Archive for 2018

Micro hop plucker/stripper Micro hop plucker/stripper

Monday, September 17th, 2018

The need You may have noticed that I am a bit obsessed with hops. Currently, I am running three small yards for our experimental hop breeding program. Hops are wonderful to grow, but can be a real pain to pick. Hand picking takes about 1 hour per plant – meanwhile, picking machines cost hundreds-of-thousands of […]

Masonry (tips and tricks) Masonry (tips and tricks)

Thursday, August 23rd, 2018

We just completed a modest basalt wall in our back yard. Over the course of the build, we learned many, many things. I wanted to take some quick notes for the next time we tackle a project like this. The rock Real basalt is a beautiful and extremely strong volcanic stone. It is also much, […]

Nesika after the burn Nesika after the burn

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2018

Spent the weekend in the off-limits area of the Columbia River burn. I was with other members of the Oregon Trails Club doing repairs and maintenance on the Nesika lodge site. Two of the three buildings were lost in the fire, but the main lodge amazingly remained undamaged. We spent most of the weekend clearing […]

Mt Hood 2018 Mt Hood 2018

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2018

In early march, my buddy and I decided to take a quick trip up hood. The conditions sounded optimal, but there was bad weather on the horizon. After waiting a few days for the thunderstorms to clear, we found ourselves signing in at the climbing register late one night. Cold temps kept the snow firm […]

Wild hops in the United States Wild hops in the United States

Wednesday, March 21st, 2018

As you may have noticed, I am a bit … obsessed … about hops. So, I was stoked when Michael contacted me in the comments about some seedling that his garden club students were growing: My students (high school garden club) collected seeds from the hills west of Pueblo, Colorado, and have been successful in germinating a few seeds. […]