On weekends I don't much care where I go. Waterfalls, views, flowers, whatever can wait for a weekday. I just need exercise and something like a little taste of solitude in nature--and that's a flexible definition of nature. Road noise, clearcuts, power lines, old roadbeds, etc can all work for me, as long as there's trees and dirt about somewhere.
I'd like to keep a ready list of "boring" hikes--the places where, given a nice summer weekend, people who have the opportunity to go anywhere else, will. For example, the trails at Powell Butte always seem to have more people during the week than weekends. Cascade Locks to Herman Creek Bridge was a go-to Sunday walk before the fire, with hardly any people once you got past Dry Creek Falls. Dry Creek trail in the Trapper Creek Wilderness area and Salmon Butte have also worked out for me on otherwise busy weekends.
My criteria:
- I can leave my house in Troutdale by around 8, and I need to be back by 3:30. Return time is not flexible, so drive and hiking time has to fit comfortably within that window. I'm not a particularly fast hiker.
- I'm open to just about any length or elevation gain that fits the time constraints. I'd ultimately like to have a good variety of near/far, long/short, hard/easy options. Even things like the Cazadero Trail that are more walks than hikes--sometimes that's just the ticket.
- Trailhead needs to be accessible to a Ford Focus
- I overheat at the drop of a hat, so I usually avoid things that are in direct sun the whole time. Fortunately never leaving tree cover is the exact definition of a boring hike for a lot of people
- Things that aren't currently accessible are fine, since this is a long-term list, but please do mention any seasonal restrictions.
I would add that I rarely bother to go to the end. I usually stop somewhere along the ridge.