S5. Hike #1 - Tryon Creek

 

Tryon Creek State Natural Area (First Day Hike)

Trail Map

Starting Location: parking area by Nature Center

Point of Interest : trails for hiking, biking, horse

Length of hike:  Several trails, we did about 5 miles

Level: easy to moderate (mud, some steepness)

Bathrooms: Yes, flush toilets in Nature Center

Parking: Large paved lot,

EV Chargers: No



Our second, First Day Hike, this time at Tryon Creek. There were 5 hikes of different lengths and starting times available today, and we chose, of course, the longest and earliest. We had Ranger Nick leading us today, and he stopped occasionally to teach us about this particular forest in general, and a few interesting specifics. Here he is explaining about how loggers would cut holes in the trees for their platforms to stand on while they sawed the tree down.


The trails are pretty well maintained, although we did have to step over a few trunks  and branches that had not been cleared yet, nothing too large. There was some mud and puddles, but nothing for a good pair of hiking boots to worry about.

We had about 45 people total on this hike, so our 11 in our group was about 25% of the group!


The forest had a lot of variety, and the creek running through it. Several small bridges, and a few spots along the trail where there was a boardwalk.

Some people had poles, and there were a few spots where it was steep and a bit slippery where they came in handy. 




It was a bit chilly, in the 40's, but we came prepared, and with the hiking warmth, it really was pretty comfortable. I took off my gloves early on, and my sweatshirt came off after this picture, a little over halfway through.


To make the 5 mile loop, we travelled on several of the trails that loop around the park. The final trail was a bike path that was along the road for a bit. Some nice houses over here on Terwilliger Road. 



Here is our after picture with our ranger guide, Nick.


Leanna also made some adorable Thingies That She Made™, with a waterfall picture on one side, and a (hopefully) comprehensive list of the hikes that we did in 2024. And we also got a new First Day Hike Pin from the ranger.



And then, we got to deal with my parking job after the hike. While backing up to park, the rear wheel of our Ioniq came off the curb, and I could not get enough traction to get back up. Luckily, our new ranger friend came by with a few buckets of gravel, and some 2x8 planks, and we were able to get back on the road.

 We then celebrated with a nice lunch at the McMenamins John Barleycorns in Tigard. A great way to start the new year.

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