March 2013 Archive

30
Mar
2013
jloomis

Snowmobiling at Mt Saint Helens and the Plains of Abraham

Picture of Mount Saint Helens from the Plains of Abraham

After vacationing in Mexico last week, I was eager to get back in the snow. The weather was forecasted to be beautiful with temperatures in Portland hitting the upper 70's Saturday. My friend John and I planed to snowmobile around Mount Saint Helens and the Plains of Abraham. Mount Saint Helens (50 miles NE of Portland, Oregon), an active stratovolcano, is famous for its eruption on May 18, 1980. Now only 8,363 feet tall, the mountain previously stood at 9,677 feet tall. The Plains of Abraham on the East side of Mount St. Helens is a popular destination for snowmobilers.

20
Mar
2013
jloomis

Tulum Ruins and Public Beach Area, Mexico

Picture of Tulum Ruins, Mexico

Katie and I spent the day Wednesday exploring the Mayan ruins of Tulum and enjoying the Caribbean Sea at the public beach below. We have both visited Tulum before, but this was our first time enjoying the beautiful beach situated right below the ruins. We took the ADO (public bus) from Playa Del Carmen to within about a mile of the ruins. It takes about an hour to get to Tulum via the ADO. We walked the last mile to the ruins, but there are other options for those not keen on walking.

18
Mar
2013
jloomis

Exploring the Mayan Ruins of Coba, Mexico

Picture of Nohoch Mul Pyramid - Coba Mayan Ruins, Mexico

Katie and I visited the Myana ruins of Tulum and Chichén Itzá on our last trip to Mexico, so we decided it would be fun to visit Cobá this time. Cobá is about a 90 minute taxi ride from Playa Del Carmen. We were able to rent a taxi for the day for 1300 pesos, but one could also book a tour bus or take the public ADO bus (like Greyhound in the US).

17
Mar
2013
jloomis

Sunrise Run on the Beach - Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

Picture of Sunrise at Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

Katie and I arrived in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico yesterday afternoon for a much-needed vacation in the sun. We have friends getting married here on Friday and have been looking forward to the trip.

09
Mar
2013
jloomis

A Sunny Day for Snowmobile Play Near Timothy Lake, Oregon

Picture of Jason Taking a Break with Mt Jefferson in the Background

Spring is in the air, but I am not quite ready for it to arrive. On Saturday I took my friend Donnie from work on his first snowmobile adventure. We left early, thinking Skyline Sno-Park (South of Mt Hood) would fill up quickly due to the sunny weather forecast. I was wrong. Skyline was the least busy I have ever seen it. Maybe the beautiful weather sent everyone over to ride on Mt Saint Helens.

03
Mar
2013
jloomis

Snow Camping Near Bonney Meadows, Oregon

Picture of Jason and Katie Snow Camping Near Bonney Meadows, Oregon

I took Katie on her first snow camping trip this weekend. She agreed to go as long as I kept the wood stove going all night to keep her warm. We had originally planned on going to Mt Saint Helens, but the weather forecast was not as good as we would have liked. Instead we planned on going to Bonney Meadows which is on the Southeast side of Mt. Hood about 1.5 miles NW of Boulder Lake.