Susan Marthens

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Oregon Outdoors

Oregon outdoors starts in Portland.  Let's hear from Robin Cody, author of Wild in The City. Here is how Robin introduces River City in his book:

I poke around Portland by boat, catching the sights and smells here at the confluence of two great rivers.  At water level I get a new angle on the city.  Familiar arrangements can appear to be marvelous.

One summer Saturday I headed up the Columbia and into the Willamette, where the natural and the human gave every sign of getting along.  Herons and kingfishers worked the water near the growl and diesel whiff of a working tug.  Men in small boats, fishing for steelhead, were catching and tossing back shad.  Ocean-going ships took on lumber, gave up Toyotas.  In the foreground, an osprey lifted a wide-eyed shad to a nest atop pilings.  Behind that, a crane lifted buckets of gravel from a barge.

Spring chinook already has passed, but a great sustaining notion of this place is that salmon and steelhead still surge through the heart of a metro area of 1.6 million people.  One of America's great fishing holes lies within view of a Merrill Lynch office.  Here is a heron rookery within paddling distance of NBA basketball.  I can dock the boat and stroll to the world's best bookstore (Powell's Books).

This is what Outside Magazine had to say about Portland:

Portland Parks

Portland is one of the "greenest" cities in the US. This distinction comes from the climate (vegetation loves rain), and a civic pride in protecting the environment. One obvious display of city's stewardship is the number of parks it contains. Overall, the Portland park scene rates very high according to the Center for City Park Excellence. We’re second in our density class for park land as a percentage of city land area.  In 2002, Portland had 24.8 acres per 1,000 residents or a total of 13,357 acres.

Forest Park encompasses 5,000 plus acres abutting Portland's affluent "West Hills." It includes 74 miles of trails, and is a popular retreat for runners, hikers, mountain bikers, and birders.  Just to the west of downtown is Hoyt Arboretum with 220 acres where hikers and runners can access over twelve miles of trails. Further south along the West Hills is Council Crest Park, which affords the best view of the city from above, and on the opposite (east) side of the city is the 195 acre Mount Tabor Park, another vantage with paths winding through old-growth forest.

Located only minutes (southwest) from downtown Portland is Oregon's only state park within a major metropolitan area. Everyday, visitors come to hike or stroll the 645 acre Tryon Creek State Park's nature trails through the verdant ravine between Boones Ferry Road and Terwilliger Boulevard in southwest Portland. Cyclists of all ages bike along the paved trail on the park's eastern edge, stopping along the way to admire a trillium. Tryon Creek is one of the only streams in the metro area with a run of steelhead trout.
 

Join an Outdoor Club

The Portland metro area has a number of outstanding non-profit member clubs where you can team up with other members for your favorite outdoor activity.  It's a great way to meet people with similar interests and it is also an economical way to participate in the outdoors.  Here are a few of the most popular clubs.

Outdoor Clubs

• Audubon Society of Portland  Very active organization with numerous trips and activities.

• Clark-Skamania Flyfishers  CSF is an active flyfishing club that offers members opportunities to learn rod and net building, fly tying, casting, and many other flyfishing skills. During the year, CSF has club outings, designed to accommodate families as well as individuals.  Most fly fishing clubs only offer monthly social gatherings but the Clark-Skamania Flyfishers is a "teaching" club.

• Columbia River Volkssport/Walking Club  CRVC is a non-profit organization based in Portland, Oregon.  CRVC organizes quality non-competitive walking events in scenic and historic areas.

• DragonSports USA is a non-profit dragon boat paddling club that promotes fitness and friendship through paddle sports.

• Mazamas  Oregon's famous climbing club. The Mazamas offer a variety of  outdoor activities to include climbs where ever a peak exists in the world.

• Oregon Nordic Club  Primary a singles-social cub that has monthly potlucks and all types of outdoor activities with the emphasis on cross-country skiing.  Most of the trips are on the week-end - they also have week-long outdoor trips.

• Portland Barefoot Hikers - Informal group that organizes barefoot hikes in the Portland area. Site includes group overview and contact information.

Environment Organizations

• Lower Columbia River Estuary  The Estuary Partnership focuses on the lower 146 miles of the Columbia River.

• Natural Conservancy of Oregon  The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to preserve plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.

• Oregon Wild   Founded in 1974, Oregon Wild works to protect and restore Oregon’s wildlands, wildlife and waters as an enduring legacy for all Oregonians. Oregon Wild has been instrumental in securing permanent legislative protection for some of Oregon’s most precious landscapes.

Hiking and Poking Around

• Bird Watching Guide  The Oregon Coast Birding Trail is a 52-page guide that describes how to find the trail's 173 sites and the Oregon Coast's 498 species of birds.  The publication is available at the Oregon Coast Visitors Association. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:  "(Oregon is) fifth in the lower 48 and seventh among all North American states and provinces in the different number of bird species."

• Bonney Butte Hawk Watch  Bonney Butte is a hawk flyway located on the southeast side of Mt. hood.  A team of observers tallies 2,500-4,5000 hawks each year.  The best time to visit is mid-September to mid-October.  Peak flights are usually between 10 am to 3 pm, so bring a lunch, a chair, and binoculars.  Directions to Bonney Butte are on the Hawk Watch Web site.

• Cascades Mountain Range  Gorp has built an excellent resource for the Oregon Cascades mountains.

• Desert Trail Association  The Mission of the Desert Trail Association is to establish a national hiking trail across the Western States desert areas from Mexico to Canada and to promote activities that protect the integrity of the desert by educating people about the desert, especially through the intimate contact of hiking and backpacking. They lead hikes on Steens Mountain and in other parts of the Oregon desert.

• Forest Service Rentals  Whether it is winter, spring, summer, or fall, you can experience all of the seasons in a historic Forest Service cabin or fire lookout. Once operated as fully staffed lookouts or remote ranger stations, many of these rentals provide an opportunity to live the life of a ranger or fire lookout.

• Friends of the Columbia Gorge  The Gorge is a 50-million-year-old geologic wonder.  It is a natural wind tunnel, creating great windsurfing conditions.   The Friends of the Gorge offer numerous hikes throughout the year.

• Friends of Smith & Bybee Lakes  This North Portland wildlife area is a treasure and the 'Friends' are involved in maintaining it as well as sponsoring numerous trips (paddle, hiking, etc.) to explore the area.

• Great Outdoors Recreation Pages (GORP) covers Oregon from tip to tip.  It has built hundred of links and it has it own content.

• Green Scene Newsletter Metro's publication about the region's natural areas and outdoor events.

• Metro Parks  Use Metro's Find a Park web tool to search more than 1,000 parks and natural areas throughout the region to find the best places near you to unpack your picnic, shoot some hoops, put your canoe in the water or look for wildlife.  You can use Metro's online calendar for hundreds of nature classes, paddle trips, hikes, tours, wildlife watching opportunities and other nature activities throughout the region.

• Nature of the Northwest is operated as a partnership between the State of Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries and the USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region.  In addition to offering a wealth of information, they carry a full range of outdoor-related books, publications, and maps.

• Oregon Outdoor Recreation Guide is a resource for flyfishing, fishing, camping, skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and other outdoor activities in Oregon. It has some hidden gems about Oregon.

• Oregon State Parks   Yurts and cabins (78 cabins and 190 yurts) in Oregon State Parks can be reserved over the Internet -  go to www.oregonstateparks.org, click the "Making Reservations" link in the menu, and connect to ReserveAmerica, the contractor that provides online reservation services for Oregon State Parks.

• The Oregonian brings readers up to date on the outdoors at their online site.

• Pacific Tree Climbing Institute  PTCI invites you to experience the legendary trees and forests of Oregon by climbing them. PTCI offers both full day and overnight climbing trips for individuals and small groups.

• Timberline Lodge Ski area and historic hotel on top of Mt. Hood.

• Pacific Crest Trail  The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is the jewel in the crown of Americas scenic trails, spanning 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada through three western states (Washington, Oregon, and California). 

• Typographical Maps  Nature of the Northwest.  Address:  800 NE Oregon St., Suite 177, Portland, OR 97232. Telephone: (503-872-2750).

Biking

Cyclists have long is a long revered Portland for its bicycle-friendly culture and infrastructure, including the network of bike lanes that the city began planning in the early 1970s. Now, riders are helping the city build a cycling economy.

There are, of course, large national companies like Nike and Columbia Sportswear that have headquarters here and sell some cycling-related products, and there are well-known brands like Team Estrogen, which sells cycling clothing for women online from a Portland suburb.  There is the growing number of smaller businesses, whether bike frame builders or clothing makers, that often extol recycling as much as cycling, sustainability as much as success.

Oregon Bike Events

• Cycle Oregon  Cycle Oregon is an annual seven day bicycle tour that provides the opportunity to experience and explore rural Oregon.  Each September 2,000 cyclists travel a different route on paved roads that open the door to the places and people that make Oregon special.

• CycloCross  What is it?  An off-road circuit race that is part criterium, part mountain bike race, part time trial, part steeplechase, and wild. The Cross Crusade takes place in the fall in varying locations in northwest Oregon, including Portland.

Bike Clubs

• Bicycle Transportation Alliance is a non-profit bicycle advocacy organization based in Portland.  The BTA promotes and protects the rights of bicyclists in order to create safe, sane and sustainable communities in Oregon and Southwest Washington.

• Oregon Bicycle Racing Association  An active organization with one of the most exciting tracks in the United States. At 268.43 meters around with a 16.6 meter radius and a 43 degree bank, Alpenrose is also one of the steepest velodromes in the country.  Alpenrose is still home for the only North American six-day race.

• Portland United Mountain Pedalers  Mountain bike club's site includes info about membership, riders' code, and schedule of events and rides rated for difficulty.

• Portland Wheelmen Touring Club  Recreational cycling club's site includes schedules of rides, meetings, and events, a membership form, and resources.

Links

• Bike There!  The 25th anniversary edition of Bike There!, updated in 2007, is a colorful, easy-to-use guide to bicycle-friendly streets and bike paths around the Portland metropolitan region.

• Bike Map  byCycle's web site includes an online bicycle trip planner for the Portland metropolitan region.

• City of Portland Transportation Department  If you're looking for biking information, this is the place to find it.  Includes commuters biking maps as well as other biking resources.

• CleverCycles  They specialize in bikes with kickstands. And fenders, lights, bells, racks, chainguards: all the stuff that you make do without in the name of sport, or pay extra to bolt on, if it's even possible.  They carry the bakfietsen, a cargo box for kids that carries up to 3 children in front, with room left over for groceries. Great blog on their site.

• Community Cycling Center  A not-for-profit organization in Northeast Portland that promotes bicycling by selling and servicing bikes to the public at a low-cost.  They offer repair classes and accept donated bikes which they repair and sell.

• Portland Bikers Blog  Sponsored by The Oregonian.

• Yellow Bike Project  Get up to speed on the program that provides free-to-borrow bikes downtown. Includes history and news.

Running and Walking

Running and Walking Information

• Race Center  Magazine with online Web site devoted to tracking race events and running in the Northwest.

• Walk About  A magazine about getting fit and having fun.  Published in Oregon with many articles about walking in the Pacific Northwest.  Their online walking event calendar is priceless.

Walking Clubs

• Oregon Road Runners Club  With approximately 1,000 members, the club is the largest running club in the West and among the top ten largest running clubs that are members of the national Road Runners Club of America.

• Southwest Trails  This Southwest Portland neighborhood group builds and maintains trails in their neighborhoods.  They also have scheduled walks.

• Team Oregon  Devoted to runners and walkers of all ages, with coaching, publications, rehabilitation, and forum pages. 

• Walking Clubs in Oregon  This is an excellent resource if you love to walk or want to start walking.

• Willamette Pedestrian Coalition WPC is a non-profit community-based membership organization in the greater Portland area dedicated to promoting walking and making the conditions for walking safe and attractive.

Portland Walking Guides

• Portland Hill Walks  With Portland Hill Walks, you'll take twenty meandering, view-studded strolls from the city's forested canyons to its cityscape peaks, as you explore Portland's streets, stairs, trails, and hidden passageways.

• Walk There!  Metro's (regional government) guide to great places to walk in the Portland-Vancouver area. The book will lead you on 50 explorations of newly acquired urban natural areas, scenic parks, historic neighborhoods and fascinating main streets.  The 50 Hike Guides are also available to download at Metro's Web site.

Skiing

Ski Information

• Mt. Hood Timberline  Skiing on Mt. Hood is a year-around activity.  The high-speed Palmer lift begins operations each spring and it whisks skiers close to the summit.

• Ski Tiger is the most comprehensive guide to the snow in the Northwest. Information on skiing and snowboarding areas, snow conditions, cams, weather, road conditions, and travel.

• Avalanche Information  Good resource for backcountry skiers.

Ski Clubs

• Bergfreunde Ski Club  A non-profit, all-volunteer, sports activities and social club, based in Portland Oregon.  Their Web site reads "2000+ members, 400+ activities per year." They claim they are the 3rd largest ski club in the nation.

• Cascade Prime Timers  Ski club along with other activities.  The Prime Timer hike every Friday, XC and snowshoe on Thursdays, ethnic dinning each month, and social each month.  Club for ages 50 and older.

• Mountain High Snowsport Club  They claim to be one of the most fun little ski clubs in Portland, offering day excursions to Mt. Hood, ski trips throughout the West, ski racing, parties and activities year-round.  They have about 150 members and welcome new ones.

• Oregon Nordic Club  All types of outdoor activities with the emphasis on cross-country skiing.  Most of the trips are on the week-end - they also have week-long outdoor trips.

• Portland Area Ski Club Council  Representing ski clubs in the Portland region, site includes meeting and membership info, news, ski trips, and events.

Ski Resorts

• Oregon Ski/Snow Links  Links for all the ski areas, resorts, and snow play.

• Anthony Lakes  Our favorite except for the fact that it is 315 miles from Portland.  At 8,000 feet you'll find light, dry snow, perfect for powder lovers.  Staying at the Geiser Grand Hotel in Baker City makes it worth the drive.  A shuttle bus operates between the hotel and the ski area.

• Mt. Bachelor  Located in Central Oregon 20 miles south of Bend - Everyone's "top ten ski area in North America" choice.  10 lifts (seven express quads, three triple), 71 runs, 3,683 acres accessible by lift.  1,600 acres groomed daily.  Also Nordic and snowshoe trails.

• Cooper Spur  Mt. Hood.  One lift, three rope tows, 90 acres skiable terrain, 6.5 kilometers of Nordic trails, tubing center.

• Mt. Hood Meadows  Mt. Hood.  10 lifts (four high-speed quads, six double), 87 marked runs, 2,150 skiable acres, 240 acres of night skiing, 15 kilometers of groomed Nordic tails. 

• Timberline Lodge  Mt. Hood.   Six lifts (four quad express, one triple, one double), 32 runs, 1,000 acres of skiable terrain.  Lodging available at the Historic Timberline Lodge.

• Mt Hood SkiBowl  Mt. Hood.  Four lifts, 960 acres of skiable terrain, tubing center.

• Hoodoo  Mt. Hood.  Five lifts, 1,035 vertical feet of skiing, 15.8 kilometers of Nordic trails.

Water Sports

For water enthusiasts, there is a riverside park that stretches along the Willamette near downtown, and the river itself a haven for boaters of all every stripe. One of the best kept secrets for flatwater paddlers is Bybee and Smith Lakes, in north Portland, which offer one of the most isolated settings within the city. Just across the Willamette from these lakes is Sauvie Island, a large farming community with rustic roads that many bikers ride.  The island has lots of water also.

The Oregon Kayaking Web site offers the best information on area kayaking - click on the site's "links" and you will understand the breadth of our water resources here in the Pacific Northwest.

Clubs

• DragonSports USA is a non-profit dragon boat paddling club that promotes fitness and friendship through paddle sports.

• Oregon Ocean Padding Society The 350+ members of the Oregon Ocean Paddling Society (OOPS) are engaged in a rich variety of sea kayak activities at all levels. An active club with members of all ages, it regularly has several paddling trips, educational activities and social events scheduled each month.

River Rafting

Oregon has some of the most exciting rivers in the world and rafting down one of them is an experience of a lifetime.  Here is a partial list of outfitters that offer river trips:

• River Drifters (800) 972-0430.

• Oregon Whitewater Adventures (800) 820-7238.

• Andy's Wild Water Adventures (800) 289-4534.

• Wilderness River Outfitters (208) 756-3959.

• River Odysseys West (800) 451-6034.

• Wet Planet  Whitewater rafting and kayaking in the Columbia River Gorge.

Fishing

Some of the best fishing in the world can be found in Oregon.  Oregon has many famous rivers such as the Deschutes (central Oregon), McKenzie, and the Rogue (southwestern Oregon).  Coastal water for big boat fisherman who love to "throw bait" at the fish are also inviting.

Deschutes River Stoneflies

Stoneflies are common in most large, cool western streams, but are particularly abundant in the Deschutes (Central Oregon river), where they draw an international crowd. The salmon fly hatch is attuned to water temperature and moves north to south, starting in May in the lower Deschutes and peaking through June in the popular and easily drifted water between Warm Springs and the Trout Creek Campground. The best fishing and access are from Maupin, Oregon to Pelton Dam.

 Favorite Shops

Fishing Resources

• Clark-Skamania Flyfishers  CSF is an active flyfishing club that offers members opportunities to learn rod and net building, fly tying, casting, and many other flyfishing skills. During the year, CSF has club outings, designed to accommodate families as well as individuals.  Most fly fishing clubs only offer monthly social gatherings but not the Clark-Skamania Flyfishers.  They are a "teaching" club.

• Fly Fishing Resources  Information on fly fishing.

• Helen Burns Guide Service  Up and down the Rogue River, Helen is considered one of the best guides in the business.

• iFish  What a resource!  It was crated by Jennie-Logsdon-Martin of Tillamook, Oregon and depends upon donations to keep it up and running.

• Oregon Fly Fishing Blog  Fishing reports, conservation news, fishing advice, and hot fly patterns.

• Oregon Trout - Nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving native wild fish. Site includes events, programs, education, and membership.

• Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife  Information about licenses and other regulations.  Sign up for their weekly fishing report.

• Rogue Flyfishers Covers fishing in Southern Oregon's famous Rogue River. The Rogue is one of eight rivers in the United States designated as wild and scenic. Although there are two major runs for the salmon and steelhead there are fish in the Rogue all year round. You can catch Chinook and Coho salmon, steelhead, brown trout, cutthroat, golden trout, catfish and in the lower part of the river there are still sturgeon. The Chinook and steelhead run in the fall and spring to spawn upriver, and there is also a Coho run in the fall.

• Salmon Trout Steelheader   Salmon Trout Steelheader is a 90-page go-to guide for fishing in the Northwest.

• Small Stream Salmon  Fishing  This site offers a variety of videos about Northwest fish and fishing, wildlife and how-to information.  Once you on the site, you will spend hours watching the videos (free downloads) and learning about fly fishing in the Pacific Northwest.  Thanks Matthew and Chrissy (creators of the site).

• Stonefly Maidens  The mission of Stonefly Maidens is to create opportunities, encourage, educate, and mentor women’s participation in the sport of fly fishing.  Their goal is to bring women together who share a love of fly fishing and the beauty of nature to create friendships and lasting memories.

• Western Fly Fishing Covers fishing in Oregon and Washington.  An excellent site with information on river levels, reservoir levels, fish counts, hatches, etc.
  

Hunting

Brian Maguire of Portland carries a lifelong conservation ethic on his hunter's sleeve and knows how to use both the federal and state systems of public land management to get attention for wild areas.  His participation in the Mount Hood bill resulted in protection of about 16,000 of the bill's 125,000-acre addition to the wilderness that just cleared a Senate committee. All of it is prime winter habitat for deer, elk and hundreds of other fish and wildlife species benefiting from protection.  In 2007, Field & Stream magazine named him one of six finalists in its "Heroes of Conservation" awards.  His passion is big game hunting.

For bird hunters, Oregon has two choices:  chukars and waterfowl.  The state has a very limited population of pheasants.  Quail, along with grouse (blues and ruffed), can also be found in the state and offer the upland hunter some opportunity to 'get out' and explore the country. Chukars can be found in public lands of which there is an abundance in the state.  The sport requires physical endurance and you'll never see an overweight chukar hunter.  Chukar hunters have a saying that captures the essence of the hunt: "The first time you go chukar hunting for fun, after that it is for revenge."  Chukar hunters enjoy some of the most spectacular scenery in the state as the photo on the right will attest to - here are two dogs pointing a covey of chukars near the top of a canyon.  You need a steady dog that ranges far out to be successful. 

Sauvie Island Waterfowl Hunting   Few U.S. cities are within a 30-minute drive of a major waterfowl hunting area. Portland is an exception. Northwest of the city, Sauvie Island's 12,000-plus acre wildlife management area, owned and managed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, is a major stopover and wintering area for many of the Pacific Flyway's ducks and geese.  The management area offers regular hunting throughout the duck season and limited goose hunting. It's divided into three zones:

• West side:  Hunting is allowed every other day for everyone who shows up to draw numbered chips from a bag an hour and a half before shooting hours. Each chip is numbered to determine the order by which the best blinds and ponds are selected. Much of the west side is unfarmed ponds and marshes or flooded pastures.
  

• East side:  Hunting is allowed every other day by reservation only (same days as west side and same days as comparable areas in the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, across the Columbia River in Washington).

• North side:  Reached at the end of Reeder Road on the east side and open to hunters, hikers, bird watchers, etc. (but no motor vehicles) seven days a week through the hunting season.

Reservations are by application and are separated into several segments throughout the hunting season. There is a stand-by line each hunt morning from which unfilled reservations are filled on a first-come basis. Often, those who get bad draws on the west side drive to the stand-by line on the east to take their chances.  Contact information:  Sauvie Island Wildlife Area Hunt Result Hotline (503) 657-2000 x395 or Sauvie Island Wild Life Area main line (503) 621-3488.

Links

• Buck's Bags  This Boise, Idaho company has a well designed upland bird vest that can be worn in every weather condition.

• Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife  Information about licenses and other regulations.  Ladies, check out their "Outdoor Education" programs.

• Oregon Hunters Association  OHA is the largest non-profit conservation organization in the state of Oregon dedicated to wildlife, wildlife habitat, and hunter's rights.

• Pacific Northwest Chapter of NAVHDA  If you have a pointing dog, this is the organization to join.  Lots of activities and knowledgeable people to help train your dog.  NAVHDA was founded to foster the breeding, training and testing of versatile hunting dogs.

• Wes Wallace Custom Bows  Wes has been building bows since 1978 and he keeps the quality of his bows consistent by doing all the work himself on every bow he creates.  His 3D archery course and target butts on his seven acre home site in Beavercreek (just south of Portland) gives customers a chance to try out his bows.

• White Water Gun Dog Training  Rob Barlow's 125 acre site is approximately 65 miles from downtown Portland. The grounds of rolling terrain mixed with several ponds and wooded lots makes it an ideal facility for dog training.  Rob trains flushing dogs, pointers, and retrievers. 

SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway
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Portland, Oregon 97221
(503) 297-1033

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