An Oxbow Park Recliner Hike through the back door 06/23/13

This forum is used to share your experiences out on the trails.
User avatar
Guy
Posts: 3333
Joined: May 10th, 2009, 4:42 pm
Location: The Foothills of Mt Hood
Contact:

An Oxbow Park Recliner Hike through the back door 06/23/13

Post by Guy » June 23rd, 2013, 5:21 pm

Image
Opening pic

We had high hopes of a trip up to Paradise Park today but the fickle Oregon weather dashed those hopes! In the end we decided on something local, we live only a mile from the "Back Door" officially called the Equestrian Trailhead into Oxbow Park. So setting off from home on foot we went to Oxbow Park.

Image

The Equestrian Trailhead is at the end of Homan Rd. & drops quickly through the trees from 700'.

Image

At junction I on the map above there is a trail that loops around Elk Meadow & rejoins the main trail down to the park at junction H. However of much more interest is a trail that they have taken off their maps it runs from Junction I downhill to intersect with the park road near B on the Map above. The trail is still perfectly passable, I don't know why they have taken it off the map as it makes a much better loop option & travels through some of the best woodland in the Park.

Image Image
The Hidden Trail!

Image
It be green in there....

Once we reached the Park road we crossed over & walked along the River Bank Trail.

Image

We continued heading along the River bank trail to the boat Ramp & then on a little further to where you can see the Trees that were buried in sediment washed down by the 1781 Eruption of Mt. Hood. These tree snags started being unearthed a few years ago as the Sandy started to erode its bank next to the Park Campground.

Image Image

We hiked past the Campsite's extensive Rule Board, one rule in particular would preclude me from camping here ;) ...

Image

We continued heading upstream towards the end of the riverbank trail just past junction J.

Image

We then doubled back to Junction J & made our way to G through some lovely old forest.

Image Image

Once we reached G it was up the main trail to Elk Meadow to complete the loop.

Image Image

Once we reached Junction I again we came across what we think turned out to be just a well used game trail, we followed it for about half a mile or so to the boundary of the park through some lovely woodland before turning turning back.

Image

On the way back up to the trail head we noticed some of the trail railings had date stamps, this one was dated 1952.

Image Image

Once we got back to the house we noticed the Garmin had clocked 9.9 miles so we had to do a loop of the garden to push it over 10 :D ..

Image Image

10 miles & home in time for lunch! A few more pics of the day here.

Image
hiking log & photos.
Ad monte summa aut mors

pablo
Posts: 1451
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm

Re: An Oxbow Park Recliner Hike through the back door 06/23/

Post by pablo » June 23rd, 2013, 5:47 pm

Guy,

That's pretty good distance and elevation gain for a nearby hike, I'll have to try that next rainy day as I'm not that far from there myself or at least with in biking distance. Nice photos and illustrative text, thx.

--Paul
The future's uncertain and the end is always near.

User avatar
Guy
Posts: 3333
Joined: May 10th, 2009, 4:42 pm
Location: The Foothills of Mt Hood
Contact:

Re: An Oxbow Park Recliner Hike through the back door 06/23/

Post by Guy » June 23rd, 2013, 6:22 pm

I'll have to try that next rainy day as I'm not that far from there myself
I've lived within 2 miles of the Oxbow Park Equestrian Trail Head for the last 20 years Paul, this was my second visit :) ... It's so easy to ignore what's on your door step!
hiking log & photos.
Ad monte summa aut mors

User avatar
Peder
Posts: 3401
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:02 pm
Location: Lake Oswego

Re: An Oxbow Park Recliner Hike through the back door 06/23/

Post by Peder » June 24th, 2013, 11:00 am

Guy wrote:We hiked past the Campsite's extensive Rule Board, one rule in particular would preclude me from camping here ;) ...
Yes, camping without fireworks is worthless! I have only visited once, now I need to go back and look at the trees from 1781.
Some people are really fit at eighty; thankfully I still have many years to get into shape…

User avatar
Guy
Posts: 3333
Joined: May 10th, 2009, 4:42 pm
Location: The Foothills of Mt Hood
Contact:

Re: An Oxbow Park Recliner Hike through the back door 06/23/

Post by Guy » June 24th, 2013, 11:22 am

Yes, camping without fireworks is worthless!
:lol: :lol: :lol:
hiking log & photos.
Ad monte summa aut mors

User avatar
cincodemayo
Posts: 76
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:01 pm

Re: An Oxbow Park Recliner Hike through the back door 06/23/

Post by cincodemayo » June 24th, 2013, 11:29 am

Guy-san, it seems like it was very relaxing nice hike!
Very pretty there.
It seems like I won't be able to bring my boys but i'd love to try.

Thank you for sharing.

Chizuru

User avatar
Guy
Posts: 3333
Joined: May 10th, 2009, 4:42 pm
Location: The Foothills of Mt Hood
Contact:

Re: An Oxbow Park Recliner Hike through the back door 06/23/

Post by Guy » June 24th, 2013, 4:11 pm

It seems like I won't be able to bring my boys but i'd love to try.
No dogs, no alcohol, no fireworks, it's a wonder that anyone goes there ;)
hiking log & photos.
Ad monte summa aut mors

User avatar
Crusak
Posts: 3617
Joined: August 6th, 2009, 7:33 pm
Location: Oregon

Re: An Oxbow Park Recliner Hike through the back door 06/23/

Post by Crusak » June 24th, 2013, 7:09 pm

10 miles and nearly 1700' EG recliner hike. :D That's quite a gem in your backyard! I've never been there myself.
Guy wrote:
It seems like I won't be able to bring my boys but i'd love to try.
No dogs, no alcohol, no fireworks no fun allowed, it's a wonder that anyone goes there ;)


:)
Jim's Hikes

Solvitur Ambulando

User avatar
Don Nelsen
Posts: 4377
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Location: Vancouver, WA

Re: An Oxbow Park Recliner Hike through the back door 06/23/

Post by Don Nelsen » June 24th, 2013, 8:15 pm

Guy,

Thanks for the delightful TR! Oxbow sure has changed since the first time I went there - We got $5/day for working there when the park was still being developed in the early 60's - (and glad to get it!)

Those trees from the 1781 eruption are very interesting and amazing what good shape they are in after so many years. Reminds me of the forest on the coast that ended up below sea level from land subsidence from a centuries old earthquake where the trees now appear and disappear in the surf with the shifting sand.

dn
"Everything works in the planning stage" - Kelly

"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller

User avatar
dchairet
Posts: 2
Joined: July 13th, 2013, 11:36 am
Location: Happy Valley, OR
Contact:

Re: An Oxbow Park Recliner Hike through the back door 06/23/

Post by dchairet » July 13th, 2013, 11:54 am

I've got a question! :)

I've been looking into going to Oxbow to hike and camp for a night or two, but in my case, I would need to trek from the nearest tri-met stop to the park. Google Maps says it would be a 5 mile, 90 minute walk.

My question is, do they still make you pay the vehicle fee if you are walking in for just hiking or camping? The fee might just be forced on campers, but I don't know. Anyone happen to know?

Here's my blog entry on what I know so far: http://sociallyawkwardjellyfish.blogspo ... -from.html Any advice would really be great!
Life hacking tips for Portlanders:
http://sociallyawkwardjellyfish.blogspot.com/

Post Reply