It had been a while since I’d had a real hike, so today I went out the Columbia River Gorge with Jackie Chan. We started on the crowded parking lot below Wahkeena Falls. This time we continued past the falls, and soon found a great viewpoint. Continuing uphill, the trail follows a rushing, noisy creek, and eventually passes Fairy Falls on a tributary. There were plenty of hikers on the trail for a Friday. Many paused at various cascades and whitewater splashes, and I kept passing them. I continued up into a pretty forest.
The trail flattened out near a junction where I could have headed west to Angel’s Rest. I headed the other way toward the Vista Point trail, where a group of people gathered at the junction. Just beyond the intersection was the uphill trail to Devil’s Rest. I debated the climb, but since I knew it was not an earth shattering summit, I opted to descend. The Vista Point Trail felt steeper, with fewer switchbacks than the Wahkeena Trail. A quick descent brought me back to Fairy Falls and the gorgeous creek on the Wahkeena Trail, where I started bumping into people regularly. Many of them commented on how cute my dog is. Many said nothing to me even though I tried to make eye contact. That rarely happens on wilderness trails. Near the spot where the trail becomes paved again, a side trail leads to Monument Point. I found it is more of a bushwhack with loose scree, limited tread, and various obstacles. Of course, that makes the hiking more fun, but I wouldn’t take my mom on it. The views we discovered at the point were worth the challenge. It was a great way to wrap up a good hike.
In my new neighborhood, I see Canada geese daily. I have to watch where I walk, if you know what I mean. The adults are rather boring up close and personal, but the goslings are cute. It’s worth a trip to the nearby pond to see them, so we often walk in the area. There are also what I believe are wood ducks nearby. I will try to get a photo of them soon.
It was a good day for a hybrid hike. That meant part paved bike trail, part pretty woods walk, part glorious meadow, part trail detour along a road. Confused? That’s okay. The main trail head at Powell Butte remains closed due to construction of a new underground reservoir. Yes, you read that right. After all, the city of Portland recently drained a reservoir because a man urinated in it, although scientists admitted that even if the guy had peed toxins, the parts per million would be so low as to pose no danger to the public.
I started my walkabout on an open grassy part of the paved Springwater Corridor trail, about seven miles east from where I walked a week ago. I climbed the Hawthorn Trail’s looping curves meant for descending mountain bikes. I saw no mountain bikes until I emerged on top, once the trail emerged from the forest to a spectacular meadow. There I had to decide how to return. I could head via trails I’d already hikes, but I wanted to try something new. To the east, there were detours due to the construction, but I thought there might be a way to loop back to the Springwater Corridor. I found lots of fencing instead. I followed the mouse maze detour all the way down to Powell Boulevard and walked by apartment complexes and mini malls for some real urban hiking.
Oh so tempting
After a friend told me on two different occasions how he enjoyed the Clackamas River Trail, it was high on my hiking radar. When I got a day off today and the sun was shining, the Clackamas seemed a logical destination. Denise and I loaded up a couple packs and headed out there for a quick out-and-back trip. As I drove along the river, I fondly remembered kayaking it with a buddy years ago. The waters are more pristine upstream from North Fork Reservoir, but a road parallels the river for many miles.
D & JC walking in front
Although I’d driven the road multiple times (its the route to the famous Bagby Hot Springs) it hadn’t occurred to me that I’d have the road as backdrop while hiking. Duh. It was in the background half the time. The woods are still really nice, more open than most forests on Mt. Hood, due to an obvious wildfire.
A stand of charred trunks
Denise led the way for a while, and then I took over. The walking was not too tough. The trail was rocky in a few spots, muddy in a few spots, and lined with poison oak for fifty feet (in the switchbacks). After climbing over a high point, we switchbacked down to the riverside and a tiny but pretty beach. Jackie wanted to chase sticks, so I obliged. Then it was onward and upward again. The trail was closed at the two mile mark due to recent slide activity that made the trail impassable. The signage had alerted us to the situation, but it was still a let-down.
View from the trail closure
The jade hues of the river were gorgeous from that high point. I wanted to jump into its depths or kayak down the whitewater. Maybe on a hotter day. There are many more miles to the trail. Hopefully it will get repaired and re-open at some point. I’ll be back.
Mr. Snake tried to hide. Luckily, Jackie didn’t clue in.
The Springwater Corridor is a long paved trail that begins on Portland’s inner east side and soon heads east, winding through the Johnson Creek watershed and out to Gresham, and eventually the small town of Boring. It’s hard to believe you are near a major city for much of the way considering the greenery and quiet. Cyclists love it, but it’s great for joggers and walkers too.
Crossing Johnson Creek
I hadn’t set foot on the trail in years, but now I live nearby, so it was natural choice for a quick stroll. So it was that a few days ago, I ventured to a trail access point with Jackie Chan, the hiking pup. I soon discovered an offshoot nature trail along Johnson Creek, and twenty minutes later, I ended up mid-span on a bridge over the railroad tracks. I had no desire to cross over them and head into the neighborhoods beyond, so I just retraced my steps through the greenspace. The rain started pelting us on the way back. Jackie didn’t care for it, so we walked fast, and it was all good.
Light in the forest–a beautiful day for a hike
A hill should not be called a mountain, but I couldn’t hold such mis-labeling against Mount Talbert for too long. After all, it definitely pokes above the surrounding landscape southeast of Portland. It is also one of the only such buttes in the area which still has a pristine forested top. There are signs of selective logging low on the west side, but it has been well done despite the remaining slash piles. When I got a surprise day off a couple days ago, I had to take advantage of the good weather. After all, our summer preview will soon come to a close. I’d been meaning to check out Mount Talbert for months, so this was a good opportunity to cross it off the tick list.
Nice wildflowers in the forest along the Mather Road spur
The well-designed trailhead on Mather Road was a perfect place to begin my walk. There is a small picnic shelter area, a bathroom, and ample parking (a Fed Ex truck took up four spots sideways, but there was no shortage of space). At the start of the trail there are a couple interpretive signs and a readable map. From there, it is easy to set out on multiple loop treks. More specifically, try the Summit Trail for a short loop with some views, or consider the much longer Park Loop Trail around the periphery for a longer ramble. I combined the two, with the West Ridge Trail as a connector. At the beginning, the trail heads uphill immediately through a few switchbacks, and I rapidly boosted my heart rate. Later I would see a couple joggers and a serious walker with ear buds in. Locals must know this a good spot for a workout. Me, I was just there for the scenery.
Believe it or not , this is the summit. Love the shadows on the dirt
The interpretive signage at the bottom points out that there are various oak restoration areas in the park. I noticed that those areas have sparser undergrowth besides ferns, and they are much more open to sunlight. Although there is a good amount of uphill walking, the so called summit is very unassuming. There are slight views to the south. My favorite part was descending from that high point. The forest seemed more like a real mountainside, calling to mind the lower stretches of Salmon Butte.
This is looking downhill. Isn’t there a book called Fern Gully?
I’d seen nobody on the Summit Trail, but I did encounter a few folks descending the West Ridge trail as it dropped to the north. Then I cut back on the Park Loop toward Mather Road. The walk lasted about an hour. I probably walked a bit over two miles. It was a weekday, but I was surprised how few people were out on a nice day. The trails were in good shape, the intersections were well marked with one exception, and the forest was unspoiled.
More gorgeous flowers on the Park Loop section
Note: Dogs are not allowed at Mt. Talbert in an effort to respect the local wildlife. Luckily, Jackie Chan was out of town with his mama, so I didn’t feel guilty about going it alone. A couple other people ignored the signs, but I might have noticed a bit more wildlife noise without Jackie on the path. There were lots of juncos, sparrows, and robins, some squirrels, and something big in the leaves below a drop-off. I never saw the creature. Maybe next time. I’ll have to come back, and it will be a pleasure.
As rugged as it gets. Climbing back to the West Ridge
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