Portland OR in 2 weeks – route suggestions.

[Harald Hope]

I may have 5 to 6 days free on a trip to Portland OR, where I used to live, but never backpacked there properly (lots of gorge day hikes etc, but for some reason no backpacking, no idea why).

If anyone has some particularly good loops where I can cut them shorter or do longer, or in and out trips is fine too.

I'm not sure about my knees right now, so I may have to bail on longer trips at little notice so a loop where I can cut it shorter is preferred, or an in/out trek where I can just turn around or stop at a lake or something for a day or two would be fine as well.

Out of the sun as much as possible, ie, in forest, taking some meds right now that I'm supposed to stay out of the sun as much as I can, though I can do long sleeves and hat so that shouldn't be a real problem.

Oh, no car, so ideally trailhead is accessible reasonably close to mass transit, though I may be able to get friends to give me a ride to it, but not certainly back.

I can just wander around Mt. Hood, which is fine with me, and around the gorge area, but thought someone might be able to suggest a particularly nice spot. Or if I were lucky, starting further away from Portland and heading back towards it. Not sure, will depend on what time I have.

This will be between July 10-17.

Any ideas appreciated, thanks.

[Mary D]

http://www.portlandhikers.org/

It might be still too early for the really high elevations. We had such a cold and wet "Junuary" that the meltout is currently only about a week ahead of last year (which was an all-time late meltout). Pretty much all snow above 5,000 feet.

[Harald Hope]

Oh, I wouldn't even have thought of snow that low this time of year, thanks for that, will help.

[Author]

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