Maple Trail, Forest Park Portland, Oregon

Sometimes it's nice to find a hike closer to home, particularly if the Bears and the Jags are playing at 10:00 AM on the west coast. Forest Park is one of the country's largest urban parks spanning an impressive 5,100 acres virtually in downtown Portland, Oregon. It's fun to explore the 70 miles of trails in this park and get a visual of what Portland looked liked before city life.

We took our out-of-towners to the Maple Trail, hoping to see the maples transitioning from green to yellow. And while some of our deiciduous counterparts have embraced fall, most of the trees here in Portland are still clinging on to summer. So, as a result the trail was still mostly green, but beautiful nonetheless.

To get to the Maple Trail we took Highway 30 to Salztman Road. We followed Saltzman Road for roughly 1 mile until we saw the signage pointing us to the Maple Trail. We looped it back for a 3 mile hike roundtrip by cutting through on the Quarry Trail which brings you back to Saltzman Road further uphill. I'm hoping to return in a few weeks to see the changing leaves.

Tory

Lakeshore Trail, Mt. Hood National Forest

An easy 3.1 mile hike around Lost Lake in the Mt. Hood National Forest. We opted for the shorter version and turned around at the cabin. This is a nice flat lakeshore hike with views of Mt. Hood and the ever elusive Lost Lake Firebelly Newt (aka skanks to the locals...or maybe just me). You start this hike near the Lost Lake store and follow the path through the densely wooded forest along the lake, it's pretty obvious, you can go all the way around or go out and back, it's up to you. Note, in the summer this lake is busy, you can rent pedal boats, paddle boards, canoes and kayaks. If you'd like to avoid the crowds, visit from October - May.


We traveled from Hood River on highway 35 for 14 miles, turned right on Woodworth Road for another 2 miles. You will then turn right on Dee Highway (there will be signs directing you to Lost Lake) you will continue until you see Forest Road 13 which you will lead you all the way to the Lost Lake Campground. I definitely recommend this hike if you have out of town guests who want an up close and personal experience with Mt. Hood. Don't forget to stop by Double Mountain Brewery on your way home, you gotta get that heirloom pizza girl!

Enjoy.

Broken Top Hike - Round 2 - Three Sisters Wilderness

As I said in the previous post on Broken Top, this is my favorite hike in Oregon. You get views. You get snow. You get a glacier. ("What is a glacier?" asks the global warming era embryo, let's just say it's a giant ice cube.) You get a glacial tarn. You get wildflowers. You basically get everything you ever wanted out of a hike. Unless of course you hike it when there is a giant cloud sitting on the mountain. Case and point.

Metolius River Hike - Deschutes National Forest

We started this venture at the Candle Creek Campground and hiked north towards Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery. We didn't quite make it to the hatchery, but trekked an impressive 7.5 miles roundtrip. Candle Creek is the last campground accessible from Camp Sherman and snuggles up to the confluence of the surprisingly named Candle Creek and the Metolius River.

To get to Candle Creek from Sisters take Hwy 20 for 12.4 miles then take a rightsky on Forest Road 14 for 9.5 miles. Make sure you stay to the right when the fork appears, it's tempting to want to head toward Camp Sherman (and you certainly should stop on the way out to see the Camp Sherman store), but for now stay right.  Once the Lower Bridge campground appears head left crossing the river following FR-12,  it's easy to get turned around so best to bring a map and a person who can read maps (that's you Adam). If I recall correctly we then took another right on FR-980 which dead ends into Candle Creek, but don't take my word for it, get yourself a map and an Adam.

The Metolius is often referred to as one of the most difficult rivers to fly fish in Oregon. Throughout this hike you will see anglers being outsmarted by rainbow trout, bull trout, whitefish and kokanee salmon. If you are like me and sometimes consider yourself on the brink of insanity, you may consider swimming in the freezing waters. But no matter how many times I go back and forth, "I'm definitely going crazy...no maybe not today...well maybe today," even I am not crazy enough to swim this river.  Enjoy the pictures below.

Tory