I went up to Portland last weekend to see my good friend John "Griz" Erickson and to climb Mt. Hood with him. Here are the pics. Mt. Hood is a great mountain to start with if you are interested in learning basic mountaineering. It is 11.3k ft, covered in snow all year (so it requires crampons) and can be done in a single day. We were lucky to have Griz leading the trip. He guides at Mt. Rainier during his summers off from high school teaching. Portland was super rad as well. There were lots of hipsters and cyclists and cycling hipsters like James Valdez who let us crash at his awesome house in Arbor Lodge part of the city. James showed us how Portland is as covered in strip clubs as its residents are covered in tattoos. They also have a sweet light rail system which seemed really convenient even though we never got on it. After living in Seattle and San Francisco, I could definitely see myself in Portland. I doubt I will return next summer for more fun on Mt Hood. I think I want to attempt Rainier instead.
