Feliz Dia de la madre! Bonne Fete des meres (a l 'heure americaine & Colombienne)

May 10th 2008: Exploring Portland

This weekend, we stayed in Portland and decided to relax and to practise our hiking capabilities.
Portland has a wonderful forest, Forest Park, with a multitude of trails including the Wildwood trail, famous to cross the whole forest and with a lenght of about 30 miles.

Forest Park is the largest forested urban park in USA!

After buying the precious trail map, we headed to a quick hike in Forest Park:

Quick Facts:

Hike length: 8.54 miles
Hike duration: 3 hours
Elevation gain: 670 ft

Suite et fin du recit des aventures a Rogue River

After finding the Tacoma campground, we noticed quickly that we were not alone: a group of 20 kayak-rafting people were already here and getting ready for the night. Not only they have tents, but as well, all equipment to set up a real kitchen, barbeque, oven cooking, it was just...amazing. They were very curious about the French girl being married to the Columbian guy, who met in Germany (we always got the same questions and reactions from anyone meeting us for the first time: where are you from? where did you meet? And then 'awwww')
These people were extremly nice, and invited us to share their feast. We had an incredibely dinner in the middle of nowhere, and unexpected. It was wonderful.
Next day, we decided to stay at the same campground, and to hike along the river. We hiked until Brushy Bar, and went back. We were in secret hoping that another kayaking group would show up with their food...but no. The next day, we hiked back to our car, lighter and eager to finish in a record time! And we did it!

Here is the trip in 3D:



Stats:
Total number of miles hiked: 7+6+7= 20 miles in 3 days
Ivan backpack weight at beginning of trip: +/- 40 Lbs
Laurita backpack weight at beginning of trip: +/- 30 Lbs
Time to reach Tacoma campground (7 miles) on the first day: 4 hours
Time to reach back our car (7 miles) on Monday: 2 hours and 45 minutes

Cheers:

- Ivan successfuly lighting up a fire and peeing on it to stop it
- Meeting the kayaking group on Saturday night: this is why we love Americans in Oregon: very curious, eager to learn more about us, sharing and friendly
- First backpacking trip, and no glitches. Backpacks are our friends now!
- Cheers to Free campground with vault toilets - what do we need more anyway? (thank you Oregon Taxes)
- bear-free trip

Jeers:

- Laurita bringing too MUCH food and making the total weight to wear EXTREMLY high
- Price of gasoline

Interlude - Pictures of the Rogue River trip

As soon as this hectic week welcomes the weekend, we will be telling all about the rest of the trip. Be patient...and meanwhile, enjoy the pics: