Walk 31: Gresham Butte Saddle Trail (5 miles)

Yet another path built around a lava dome (how many are there in this city?). I parked in a residential neighborhood and headed for a Dead End sign. As happens so many times on these walks, right when the road looks like it’s ending, a trail appears magically. This is one of my favorite sights:



The first mile-plus goes through the Gresham Butte Natural Area, which follows a logging road in very nice shape, with lots of trees for wind breaks:



The path then leads to residential road, which then turns on to the Springwater Corridor Trail. Déjà vu hit at this point, as I remembered this trail from Walk 17. About half of that (not too exciting) walk was repeated on this route. Oh well. At least the temperature was about 15 degrees warmer today, if it was still windy. What’s the deal, is Gresham the "Chicago of the Northwest?" I thought that distinction went to The Dalles.



This Trail goes past several cemeteries, and this time I walked around one of them a bit, taking in the names and dates. The book points out that Miyo Iwakoshi, believed to be the first Japanese person to live in Oregon, is buried at the Gresham Cemetery. I didn’t see her burial site, but this historic place certainly filled me with a sense of reverence and reminded me (like I need it) of my fragile humanity. How in the heck can people vandalize places like this? Talk about bad karma.



I finished up by going to the start of Walk 17's optional Route Two (since I was in the neighborhood), to check out the Historic Columbia Brick Works. Tall fences blocked most of the large buildings, I passed this very big, very impressive pile of bricks. Ever wonder where the bad bricks go? Now I know.

Walk 17: Springwater Corridor Trail to Linneman Station (6.5 miles)

This wins the dubious distinction as the straightest, and most boring, of the nature walks so far. There's a sameness to the scrub along the sides of the paved path, which meanders along a fairly nondescript creek, until you arrive at the frankly anticlimactic replica of "historic" (read as "nothing happening now") Linneman Station. But as with all things, there are good moments, like this colorful creek picture.



At least it was a long walk, and a good workout!