For my birthday, I asked my family to go for hike with me. We didn't have a lot of time and needed to stay local, so we drove into the heart of Portland and hopped on the Marquam Trail - near OHSU off Sam Jackson Parkway. It never ceases to amaze me that you can be steps away from the urban core and enter into preserved forest with trails that go for miles. Portland is so cool.
It was a typical fall day for Oregon - the woods a wash of orange and yellow and gray skies that occasionally drizzled, but threatened to open up and pour.
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| starting our hike |
We followed the Nature Trail up to the Marquam Trail which leads to Council Crest. The trail follows the Marquam Gulch up, up, and up to the Council Crest at the summit.
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| Love my Crew! |
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| This guy is pretty darn cute! |
The trail was muddy due to rain and steep in some parts but overall was rated moderate. I agree with that rating. It was definitely a climb, but the grade was manageable.
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| The leaves were big! |
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| pretty forest |
We hiked right up into a thick blanket of fog. It gave the woods a mysterious appeal and completely obscured the view from Council Crest. Apparently the panoramic view includes the city of Portland in the valley and four volcanic peaks in Oregon and Washington, but we could barely see our hands in front of our faces.
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| Can you find Grant? |
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| into the fog |
Paige asked her Daddy to dance with her so they waltzed around the veranda. It was sweet and made for a cool photo op.
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| dancing with Daddy |
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| I thought this statue was cool |
We ate our snacks in the fog, posed for a group picture, and wandered around the park before heading back the same way we came.
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| Cool water tower - we were hoping to find a bathroom, but this was cool. |
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| Family shot at the view point |
Overall this was a fun hike. It was short and sweet, but not so short that it didn't feel worth the effort to go. The trail cuts through neighborhoods and crosses a few roads so hikers need to watch the trail signs closely and be careful crossing the streets.
We will definitely come back again on a clear day to catch the view.
Overall hiking distance: 3.7 miles.
Happy hiking.
Next time you will have to stop at my place, our house backs Marquam Park. One of the trail entrances is 2 houses down. You can use my bathroom :)
ReplyDeleteI knew we were close to your house, but didn't know that's what you backed to. We'll have to do it together some time and you can show me!
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