 18 hole course. The holes were well marked and the scenery was excellent....snow capped hills all around. You're also allowed to drink beer there....always a bonus. The course reminded me of Milo Mciver out in Estacada. I also played the in town Westmoreland 9 hole course....a swampy but feel good course (feel good as most of the holes are less than 300 feet so you can actually throw birdies). Sunday afternoon i parked my rear at Steelhead Brewery to have a beer and catch the last half of the Kansas vs. Davidson basketball game. Their seasonal Hopasaurus Rex was on tap so i enjoyed that very hoppy/make me happy beer. I rooted for the underdog Davidson, but they fell just short....with a sigh...i walked out the door at 4:30 with my muddy feet and a warm tummy....it was time to pick up Andi and head home to Portland....three Abyss beers richer.

Beer Diary

Greetings and salutations! This is my humble beginnings of a vision long in the making (i am more dreamer than doer....thankfully i fell in love and married a doer with mad techno skillz). Ok....so i love beer and i love hiking, but before i delve into all that i thought I'd give a short background (recent) history of me:

Sometime shortly after the year 2000 AD i lost my construction job and convinced my future wife to quit her job. We wanted the hell out of the concrete jungles of Michigan (we were mostly restless and needed change.....i love my Michigan....no hard feelings). We came up with a list of necessary requirements of our new home to be:
#1 We wanted to be somewhere where there is good beer (Michigan has good beer esp. Bells)
#2 We needed mountains
#3 We needed rivers
#4 We needed a large body of water near us (preferably an ocean)
#5 We wanted to be near a large metro area for jobs and cultural events
Boulder, Colorado looked appealing, especially since we already had some friends living in Summit County, but alas there was no ocean. Anchorage....brrrr....way to dark and cold. Seattle.....to much of a concrete jungle. Portland...hey!....Portland seemed like the perfect match for us.
We sold most of our belongings the summer of 2001, packed up our two vehicles with cats, art supplies, musical instruments, said our goodbyes, and headed out west.....we had no home waiting for us in Portland and no jobs, but we didnt care...this was to be an adventure.

Background (short) beer philosophy:
I am not a beer snob.....in fact i am more of a beer slut (i will not turn down a beer unless it's skunked). That being said, some beers are better than other beers and i prefer the better beers. Beer styles i favor: Imperial Stouts, Barley Wines, Strong Ales, Imperial IPAs....you get the idea.....i loves beers that have a mean kick to them. Beer brings out the poet/dreamer/lover in all of us. It is a great gift.