Chehalem Ridge Nature Park - in the fog and in the sun

Metro opened a brand-new park last month! 

Chehalem Ridge Nature Park is about 35 minutes from our house, and I couldn't wait to check it out! Eryn and I were supposed to explore over Winter Break, but the freak snow and ice storm deterred our plans.

MLK Jr. Day gave Eryn, Mom, and me the perfect opportunity to visit. Unfortunately, we were stuck in some of the densest fog I've seen, and there were NO views! The drive through the country was a bit dicey, too 😬

Open just a month, the park is pristine! Because of COVID, the restrooms and water fountains are closed. But porta-potties provide toilet facilities.

We hiked the Woodland, Ayeekwa, Witches Butter, Timber Road, Ammefu, and Castor trails for about 4 miles:

The fog was gorgeous:

This was supposed to be a viewpoint:

The crew:

Then we went to Gaston for some questionable food from a taco truck.

I wanted to run about 8 trail miles last Sunday, so Brad and I returned to Chehalem Ridge to explore more of the park - in the sun!

Here's that view:

I ran all the same trails but also added the Zorzal and Mampai trails to this 360-degree view:

The forest is dense, so I left my sunglasses in the car. That was fine until I got to the top. SO BRIGHT!

We arrived early(ish) before the crowds. I saw just one cyclists in my 4-mile trek to the lookout. As I headed down from the top, I was literally telling myself how nice it was to be out there alone when I rounded the corner and came face to face with a running group - maybe a dozen headed up the hill!

I took a left to avoid the crowd and ended up running in a big circle. HA! Then my descent was scattered with other trail users, but nothing too bad. Still, the solitude of the first half was my preference.

Brad rode his mountain bike while I ran. All but two of the trails are open to bikes. He said it was fun but not super thrilling. He says he'll run next time and leave the wheels at home.

I'm looking forward to returning when I need a bit more mileage so I can explore the farther trails. :)