Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Adventures in Oregon

I've been cooped up in an office for the past six weeks (for the last ten months, really...), so when I finally finished school stuff last week I was dying for some adventure. Between now and September, I'm trying to spend as much time outside as possible. So far, so good!

I spent the weekend at a cabin near the coast.


I also discovered that I'm completely obsessed with tubing. It's the perfect mix of terror and relaxation.

I can't get over this picture. Neither of those people are me but I definitely looked like that more than once.

A couple of days ago, I hiked something called Browder Ridge, which is in the Central Cascades two hours from Eugene. 

I'm going to climb the peak on the right this weekend.

I don't know what these are but they're famous - Jefferson and Hood, maybe? Let's go with that.


Wearing my Butte to Butte shirt.

Funny story about that last photo - it was taken just after I found out I passed my exams! I knew we were supposed to hear sometime that day so had purposefully turned my email off on my phone. I wasn't planning to check it until I was home and could curl up in a ball and die without any witnesses present, but then I started getting texts that the results were out and after some prodding, was convinced to check it.

So it looks like I might just do this PhD thing! I've been somewhat hesitant to discuss school with anyone not in the program, knowing that I could well be thrown out on my ass after the first year (this is typical with economics PhDs - give 'em hell the first year and if they survive, start actually training them to be economists), but now my position (and future) is much more certain. What a relief!

And, of course, the best part about all of this (besides, like, pursuing my dreams) is that I have the rest of the summer to do whatever I want! I am ridiculously privileged.

Anyway, I stayed up into the wee hours celebrating that night so woke up too late the following day for an all-day hike. I settled instead for a trail run on the McKenzie River Trail, which is a little over an hour from Eugene.

Clear Lake, or something.

To be honest, the McKenzie River Trail is boring. I mean, it's nice for what it is, but you spend a lot of the time plodding through the woods which, given my distaste for trees, is less than ideal. This section was more scenic than where I ran last fall, but there was so much volcanic rock that I had to take frequent walking breaks. After 3 miles I was sufficiently pissed off that I decided it was time to turn around.

 Such volcanic rock.

I had planned to run to Sahalie Falls but since I didn't make it that far I decided I might as well drive over since I was already in the area.


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It's rainy today (THANK GOD - multiple months of sun, sun, sun were starting to wear on me) so I decided to take it easy and do some adult stuff. Tomorrow I'm planning to hike a coastal mountain and on Friday I'm heading to Bend for the weekend! It should be a fun time. My roommate also has extra tickets to the track shenanigans happening at Hayward right now so I might try to check that out. Happy mid-week to y'all!

Questions:
  • Are you doing anything crazy exciting this weekend?
  • What's your favorite track even to watch?

11 comments:

  1. Congrats on passing your exams! Yay for finishing the first year! And I love your awesome pictures and outdoor adventures. Glad you are able to get out and enjoy where you live a bit :)

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    1. Thanks! I certainly have a lot of lost time to make up for!

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  2. Congrats on passing your exams! I sometimes feel like professors make getting PhDs hell because their professors made it hell for them and they feel like they should pass it along. Looks like you had a lovely hike. I'm so glad I stumbled back upon your blog--looking forward to reading more of your posts and looking at more of your gorgeous photos! :)

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    1. Yeah, there's definitely a certain amount of hazing going on in these programs. But I can totally understand the urge to pass the hell along to future grad students!

      I'm also glad you're posting again - it's been a while!

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  3. Ooh, real photos, not Instagram-filtered-to-death ones! Too much sun. So many trails. Your life looks so hard.

    Also, YAY PASSING QUALS! CONGRATULATIONS! FIREWORKS! RAINBOWS! When do you get to be done with coursework?

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    1. You don't even know - staying out late, sleeping in until whenever, reading what and when I choose, watching t.v.?!?!??!?! I wouldn't wish this life on anyone.

      But actually, the photos ARE slightly instagrammed, to be honest. I don't mess with the filters anymore, but I like square photos and occasionally up the contrast or whatever if the lighting's weird. I try to take it easy, though, as over-instagramming is a serious disease.

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  4. Congrats on passing! And yay for making the most of your outdoor time after school was over! That looks like a beautiful place for a cabin. I love tubing. And how exhausted it makes me :)

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  5. GORGEOUS!! I've only been to Oregon properly once, to Crater Lake & then the coast (which was all gorgeous) but there is still so much I haven't seen.

    Oh, and congrats on your exams!!!!:D

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    1. Yeah, there's really a huge variety of stuff to see here. I feel like you could spend years exploring and hardly see any of it! But, you know, it's no Alaska...

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  6. It looks like you are making the most of your time off. Love that tubing picture! It really illustrates your description of tubing as the perfect mix of terror and relaxation, haha. Congrats on passing your exams! Now you can go on to further pursue your "Permanent Head Damage" in economics.

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