Marquam Trail to Council Crest

Back Again For More Fun & Games

Hi to all! I haven't updated in more than a month--I was hit by a car on May 4th, but that's all I'll say about the experience now. I am doing mostly treadmill and trail running now and am following my SmartCoach marathon training program--so I am back on course for the 2010 Portland Marathon!

Running the Marquam Trail

Today's run was terrific! I headed out to the Marquam Trail on Terwilliger Blvd., here in Portland, Oregon, at about 9am. Here I am, about to head out the front door, wearing my Nike+ Sportband. The weather was RAINY, 54 degrees, with a slight breeze.

The Marquam Trail to Council Crest run is 3.9 miles each way, absolutely crammed with natural beauties throughout. Here's a picture of the trailhead:

 
Within a few feet of entering the forest canopy is the first of several streams and a small plank bridge. The bridge can be very slippery in wet weather, so proceed carefully. Here is a little stream:

Some places in the trail are reinforced with logs, and a few protruding tree roots provide a foothold on some of the steeper parts.

The abundant plant growth is a testament to both the rich soil and the regular rainfall for which the Pacific Northwest is famous! Additionally, this means that you WILL get smacked in the face by trailing wet vines and overgrowth. I love you, Oregon.

 

The Marquam Trail to Council Crest run is made up of gentle ups & downs combined with some pretty steep switchbacks to build the maximum distance and opportunities for scenery appreciation into a fairly small area. Keen observers will be able to spot owls in the roof of the forest, while lots of other woodland folk scamper about the ravine floors and across the few natural log bridges. FYI, scampering across the natural log bridge is forbidden to all humans who do not wish to slip, fall, and impale themselves on sudden hedgehogs.

WARNING: Banana Slugs live here. And thrive. I encountered 4 crossing my path on the trail. Sadly, only 3 survived. Can you say it with me? "EEEEWWWWW!!!!!"

You do have to cross several regular streets as you advance along the trail, but don't let that worry you. The trails are well-marked and you won't get lost. Plus, traffic is minimal on the high roads. Still, look both ways before crossing!

I was working pretty hard by the time I was 2.94 miles in, which is when I took a short break to get my wind back. Even though the trail is heavily shaded and fairly short for the hardcore runner, I always recommend taking water with you.

And here it is, the extraordinary and wonderful sign at the top of Council Crest. The park is very nice, and there is a great view of the four volcanoes from the look-out point. I didn't get any pictures of that, though. :(

And here's me, Heather, deliriously happy to have reached the halfway point! (The water tower is in the background, behind the poplars). I rested for about 2 minutes before proceeding back down the way I came.

What an amazing ride! I practically FLEW with wings on my feet! Guess what? Gravity works! It was an incredible rush to be so free. I relaxed into the downhill run and sung along to my playlist at the top of my lungs. Probably should have made sure there wasn't anyone else coming up the trail from the opposite way, though--it startled the two trail maintenance dudes nearly out of their SKINS to see a freaky wild-eyed redhead pelting down the hillside shouting the lyrics to "Pump It" by the Black-Eyed Peas! Ah, lessons learned.

Okay, whose brilliant idea was it to leave a fallen log right in the middle of the trail? Watch out for this on your way up and back. Some light-footed folks have been known to leap over this thing with gazelle-like grace, but it extends more than two feet above the ground, and was wet and slippery, so I basically slid over it uncomfortably (I'm 5'2"). One of the few down-notes to this otherwise excellent trail run!

 

Here I am, breathing so hard at mile 6 that there's a VISIBLE cloud of vapor around my mouth and nose. Attractive, n'est pas? :)

Thought I'd have a little fun toward the end of the trail and just snap random photos while I was running. Mostly they were just blurry, but there's a couple okay ones:

Well, maybe this one was REALLY blurry:

Here's the view of Terwilliger Blvd. as you exit the trail.

 

Funny how the sun ONLY started to shine as I was heading up the street to my car:

RE-CAP:

               The Marquam Trail to Council Crest run was a lot of muddy, endorphin-raising fun! I will definitely be doing it again--and I'd recommend it as a great way to stay fit and soak up a few of Nature's wonders, too!