I'm coming for 2 weeks... (Portland, Lake Oswego: transfer, move, yard)

[circa81]

And I could use some advice. This visit will be mostly recreational, but I also want to gauge the city for when I, hopefully, will move there, which is why, as of now, anyway, I plan to go in winter. Yes, I know about the weather, but I want to see if I can handle it, and coming from New England, I know I can handle the summers there. Is it so wet in winter that I shouldn't wear jeans? Will I need a full rain coat all the time, and are the big hiking areas even open in winter?
I'm a tree junkie, so I will spend most of my time in in the wooded areas in town. I can't drive, so I have to stick within the city limits, unless I find a decent hiking tour. Is there enough forested areas to fill up two weeks of hiking? I love the huge trees of the PNW, and I want to see all that Portland has to offer, so that's my top priority. What about waterfalls and lakes? How Isolated can you get in Forest Park and other woodlands? Like, is it always filled with hikers on the trails, or can you go hours without seeing anyone? Which transit lines go to the big hiking areas in town? Which has the fewest transfers? I'm a great walker, do I even need to take public transit to get to the woods?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[skiffrace]

>>Is it so wet in winter that I shouldn't wear jeans? Will I need a full rain coat all the time,
You can wear jeans as long as you carry an umbrella as well. Otherwise, they will get wet and clammy.
You don't plan to wear jeans when hiking though, do you?

>>and are the big hiking areas even open in winter?
All hiking areas are open year-round, except the (occasional) mudslides, which happen, but infrequently.

>>Is there enough forested areas to fill up two weeks of hiking?
Even within the greater PDX metro area that is accessible by public transit, you'll find 2 weeks-worth of good hiking.
The truly great hiking however exists in Columbia Gorge\Mt Hood, and those areas don't have any public transit.

As far as some good places in\near Portland:
Forest Park - the flagship
Marquam Park - fantastic, hilly trails next to downtown
Powell Butte - nice views
Mount Tabor - ditto
Tryon Creek - beautiful park in the middle of Lake Oswego, the most wooded part of Portland
Cooper Mountain - a bucolic area on the outskirts of town
.. a good deal more, these are the main ones I can think of first


>>What about waterfalls and lakes?
Waterfalls are again, mostly in Columbia Gorge, no public transit. Some lakes (ex. Sauvie Island) are accessible by public transit, others (ex. near Mt. Hood, or in Washington State) only by car.

>>How Isolated can you get in Forest Park and other woodlands? Like, is it always filled with hikers on the
>>trails, or can you go hours without seeing anyone?
During the work-week you can go for hours and hours without seeing anyone. During the weekend you'll meet other hikers\runners, though not a big crowd of them (say, a hiker\runner every 10-15 minutes or so, depending whether it rains or not at the time ;-).

>>Which transit lines go to the big hiking areas in town?
See Trimet - PDX metro area public transit

[bler144]

For a short city hike in winter you could do jeans depending on the day. A lot of our rain is more like drizzle than actual rain. Still, you'd improve things by putting a light rain-resistant layer over the jeans. But you're not going to get hypothermia in one hour in the arboretum in jeans unless it's unusually rainy and cold.

Hiking up the gorge you'd want something a bit more water resistant, especially since if you're checking out any of the falls the spray from the falls will kick off way more moisture than the rain tends to. Part of the fun of Multnomah Falls is getting drenched just standing on the observation deck 30 yards from the actual falls.

As for where to walk, there are a ton of options.

I'd qualify skiff's answer a little - there are a few areas in the Cascades at higher altitude that close during the winter, or at least the road access to them is drastically reduced if you don't have a 4wd vehicle (and chains). But none of those that come to mind are particularly close to Portland anyway.

[EnricoV]

This board seems to be pretty active, you might find more specific answers, and be able to hook up with other hikers or tours there:

Portland Hikers Field Guide

You do want to get out at least once into the Gorge, though. It's spectacular. This group has planned hikes, which might be a good idea. You don't want to be one of those hikers that seem frequently to get lost.

Friends of the Columbia Gorge*:*Index

Outside of hiking, jeans will do fine. A waterproof jacket, preferably hooded. People in Portland tend not to carry umbrellas, as they're usually not convenient. Hoods work much better.

[oldtintype]

Originally Posted by bler144

For a short city hike in winter you could do jeans depending on the day. A lot of our rain is more like drizzle than actual rain. Still, you'd improve things by putting a light rain-resistant layer over the jeans. But you're not going to get hypothermia in one hour in the arboretum in jeans unless it's unusually rainy and cold.

Hiking up the gorge you'd want something a bit more water resistant, especially since if you're checking out any of the falls the spray from the falls will kick off way more moisture than the rain tends to. Part of the fun of Multnomah Falls is getting drenched just standing on the observation deck 30 yards from the actual falls.

As for where to walk, there are a ton of options.

I'd qualify skiff's answer a little - there are a few areas in the Cascades at higher altitude that close during the winter, or at least the road access to them is drastically reduced if you don't have a 4wd vehicle (and chains). But none of those that come to mind are particularly close to Portland anyway.

Unless you plan to hike for miles and miles jeans are fine. I walk in Forest Park in the winter at least once per month (and other places too), I always wear Jeans and water proof shoes and a breathable rain jacket. I don't use an umbrella and I don't hike in anything but jeans. Apart from them getting damp if it's pouring (which usually it doesn't) or the bottoms getting a bit wet it's fine. Rain is not RAIN here for the most part, it's light rain. On the few occasion it POURS here it probably isn't a good time to hike anyway.

[skiffrace]

Originally Posted by oldtintype

Unless you plan to hike for miles and miles jeans are fine. ..

This is an important point. Your dress must reflect the length of time you'll be outside.
When hiking for several hours in winter, even on the sea-level trails in Portland, you must wear waterproof and breathable outfit: pants, jacket with hood and waterproof boots. On a typical drizzly day in winter, the temperature is usually only a few degrees above freezing - staying wet for several hours is very likely to cause hypothermia. The hardcore outdoorsmen have a saying: "Cotton kills".

If you come within next few months (summertime), shorts and t-shirt (plus good hiking boots) will be fine on the hikes in\around Portland.

Hiking in Columbia Gorge and near Mt. Hood however, is a serious proposition, and should not be taken lightly.
Even in summer time you must always have with you (in your backpack) a change of warm and waterproof clothes.
Ex. Mt. Defiance hike in the Gorge goes up to 5000', and it can still snow near the top as late as June.
Mt. Hood has even more severe weather.