Along the way, colorful dabs of Trillium can be seen above the usual ivy
and ferns. Before you know it, the quiet of the trail is replaced by
the roar of traffic and the highway is at your feet. It's an easy dash
across to the bridge over the highway and then off to the left to pick
up the trail again. 
Here the trail has almost a prairie-like feel. Tall grasses blow in the breeze and make a perfect compliment to the blue sky.The trail moves quickly back into the towering firs. The Vietnam War Memorial is on the right and down the hill and adds to the quiet mood of this part of the hike.
Up the hill (I've been accused of always choosing the uphill part of a
trail) and to the right, the Wildwood Trail continues on in a maze of
connecting trails throughout Washington Park. There are views of Mt. St.
Helens and, at least according to the sign, of Adams and Hood as well but they are hidden behind the trees.
The
trail continues on to an archery range and picks back up again on the
other side of the range. There were quite a few people out today, and I
have a feeling their arrows did not have suction cups on the ends. Back
on the trail, the gentle switchbacks lead you to a paved road
that winds down to the front of the Japanese Gardens and across the way from
the Portland International Rose Test Gardens. This time of year
there's not much to see in the way of roses, but the views of Mt. Hood above
the city skyline are amazing. It's scenes like this that my picture taking addiction comes to the surface. Do I really need another picture of Mt. Hood with the skyline in front of it? No, but that doesn't stop me from taking at least six. After the rose gardens, it's downhill (I
promise) to Vista Avenue and the amazing views from the Vista Bridge.
Mt. St. Helens can be seen rising over the Fremont Bridge, and on a
clear day Mt. Hood is a stark reminder that there is a beautiful
countryside not far from downtown Portland. Now comes the hard part of
the hike. Up until now it's been downhill or maybe just a few climbs
here and there, but the rest of the way is a steady uphill climb. But it
could be worse, you could be one of those cyclists who insists on
riding up what seems to be a never-ending stretch of concrete and is too
overcome with effort to enjoy the views above the tree tops.
Something else to be on the lookout for in this part of Portland are
staircases, lots of them. There is a great book called The Portland
Stairs Book and it lists all the staircases in Portland, many of which
are near or on this hike. The staircase on the right goes smack dab
through a private garden but from the research I've done (not to mention
talking with the woman whose garden is part of the trail), there is a
public easement. From the prompt manner in which the woman gave directions on where the trail leads, it appears the
public makes frequent use of said easement. This particular day I didn't
have the energy to go traipsing up and down stairs, besides, I've been
up and down most of them already. Instead, I settled for taking a
picture of these beautiful tulips. I love the white stucco and brick red
of the house behind the bright red of the flowers. About a mile after the Vista Bridge, turn right on Alta Vista and immediately before you is a staircase going
down. Turn left at the bottom of the stairs and follow that road (Montgomery) to
Patton and turn right to follow the road back up to the park.
This hike runs approximately six to seven miles, depending on how many
rabbit trails you take. As with any hike, be aware of your surroundings
and pay attention to the people around you. And especially pay attention to the beauty of the creation all around.
No comments:
Post a Comment