Hi everyone!

Just wanted to update anyone who is still interested in hiking that for right now, we’re sticking close to home. We’ve had a long bout of sicknesses around here, and I just quit my job, so I’m trying to avoid spending where I can.

If I get up the will, we might go for a hike some place nearby soon. I’m sure I’ll revive this in the spring time, as well.

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Later!

Nicole

I’m still feeling sickly, and so I’ll be putting off hiking again this week. Next week, we should be good to go for Silver Falls on Thursday. Let me know if you’re interested in coming! Hopefully, we will all be feeling better.

I know, I know! I’m terrible! Canceling again.

We’ve all been really sick all week here, and have just not been able to get over it. So, Silver Falls will be set for some different week. Not sure which one, yet. I’ll post later on about it.
Sorry, guys!

Hey guys!

Just wanted to check in and see if anyone is planning on coming out tomorrow. I’d rather go out with other people if we are going that far, and I hadn’t heard if anyone was 100% for sure going.

Thanks!
Nicole

ETA: I haven’t heard from anyone, so we’ll be cancelling again, today. Postponing, I should say, huh? I don’t mind going out by myself, just not so far alone Much more fun with others.

Hope everyone has a great day!

Hi everyone! Sorry again about missing last week’s hike.

This week, we’re headed out to Forest Park. I think we’ll follow the hike that’s up on PDX Family Adventures, since I get lost easily, and don’t have a good map!

Forest Park

We parked at the trail head for the Wildwood trail. If you’re driving up Germantown from the St. John’s Bridge, it will be the 2nd parking area on your left. The first or lower parking area is for Leif Erickson Road.

For a very casual, after-dinner stroll, hike the Wildwood Trail no more than 3/4 miles to “Fire Line” trail, which cuts a switch-back to the left. Take this for 1/4 to 1/3 of a mile to Leif Erickson Road. You’ll go around a metal gate, and you’ll see the fire extinguisher in the picture here.

Take a left on Leif and head back 1 mile to the Leif Erickson parking area. Keep left and walk almost all the way to Germantown road, and you’ll see the sign for Cannon Trail. Take Cannon Trail 1/2 to 1/3 of a mile back to the Wildwood parking area. A really nice hike for kids. There is just enough up and down to keep them interested.

So, we’ll see how things work out once we are there, but that trail sounds good to me.

Plan on meeting us at the parking area in front of the Wildwood trail at 11AM. Hopefully, it’s not too hard to find! My cell is 5038807308 if anyone needs anything.

ETA: HERE is the park’s website!

Postponing this hike until October 9th. I bet the leaves changing then will be so beautiful!

Sorry if anyone had plans to meet us there! Have fun if you go without us!

Last week we had a great time at Latourell Falls! It wasn’t what I would call an easy hike (hey, other people were saying it was hard, too!), but it was worth it to reach the upper falls. I went behind the falls with Oliver, and it really took my breath away.

Upper Latourell Falls

This week, we’re going to Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge in Portland. We will be out there on Friday at 11AM. More info on the refuge HERE.

The Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge is a 140-acre floodplain wetland located along the east bank of the Willamette River. It is rare for such a natural wetland to exist in the heart of a city.

This area is a birdwatcher’s paradise. Hawks, quail, pintails, mallards, coots, woodpeckers, kestrels, and widgeons are just the start of the list of birds that one might encounter in Oaks Bottom. The star of the show, though, is the Great blue heron, the official bird of the City of Portland. Oaks Bottom is one of the favorite places of a score of these impressive birds because of its proximity to one of the rookeries on Ross Island.

Oaks Bottom

We’ll meet in the parking lot. Here is the address: SE 7th Ave & Sellwood Blvd in Portland.

My cell is 5038807308 if you need to reach me

Had a great time last week at the Japanese Garden with our friend, Kristin, and her family! We all got in free with a cultural pass from one of the Washington County libraries. Good deal!

Pond in the garden

The girls ran around so fast, that we went through the garden in record time, so we skipped on over to the Rose Garden across the street and enjoyed the roses

This Thursday, we are going to Latourell Falls, which I am really excited about! I have only been out to the Columbia Gorge once before, and this was before kids!

The falls.

Latourell Falls is a wonderful introduction to the many waterfalls along the Columbia River Gorge. It is a plunge falls with a height of 249 feet. You can access the main or lower falls from the parking lot in the Guy W. Talbot State Park; this falls on Latourell Creek is named after Joseph Latourell, a prominent Columbia River Gorge settler. It is on the Historic Highway, 3.4 miles west of Exit 28 off I-84. It’s a short walk from the park’s picnic area to the viewpoint. The upper Falls is also a plunge falls with a height ranging between 75-100 feet. You can get behind the falls if you choose to cool off on a hot summer day. In winter the ice forms thickly and makes for beautiful pictures. To get to falls, travel another 0.8 of a mile along the trail from Latourell Falls (above). Continue on the trail to finish the loop back at the parking lot.

HERE is some more info that should give you an idea how kid-friendly it is.

Meeting there at 11AM. Again, if you need to reach me, my cell is 5038807308. Hope to see some of you guys there!

The Hoyt Arboretum was really fun last Friday! Even though it was a hot day, we went early, and enjoyed the coolness under the trees. The kids had a great time.

So, here is the schedule I set up. I tried to space out the hikes that are a bit of a drive from the ones closer to home. Also, as far as I know, the Japanese Garden is the only place that costs money to get in. Unless otherwise noted, hikes are at 11AM, and meeting in the main parking lot. If anyone is a bit late, give my cell a ring-a-ling, and we’ll try to meet up. My # is 5038807308. With that, here’s the plan!

Friday, August 22: Japanese Garden.

Thursday, August 28: Latourell Falls. More info here.

Friday, September 5: Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge.

Thursday, September 11: Cannon Trail in Forest Park. More info here.

Friday, September 19: Silver Falls. More info here.

Thursday, September 25: Jackson Bottom.

Friday, October 3: Tualatin Hills Nature Park & Interpretive Center.

Hoyt Arboretum this Friday at 11AM.

Hoyt Arboretum, a 187-acre living museum of trees and plants from all over the world, is located just 2 miles west of downtown Portland.

More info about the Hoyt at HERE at PDX Family Adventures.

Plan on meeting in the parking lot. If anyone arrives a little late, give me a call on my cell: 5038807308.

Fall at Hoyt Arboretum

Hope Fridays work for everyone. I think that the weekly day might change, maybe one week it is Thursday and the other week Friday. We will just see how it works for now.

I am working on a schedule for the upcoming weeks. Silver Falls was added to the list, but let me know if you can think of any place else!

Please comment if you think you’ll be coming, so I can get an idea of how many of us there will be

Thanks guys!