Wahkeena Falls At The Gorge 6/26/11

Hike Destination#4: Wahkeena Falls at the gorge
Distance: 2 miles round trip
Hike Time: ~ 1 Hour

Lewis and Clark Trail.....mission failed. I'll save that story for another day. Let's talk about Wahkeena Falls. When you get to beginning of the trail you're able to see the waterfall and the stream connecting it towards the bottom. When you walk just a short distance ahead you can get right up to the waterfall. A friend of ours decided to take his shirt off and pose in the waterfall. He wasn't the only one with this idea, there were a lot of people in the water, some went in with all of their clothes on and others in their bathing suits - by this you can tell that the weather was pretty nice.

The elevation of this hike was pretty tough to get through. The pathway was paved almost the entire way up which was nice on my ankels. At the top, you're able to see a view of the gorge.

I enjoyed this hike because of the burn I felt it in my buttocks and thighs. Oh and the view was also a plus! The destination was the perfect fit to a not so perfect day.

Good Job Arinda on picking this one too!!

We're taking a break on hiking for this holiday weekend, but don't worry we'll be back in full effect the weekend after!

Have a good 4th of July!

Mirror Lake Near Government Camp 6/25/11

Hike Destination#3: Mirror Lake 6/25/11
Distance: 3 Miles
Time: 2 hours


So our next destination was not the Lewis and Clark trail afterall it was actually Mirror Lake 's Trail. This time it was my friend, Arinda's idea (she's full of great ideas!) - she'd been before and raved about the gorgeous view. I was persuaded to hike on a Saturday as well as plan for a different hike on Sunday.

On this hike, we had a couple of fast hikers, so I got a pretty good work out trying to catch up and catch my breath. We came across a couple of bridges, one in particular that stood out was the one with only one side rail. The bridge, which is basically a log you walk on is pretty skinny. Walking slowly on the log is a must because one angry friend, can make you fall into the stream! As we approach the lake the air was cool and crisp. I would recommend bringing a sweater on this trip even if it's warm out. There was in fact patches of snow/ice on the ground. Rocky (pictured below) was playing in the snow like a kid in a candy store.


I've never been on this hike before and found it to be pretty easy to get through. The view at the top of the hike was of Mirror Lake and Mt. Hood. We're suppose to see the lake mirroring the views of the trees and the mountain, but weren't able to this time. However, I would say this hike had the best view so far! Nice pick Arinda!

Macleay Park in Northwest Portland 6/19/11

Hike Destination#2: Macleay Park 6/19/2011
Distance: 3.8 total miles
Time: 2 hours there and back

This hike was pretty easy, at first, but the elevation moved up higher as we continued on the Wildwood Trail. It was a relatively clear day, but the paths on this hike were very muddy. We've been hiking without a map - but don't worry there are signs and maps on the way to get you to Pittock Mansion (a mansion that was once owned by The Oregonian publisher Henry Pittock and his wife, Georgiana in 1909). If you walk around the Pittock Mansion you can see a beautiful view of Portland. This took us about two hours to hike there and back and we had only one person injured; my friend Sam hurt almost sprained an ankle. I hope you'll be back for this next Sunday's hike.

Overall, I thought this was a nice quick hike, however it was pretty dangerous due to the muddy paths. Be careful on this hike and don't forget to stop, smell the air, and take in Portland's nature surrounding you.

Next destination: Lewis and Clark Trails At the Columbia Gorge.


Photos Taken By Pearl Phadunchareon

Don't let this scare you - there is no climbing involved. Sam was taking a short cut.

Angel's Rest in the Columbia Gorge 6/12/11

Hike Destination#1: Angel's Rest at the Columbia River Gorge
Distance: 4.6 miles round trip
Time: ~3 Hours

My good friend Pearl bought a really neat book called "Oregon Hiking; The complete guide to more that 490 Hikes" by Sean Patrick Hill - that provides information on different hikes in the Portland and surrounding areas. She wanted to get into hiking while the weather is nice and so I joined in on this bright idea! We decided to get some friends together on Sunday afternoon and go on a hike. Destination: Angel's Rest at the Columbia River Gorge. Little did I know, this was going to be the most difficult hike I'd ever been on. There were many factors working against me, the rocky pathways and the elevation of the paths. If you're looking for a workout to slim down that booty, this is it! Pearl and I almost turned back because it started to rain, but we were persuaded to keep going and finally made it to the top! The view was absolutely beautiful, despite it being cloudy and rainy. Here are some tasteful photos for your viewing pleasure :-)


Next Destination: Mcleay Park in Northwest Portland



Photos Taken By Pearl Phadunchareon