BAMBOO WALL DECORATIONS

Mirrors [Blu-ray]

Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 01/13/2009 Run time: 112 minutes Rating: R

Kiefer Sutherland anchors this supernatural thriller from Hills Have Eyes (2006) director Alexandra Aja about an abandoned building that harbors vengeful spirits. Sutherland brings a degree of his 24 intensity to his role as a disgraced police detective working a security detail at a derelict building. A package from a former security guard--who commits suicide in the film’s eerie opening moments--alerts Sutherland to the building’s tragic past, as well as to the presence of dark forces with the ability to harm the living; once aware of their presence, Sutherland and his family become their next target. Mirrors works best in its first third, where Joseph Nemec’s production design delivers maximum chills. Where the film stumbles is its rush to provide a slam-bang conclusion filled with CGI and other effects, resulting in an unsatisfying, open-ended conclusion that does much to dispel the film’s impressively Gothic atmosphere. The unrated DVD presentation differs from the theatrical cut by mere seconds, and the alternate ending included among the battery of deleted scenes is a more satisfying conclusion than the one used in the film. --Paul Gaita

{day two} This was our reward for chugging up 8,560' Minam Pass from our first night's camp at Minam Lake. What a knock out view!

Below us we could see a large tarn, Mirror Lake (our destination to camp night two) and Moccasin Lake. Off to the right stood 9,572' Eagle Cap peak with snow fields hiding in the shade of its north face.
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If you are in need of some reading material you can click on my Eagle Cap 2010 and 2008 flickr photo set and read more detail about this loop backpacking trip and a day hike in 2008 that inspired it. Here is a short (relatively short) description of the backpacking trip my wife and I took together:

Eagle Cap Wilderness backpacking loop - September 27-29th, 2010
Northeastern Oregon - Mr. & Mrs. Oldmantravels.

I make a list at the beginning of each year. On the list I include all of the hikes, floats, backpacking, and road trips that I would enjoy taking that year (if possible). I then place the best month(s) to do each, and then sort the list by “best month” first and “type of trip” second. It causes me to focus on the possibilities and make the most of each year.

Next I set up my Yahoo home page with the nearest town to where these activities are located so I can keep an eye on the weather. I usually have at least a dozen towns I follow in this manner.

So, when I saw that Joseph, Oregon would have high temps in the mid 70s and low temps in the high 40s, I knew the conditions were PERFECT for a good set of day hikes or a backpacking trip. Not too hot, not too cold, no bugs, & few people (week days and late in the season).

“I don’t like backpacking”. I hate carrying a load heavier than a good day pack…but in some cases it is the only way to really enjoy what you want to see, and ever since 2008 when our youngest son and I did a 16 mile round trip day hike into the area, I knew I wanted to wake up some morning and crawl out of a good backpacking tent to the sight of Mirror Lake and Eagle Cap peak.

I put a modest three day route together and was delighted to hear that my wife had three days off her part time job during the good weather window AND she wanted to go with me on a backpacking trip. The deal was sealed!

The counter-clockwise loop route we took was 17.5 miles long with 2,960 feet in elevation gain. Here it is:

Day one: Hike Two Pan trailhead to Minam Lake - 6.5 miles and 1,780’ elevation gain.

Day two: Hike Minam Lake up over Minam Pass to Mirror Lake - 3.5 miles with 1,180 ft. up and 940 feet down.

Day three: Mirror Lake to Two Pan trailhead - 7.5 miles with a 2,020 ft. elevation drop.

Lake Mathewson is famous for it's mirror effect in the evening. From here you can see Mt. Cook, the highest peak of the New Zealand alps. It's located on the west coast of the south island.