The last week has been sunny and the temperature is inching higher; warm weather is so close we can taste it. Since we were in Portland from February-April 2016, we’re right at the three year window and it’s been fun comparing how different it’s been this time around.

Winter 2016 was very mild, but also very wet. The temperatures hovered around 50 (the average for PNW winters), and there were many gray and drizzly days (also average for PNW winters). Winter 2018 has been vastly different! The temperatures this go-round have been well below average with more 30-degree days than we’d care to count and a couple of snow days thrown in there. We didn’t see snow at all in 2016 unless we went into the mountains, so, needless to say, we were surprised.

Snowy runs in Forest Park

Muddy runs in Forest Park

Precipitation is another area that has surprised us this time. While 2016 was pretty gray and wet, 2019 has been…I don’t want to jinx it…sunny and dry. There have been days of rain, but more often than not the sun is shining. While the city has been dry, the mountains have been getting a lot of snow. We’ve seen snow much lower on Mt. Hood than in 2016 and all of the trails we’ve hiked have been covered in the white stuff. A big part of the reason we haven’t done much hiking this winter has been because of the cold as well as the snowy (and therefore sloppy) trail conditions.

Weather aside, we’re still really enjoying our time here. We’re not as gung-ho about seeing and doing all the things as we were in 2016, and have been taking our time settling into a routine. The food and beer are still top notch, though we do need to prioritize getting out more.

We’re really excited for the rest of spring and summer since we haven’t gotten to experience those yet. Big plans include: seeing the rose test garden in full bloom, getting to the National Forests, and spending some time on the coast.

Whenever we don’t feel like packing up the car and driving to the mountains, we explore neighborhoods around town and call it urban hiking.

Mt. Tabor

Mt. Tabor is a park on a dormant volcano located in Southeast Portland. We venture over here every once in a while to walk around the trails and let the dog run around. There are about 5 miles of trails throughout the park and plenty of green space. Cars are only allowed in the lower area of the park and aren’t allowed at all on Wednesdays, so it’s the perfect place to go for a relaxing walk. On a clear day, you get a beautiful view of Mt. Hood from the top of the park.

North Portland

St. John’s Bridge

We initially planned to walk across the St. John’s Bridge and hike some of the northern trails in Forest Park. We made it about halfway across the bridge before deciding that we’d actually rather walk around the neighborhood since it’s a place we’ve never been before. The bridge itself is a gorgeous piece of architecture, and the area around it was surprisingly lively. We were right near Cathedral Park, which is nestled in an old industrial area of the city right on the Willamette River. The park got its name from the Gothic arches supporting the bridge. We walked along the beach and Snickers had a blast running in the sand and wading in the water. We ended up walking around abandoned warehouses and an eco-industrial space called Green Anchors.

Washington Park

Washington Park in the fall

International Rose Test Garden

Mt. Hood from Washington Park

Washington Park is another large green space in Northwest Portland. We walk here often from our apartment and wander through the neighborhoods on our way to and from. There are amazing houses in the Goose Hollow neighborhood, and you can’t beat an ice cream cone from Salt and Straw in the Alphabet District. Washington Park is also home to the arboretum, the Oregon Zoo, and the International Rose Test Garden to name a few attractions. We haven’t explored the whole park, but we like walking along the trails and through the gardens.

Hoyt Arboretum and Pittock Mansion

Hoyt Arboretum

Hoyt Arboretum

Pittock Mansion

Hoyt Arboretum

At the northwest end of Washington Park lies the Hoyt Arboretum – 190 acres of trees and gardens with 12 miles of trails winding throughout. Portland got a dusting of snow in early February, and we headed here on a Sunday morning while there was still snow on the ground. There are plenty of well-marked trails throughout the park, and we did the 1-hour loop (didn’t actually take us 1 hour; it was about 1 mile long) followed by a 1.5 mile hike on the Wildwood Trail up to the Pittock Mansion. The arboretum and trails were not too difficult and are a great way to get into nature without traveling outside of the city. The Pittock Mansion is a gorgeous structure that sits atop a hill with a magnificent view of downtown Portland and the mountains. It was built in 1909 and purchased by the city of Portland in the 1960s as a historic site.

We have not done a lot of hiking lately. Between travel and minor surgery (for the dog, she’s fine) we just haven’t gotten out of the city much. We’ve still spent a good amount of time on the trails, but they’ve been ones we’ve done many times before – a perk of living in a city surrounded by great trails. Hopefully we can get back in the swing of things in February.

Oregon Coast to Neahkahnie Mountain

In mid-January we ventured out to the coast to do a long hike. The weather ended up being perfect – it was sunny and so warm we had to keep shedding layers. The trail is a 7 mile, moderately trafficked out-and-back with an elevation gain of 2,200 ft. It is accessible from both a north and south trailhead; we started on the south side which has the steeper climb. The trail climbed 1.5 miles to the peak where we were treated to sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean before winding down to to an overlook. Even with the elevation, the trail is moderate and the view at the top makes the burning legs worth it.