We visited Portland this weekend. There were two main purposes in our visit: eating and hiking. Foodwise, we had some great experiences with everything from mango donuts and pear and blue cheese ice cream to authentic Mexican food.
Although the food was great, the truly unforgettable part of our trip was the hiking. We did two hikes, and both had breathtaking sites (although any hike with a 35lb girl on your back leaves you breathless pretty quickly). Afton is actually getting to be quite a hiker (and I always appreciate giving my back a break and letting her do a little walking). She's slow, but she's got stamina. She's even done a whole mile herself! It's cute to watch her ringlets bounce when walking behind her. When she's on my back, she often either requests that we sing songs or she'll serenade us herself.
Our first hike was on the Oregon side of the gorge--the Multnomah Falls loop. We both agreed afterwards that it is our favorite hike so far.
It starts off with the main attraction: the 700+ foot waterfall that you can view from the bottom, on a bridge partway up, or from the top. Since the main attraction is so accessible, the first part of the trail is pretty crowded. It's also rather steep. But as soon as you turn off the paved trail, the crowds go away and the beauty grows.
There was lots of variety on this hike. Part of it was along the creek, with several small waterfalls and sheer cliffs. Eventually the trail takes you above the creek to where the trees are all evergreens. As you hike you can occasionally catch glimpses of the river to the North. We enjoyed both the flora and the fauna, including a frog and a green caterpillar that afton has talked about ever since.
The next day's hike, Cape Horn, was on the Washington side and is known for the stunning views of the gorge. The forecast predicted rain, but we didn't let that stop us. Good thing--we caught a little drizzle, but the downpour didn't start until 5 minutes after we got in the car.
There was lots of variety on this hike. Part of it was along the creek, with several small waterfalls and sheer cliffs. Eventually the trail takes you above the creek to where the trees are all evergreens. As you hike you can occasionally catch glimpses of the river to the North. We enjoyed both the flora and the fauna, including a frog and a green caterpillar that afton has talked about ever since.
Eventually the trail heads back down some more switchbacks to another major waterfall with lots of tourists, Wahkeena falls. It is stunning, especially towards the top where the white water is surrounded by green plants. From the bottom of the waterfall it's just a short trail next to the highway back to the base of Multnomah.
The next day's hike, Cape Horn, was on the Washington side and is known for the stunning views of the gorge. The forecast predicted rain, but we didn't let that stop us. Good thing--we caught a little drizzle, but the downpour didn't start until 5 minutes after we got in the car.
The views of the gorge did not disappoint, and were well spaced out along the hike. The terrain was varied, including a mile or so of mostly rocks. The end of the hike was a let down, however--it was literally just walking uphill on a back country road. If we do this hike again, we'll probably go in the other direction.
Afton was exhausted by our adventures.
Afton was exhausted by our adventures.
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