Sugar Magnolia Travels to Bend

January, 2007: Bend, OR
After many months of talking about heading north to visit our long lost housemates, Becca and Eric, Sugar Magnolia & Friends finally made the long drive to Bend, OR over MLK weekend. We were also joined by the Seattle-ites, Jenny, Laurie and Molly. The weekend was full of snow, guitar jam sessions, Menamin's hot tubs, hiking, ocean rolls, yummy curry, and wonderful people. Thank you so much to Becca and Eric for being such wonderful hosts and to all of my incredible friends for helping me to smile again.

Brenna snowshoeing up the back side of Tumulo

The skiers contemplate the drop off into the bowl at the top of Tumulo. It was a beautiful day to be outside and from the top we had and incredible view of Mt. Bachelor, the Sisters and many of the other incredible peaks that surround the area.

Jam session # 1- learning to play Across the Great Divide to bring total songs that I am able to play up to two. Tomakin and I, of course, planned the matching capeline layers on purpose.

Eric- how do you feel about having 14 people staying in your two bedroom/one bath apartment with cranky neighbors?

Jenny and Shully waiting for food on Saturday evening

The scene in the living room in the morning

Heidi is ready to go.

Kelly and Laurie with the synchronous head bobs

The hostess with the mostest

Hiking at Smith Rock on Sunday: despite never having been there, the distinct rock forms were immediately recognizable from photos of climbing trips. As we arrived, the light was incredible as it fell over the huge rock faces of "welded tuff" (compressed volcanic ash) that rise dramatically out of the desert below.

Emily, Shully and Becca

Shully behind the camera

Tawni

Monkey Face- one of the most famous climbs in the Smith Rock area. While there are easier routes up to the top, the climb up the face shown in the photo above was one of the first routes rated as a 5.14 in the world.

Kelly demonstrates the practicality of the ear flaps on Eric's hunting hat.