Better late than never.
It was a long winter in the Pacific Northwest but I'm finally emerging from my seven month blogging hibernation. We didn't stop hiking when the weather turned last fall - we still did plenty of it in the rain and snow - I just lost momentum with writing up our hikes. (I remember sitting down to write after a solo hike along the Eagle Creek Trail a few days after the election but couldn't muster the energy or will to do so. And somehow that lack of will to write continued for months.)
A lot has also changed in our lives since my last post on our trip to the Canadian Rockies. We are pregnant and due August 28! Lindsay is feeling good and the baby is moving a lot, which is exciting. We have also embarked on the journey of finding and buying a home. As a result, we've slowed down a bit with our weekend adventures and are focusing on preparing for these exciting, daunting life transitions. We still relish every opportunity to get outside and into the woods, even if it is less often.
Lindsay and I knew that early June would probably be our last opportunity to go backpacking before welcoming our new addition in August, so we jumped on it. We were looking for a relatively flat trail that was not too far from Portland. My brother Myles and his girlfriend Rosemary made a last minute decision to join us.
The Salmon River Trail is a true gem. Just a little over an hour from Portland, it is a super accessible trail that winds along the river through lush old growth forest. There are numerous areas along the river to camp. The trail climbs from the Salmon River a few miles to a bluff with multiple viewpoints of the Salmon River Gorge. The entire 33.5-mile river is a protected National Wild and Scenic River.
Since the days are so long in June, we decide to hike in a mile or so Friday night rather than camp at the Green Canyon Campground (which is just a few hundred yards from the trailhead). I had read that there were sites along the river within the first 2 miles - and there were plenty. We arrive at a beautiful spot along the river under some massive old growth trees and set camp before spending the rest of the evening in our hammocks looking out at the raging river.
I have spent so many nights in our tent over the last few years. I am particularly grateful to be here now enjoying a few nights under the trees before the baby comes. While our lives will certainly change, we are both committed to our love of the outdoors and introducing our little one to nature as soon and as often as we can.
We are on our way shortly after 9 am after a hearty breakfast of oatmeal and coffee. I am in awe of the forest here. The trail in this section along the river is relatively flat. We pass multiple large campsites by the river and I think about how relatively easy it would be to backpack here with kids. A short walk in, not too far from Portland, in a beautiful, lush forest.
After a few miles wandering the trail through the woods, we begin climbing away from the river. Soon, we arrive at the first viewpoint on the bluff overlooking the canyon. I can see snow topping trees in the distance high up on a ridge.
We take in the views at the bluffs for a few minutes and continue onwards. Our goal is to reach Goat Creek (about 5.5 miles from the trailhead) and set camp there for the night.
We cross Goat Creek and notice a handful of sites below the trail. Within minutes, our packs our off and we're enjoying a snack. For now, we are alone.
Not long after we set up camp, another group descends and snags the other two sites by the creek. We spend the afternoon in our hammocks - reading, napping, watching day hikers and backpackers walk the trail above us.
I doze in the hammock for a few hours. Our priorities for the afternoon: nap, make coffee, keep beer chilled in the cold creek, drink beer. (Oh, and try to forget about the two women who set up their camp literally 15 feet from us. We aren't sure why they decided they needed to be so close to us and were frustrated by their poor etiquette.)
That evening, we enjoy dinner by the fire. Our first (and most likely last) backpacking trip of the summer is a success, made even more enjoyable by our hiking companions, Myles and Rosemary.
I drift off listening to the creek and sleep soundly.
In the morning, we enjoy oatmeal and coffee for breakfast before tearing down our camp and making our way home.
We take a quick break at this outcropping. The nearby peaks are still dusted in snow and fog clings to the trees in the distance.
A few miles from the trailhead we encounter a group of about five guys hauling their kayaks and gear on their backs. They had planned to drop down into the gorge about four miles in (probably around the bluffs). A few years ago we saw a short documentary on these pro kayakers who hike into the gorge and kayak the rugged river (10 - 80 foot waterfalls). I'm 99% positive this group was the same group of guys from the documentary. Talk about badass.
We make good time on our hike out and before we know it we are back at the car, saying goodbye. Myles and Rosemary make their way back to Seattle and us to Portland.
I am grateful for the opportunity to backpack with my brother for the first time (hopefully, the first of many trips). I am also grateful for summertime, which is finally upon us. For the health of Lindsay and our future child. For quiet moments in nature for the mind to be still. For massive, ancient trees. For the beautiful Salmon River.
There is not much better than a weekend in the woods with the people you love.