I can't get enough of Trout Lake!

Hello everyone!

I had another great weekend in Trout Lake. I left right after work on Thursday evening and was at the Inn by 7 PM. It was very hazy everywhere as smoke from the Mt Hood fires was hanging in the air. There also is a huge fire north of Mt Adams in the Wenatchee National Forest. I must say I’d never seen it so hazy up there before. I ordered some tacos and hung out on the back porch while the guys played horseshoes. I stayed at the Inn for quite a while talking with friends and drinking a few beers. I stayed at Wampler’s house that night and just slept on his sofa the first night, not wanting to set my tent up in the dark.

Friday was a beautiful day. I drank my coffee and hung out in the backyard with Danny & Wamp. Wampler then prepared an amazing brunch which was ready right when Alicia & Lincoln arrived from Portland. He made cornmeal and ham pancakes served with a fried egg and cheese on top. He also cut peaches in half, baked them with some brown sugar in the center and then topped them with whipping cream (with a splash of Maker’s Mark) and toasted pecans. It was a really incredible meal. I’m very much enjoying Wampler’s recent burst of culinary excellence. Yummmm! In the afternoon we headed to the swimming hole down by the Inn. A bunch of the rock had been moved causing the water level to drop at least a foot so Wampler and Damon started moving the rocks back and we watched the water level climb again. After a few hours of hot sun and cold water we headed back to Wamp’s house where we prepared some food for a potluck that evening. Wampler made jalapeno poppers and breaded shrimp and I sliced up some summer sausage and cheeses. We went to John’s house just a few blocks from Wampler’s house. His whole house has incredible views of Mt Adams, even from his big beautiful 2 person bathtub! Whoa! The food and company was great. After eating and hanging out for a while we all migrated over to the Inn where Cross-Eyed Rosie was set to play.

There was a pretty big crowd at the Inn as Cross-Eyed Rosie is a really amazing bluegrass band. They played two sets with a brief intermission. I love how they have just one microphone for their vocals and they all sing around it in a semi-circle. There was tons of dancing and the music was fantastic. I had so much fun.

Saturday was another sunny beautiful day. I went over to Joseph’s house. Joseph was out of town working on a large forest fire further north in Washington but Dave (Clarke not Wampler) and Lincoln & Alicia were staying at his house. I showed up just as they were making breakfast (lucky me!) so they invited me to eat with them. It was a very yummy breakfast. Dave and I headed straight over to the swimming hole where we spent hours swimming and baking in the sun. Late in the afternoon the place became overrun with lots of families and generally just too many people for the small area. Dave and I crossed over the stream and went up to the Inn where we both ordered burgers. We hung out on the porch and eventually I decided I needed a nap. I was going to go back to my tent in Wampler’s yard but Jimmy hung up his hammock for me on the back porch. It was the most comfortable hammock I’d ever been in. I had a great nap and woke up to the sun low in the sky and Gillian Welch playing on the stereo inside. That night at the Inn Lincoln played along with his friend JD who was in town from Montana. Later in the night others (Jimmy and Dave) joined them on stage. I left around 1 AM and apparently missed Dave debuting some new songs.

Sunday was Wampler’s birthday! We hung out in the backyard drinking our coffee and enjoying the perfect temperatures. Emily came by and joined our backyard lounging. By the afternoon we were ready to hit the swimming hole but upon arrival we found it jammed with kids and just too many people. We decided to go to the rope swing bridge along the White Salmon River. I had never been there before so I followed Wampler and then Emily and Danny met us out there shortly thereafter. I jumped off the rocks into the water and let out a “WHOOP” as I surfaced. The water was SHOCKINGLY cold. The water in the swimming hole is very cold also, definitely colder than anything in the Midwest in summer. The creek though is the warmest water in the area because it’s gone through Trout Lake, which is a shallow slow moving body of water where it can be warmed by the sun. The White Salmon River is snowmelt straight off the side of Mt Adams. The water is a beautiful green color. No one lasted long in the water. We would jump in, swim to the edge and immediately get out. My body would tingle for a minute it was so cold but we would quickly warm up in the hot sun on the rocks and a few minutes later jump in again. Danny and Wampler decided to jump off the bridge, a 40 foot drop maybe. It looked kinda painful so I passed on that and chose to just jump off the rocky cliffs, a 10 foot drop at best. I must have jumped in the water at least 15 times. It was so invigorating. I really loved it.

Late in the afternoon I knew I needed to get going so I said goodbye to Wampler and then went to the Inn for a quesadilla before I left. Jimmy asked for a quick trim on his hair so we went on the back porch and I used his horribly dull scissors to clean up his haircut a bit. I then was on my way back home, through the smoky Gorge where Hood was barely visible through the smoke and back to Portland.

I hope you all had a great weekend. Can you believe how fast summer has gone? Please let me know how you are!

Xoxoxo,
carolyn