Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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New Tools Can Light a Spark
The summer is winding down, and the new school year is only a few weeks away. I find my thoughts turning more to planning and organizing, even as we try to soak in the last weeks of summer. Yesterday, Annika and I visited our local homeschooling curriculum store, Homeschool Potpourri. This place lacks glamor, but…
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Day Hiking: Mount St. Helens, Book Review and Interview
Mount St. Helens has held a special place in the soul of the Pacific Northwest since its eruptions in the 1980s. Many of us parents are old enough to remember following the saga on the news, and remember where we were on the day of the big eruption. We find it fascinating to visit this…
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Teanaway Camping
Last week Gabe was at camp, so I took Annika camping for one night. With the weather taking a turn, I chose the sunny Teanaway for our excursion. We set up at Beverly Campground. This Forest Service campground has less than 20 spots, and felt kind of scruffy, but we got an awesome spot right…
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Coal and Independence Lakes Trip Report – 7/15/15
Some friends joined us today for our hike. We’ve been on the search for a good swimming lake, and a friend suggested Independence Lake on the Mountain Loop Highway. On the road up, we stopped at Coal Lake. It’s a pretty little lake that sits right next to the road, with a short path up…
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Metolius Camping and Newberry Volcanic Monument
Back in June we had our almost-annual camping trip on the Metolius River near Sisters. We had a smaller family group this time, but we had perfect weather and lots of fun. We took a hike one day along the river trail, from the Gorge Campground up to Camp Sherman. There we all got ice…
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Twin Lakes, Cold Creek Trail, 7/8/15
I had this idea about getting the kids out to a lake to swim and getting away from the heat. I remembered a hike we did several years ago, to Twin Lakes (actually, it’s only one lake…), and thought we’d give it a try. We found the trailhead with little trouble, though the road signs…
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Faraway Rock and Reflection Lakes Loop, Mt. Rainier, Trip Report
Last week we felt we needed to get out for another big trip to take advantage of abundant sunshine and mountain flowers. We chose Rainier, and I gave the kids a choice about the region to visit. Gabe really wanted to get up to Paradise, so that’s the direction we headed. We stopped for lunch…
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Old Sauk River Trail Hike
Some trails hold a fond place in our hearts, as we have pleasant memories. Or perhaps the trails are unique and make us feel something special. For me, Old Sauk is like that. Meandering along the Sauk River, this gentle trail leads through mature forest. It feels a lot like old growth, even though it…
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Interview with Author Joan Burton
Whenever people are new to hiking and wonder how to get started or which trails to go on with young children, I recommend the book Best Hikes With Kids: Western Washington and the Cascades by Joan Burton, with photos by Ira Spring. I recently had the fortune to sit down with Joan Burton and hear…
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Beaver Lake Trail (Mountain Loop Hwy) – 5/29/15
Winter wrens and Swainson’s thrushes serenaded us as we started our hike this morning. We appreciated the shiny new trailhead for Beaver Lake, as well as the spiffy, clean outhouse. The trail dips slightly then follows an old railroad grade along the Sauk River. It’s shady and brushy at this time of year. The greenery…
Got any book recommendations?