SILVERTON SEVEN BRIDES BREWERY FESTIVAL

It wasn’t billed as a festival for a Thursday night, but it was this time.

A festival of survivability after a heart-thumping force march on the hottest day of the year.

Add one of the smokiest days from Canadian fires and it felt like a heavenly Seven Brides Brewery cloud.

How wonderful was this?

Everyone loves testimonials.

When President Lincoln gives one it matters, especially a beer testimonial I’ve never seen, but agree with.

Would the old rail splitter like Seven Brides Brewery in Silverton? If he really liked a good beer he’s be in there tomorrow.

That was Honest Abe left a testimonial on their website.

This is a testimonial from another party, mine.

The original idea on a scorcher of a day in Beaverton was head to the Columbia Gorge and get in the water under a waterfall.

That changed with the smoke that was channeling toward Portland. Run away, run away.

Instead, we headed south and found a road the might rip the exhaust off a normal car.

The driving advice was you need a truck or 4X4, not a lowered Infinity. Their exhaust was laying on the road.

Not anxious to tear my rig up, or get stranded with no cell coverage, I parked a mile or so away from the destination trail head.

Without a sign to guide hikers, it took luck to find it.

On a off-pavement stretch of road cobbled with the sort of rocks known to flatten tires I parked and walked down with the crew.

And walked, and walked, and walked.

Looking around we spotted what had to be the trail, and it was.

The trail had ropes and rocks and trees to navigate. Adventure never felt better.

From Oregon Hikers:

People have fallen here, most recently in March 2017. The slope is steep and can be treacherous in wet conditions.

Steep and treacherous in dry conditions, too. Can you say “happy feet?”

A couple of years ago one hiker took a three hundred foot fall and needed a small army of rescuers and a helicopter to deal with their critical condition.

We didn’t know that going in, but the question did arise: How to get out in an emergency.

Luckily, no emergencies.

Were the ropes on the trail necessary? I mean, this wasn’t Mt. Everest.

If you’re a baby boomer in a millennial hiking party, yes, the ropes do come in handy.

Working our way down, then back up, was an exercise in dehydration.

With plans to stop at Seven Brides Brewery it wasn’t so bad.

In fact it made it better. Sweat it out on a boiling day of smoke and danger with a reward of a great beer.

If that wasn’t enough, it was Taco Thursday, two for $4, and the Dallas Cowboys vs the Arizona Cardinals played in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton.

My steady readers know I’ve got a Cowboy habit and a Jason Witten jersey.

Well, a table of Cowboy fans were already set up when we got there at the beginning of the first quarter.

Timing is everything.

If timing is important to you, anytime is the right time for a cruise to Silverton.

Turns out Portland isn’t the only place to find outstanding beers.

On the way home we drove past growing hop farms.

Fresh Hop beer is just around the corner is what I heard them call out on our passing.

The road goes through Mt. Angel to pull the whole day together.

Octoberfest is waiting.

From Seven Brides Brewery:

Several years ago, three dads and two uncles would gather on a Saturday in one of their garages to master the art of home brew. Before long, the salesman of the group said, “You know, this is good enough to sell.” So the friends set out to do just that.

And they got it right with drinks and food and the Cowboys.

It may not be an outright festival, but it sure was festive.