Opening shot:
I've been wanting to find an excuse to visit for almost 8 years! It seems silly, but in the course of daily life and other things, you have these places stashed away in your mind and by the time you actually get to go, 8 years have gone by. Or so it was in my case on Saturday. I get to hike and backpack alot and yes, I like to crash down the trail, do peaks and valleys and miles and views, etc. I also like to just take it easy every once in awhile and do some simple meandering, maybe spot some wildlife. This place is perfect for that.
But I digress. The day started off with no real plans. I had wanted to get out and do some crazy hiking, but the weather was suspect for Saturday with Sunday being the better forecast. So we put off hiking plans for Sunday instead. We went to the PSU farmers market in the morning. It was springlike, with temps into the mid50's by late morning.
We didn't buy much today, so we headed up to Council Crest to see the mountains. They were all out, and it seemed like most of Portland was too since there was a crowd standing in the little monument, and not many places to park in the roundabout. Since it was so unexpectedly sunny and warm, we needed more of a nature fix, so "Hey! Let's go check out that Wildlife Refuge we've been talking about for 8 years!"
Bonus!
Yes!
It's pretty straightforward getting to the Wildlife Refuge, it's just NW of the small town of Ridgefield. We headed for the Oaks to Wetlands trail and pulled into the surprisingly full lot. This place is popular it seems. We paid the $3 fee and headed across the bridge over the busy railroad tracks.
There is a large wooden structure called the Cathlapotle Plankhouse
(not my photo)
The refuge is a sprawling wetland dotted with mighty oak trees and forested tree islands. There are several ponds and lakes, marshy areas and muddy trails. Various honking and trumpeting could be heard from all directions.
We spotted a large Egret stalking prey in one of the lakes. His white plumage stood out in stark contrast to the dark water. He was too far away for a picture, though. Here is one from the internet:
Some fog started to settle on the water as evening approached.
The oak trees were just amazing! Some over 400 years old and almost 6' across at the base.
It's hard to imagine that the entire Portland metro area was once covered in these kinds of landscapes. Oak savannahs covered much of the east side and merged with wetlands on the Willamette and Columbia rivers. Now it's mostly airports, highways and industrial sprawl. Imagine all the birds and other wildlife there must've been!
Large wetland marsh
As "golden hour" approached:
We approached a lake that had dozens of large swans and geese, many coming from and taking off for points unknown, their wings beating against the surface of the lake. It was really a pleasure watching them fly overhead.
A really interesting and peaceful place, and a great day overall. About 3 miles, no eg. We couldn't count how many different birds we saw, many for the first time in person: bushtits, red-breasted sapsuckers, Red Tailed hawks, Tundra swans, a cormorant swimming underwater(!), and many others that I couldn't identify.
Finished up at Otto's Pizza, a new place in my neighborhood. Brick oven, baby!
::Edited for typos::
Salvaged Saturday @ Ridgefield NWR
Salvaged Saturday @ Ridgefield NWR
"The top...is not the top" - Mile...Mile & a Half
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- sprengers4jc
- Posts: 1036
- Joined: October 22nd, 2013, 11:35 am
- Location: Vancouver, WA
Re: Salvaged Saturday @ Ridgefield NWR
Nice TR, miah66! RWR is a great place. Make sure you get back there after May 1 when the Kiwa Trail opens, too! Each section of the Refuge offers something different. You would probably also enjoy Steigerwald in Washougal. It also has some season closures but is a great place for stretching the legs when coming back from a big Gorge hike.
'We travel not to escape life but for life to not escape us.'
-Unknown
-Unknown
Re: Salvaged Saturday @ Ridgefield NWR
Love that place. When our kids were growing up, it was known simply as "The Hike." We went often. In particular, on Superbowl Sundays, as a mild justification for the snacking that was to come.
On the night of November 4, 1805, the L&C expedition camped right there.miah66 wrote:It's hard to imagine that the entire Portland metro area was once covered in these kinds of landscapes. Oak savannahs covered much of the east side and merged with wetlands on the Willamette and Columbia rivers. Now it's mostly airports, highways and industrial sprawl. Imagine all the birds and other wildlife there must've been!
The next morning, he confirmed his suspicions.William Clark wrote:opposite to our camp on a Small Sandy Island the brant & geese make Such a noise that it will be impossible for me to Sleap.
(He didn't put much stock in spelling or grammar!)William Clark wrote:a Cloudy morning Som rain the after part of last night & this morning. I could not Sleep for the noise kept by the Swans, Geese, white & black brant, Ducks &c. on a opposit base, & Sand hill Crane, they were emensely numerous and their noise horrid.
Karl
Back on the trail, again...
Back on the trail, again...
- Grannyhiker
- Posts: 4598
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- Location: Gateway to the Columbia Gorge
Re: Salvaged Saturday @ Ridgefield NWR
One of the fun things about Lewis and Clark's journals is the spelling and grammar. Note that it hadn't yet been standardized in those days (no Webster Dictionary in schools yet--the first edition was 1806). Although I never actually counted, I think the journals must have 20 or more ways to spell "mosquito."
Re: Salvaged Saturday @ Ridgefield NWR
Yep! And I've heard that Sacagawea's name was spelled something like 26 different ways! It takes some determination to read the originals, but after awhile you get so caught up in the story that you quit tripping over the telling of it.Grannyhiker wrote:One of the fun things about Lewis and Clark's journals is the spelling and grammar. Note that it hadn't yet been standardized in those days (no Webster Dictionary in schools yet--the first edition was 1806). Although I never actually counted, I think the journals must have 20 or more ways to spell "mosquito."
Karl
Back on the trail, again...
Back on the trail, again...
- Sean Thomas
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Re: Salvaged Saturday @ Ridgefield NWR
Great Pics and TR, JM. It's amazing to think how much the landscape and its inhabitants have changed over the last couple of centuries. I wonder how many plant and animal species there were in the greater Portland area say, 250 years ago compared to today(excluding many invasive species). There were so many Indians living in this area its hard to imagine what things were like in places many of us call home and not feeling sort of sick about it
- Don Nelsen
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Re: Salvaged Saturday @ Ridgefield NWR
Beautiful photos! thanks for the TR.
dn
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
"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller
Re: Salvaged Saturday @ Ridgefield NWR
Yes, it is one of my favorite places too. The auto loop in the southern unit has something different to offer every time I do it - rain or shine.
Some people are really fit at eighty; thankfully I still have many years to get into shape…
Re: Salvaged Saturday @ Ridgefield NWR
Nice TR bud! There is a little area sorta like this down here by my work in Tualatin. Have spent a lazy afternoon there once, bring binoculars. You might even see a bald-eagle...hopefully it doesn't turn out to be a stick when you get a better look.
Good to see you made use of the day, had you not gone to Ridgefield NWR the day totally would have been ruint.
Good to see you made use of the day, had you not gone to Ridgefield NWR the day totally would have been ruint.
Feel Free to Feel Free
Re: Salvaged Saturday @ Ridgefield NWR
Thanks everyone. I really enjoyed the comments on the history, and the tidbits about Louis & Clark. I'm really stuck in 1800 on every hike I go on nowadays. Imagine 200 years later, Louis & Clark wouldn't be able to sleep b/c of noisy coal trains and jet planes instead of ducks & geese.
awesome!
When our kids were growing up, it was known simply as "The Hike."
awesome!
Glad you caught that! "Salvaged Saturday!Water wrote:had you not gone to Ridgefield NWR the day totally would have been ruint.
"The top...is not the top" - Mile...Mile & a Half
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