Hike #13: Firelane 1, Wildwood, Chestnut, and Nature Trails

Three hikes in a row! This time, featuring the mother.

The aforementioned mother.

We started off at the trailhead for Firelane 1, which is where Mick and I finished up yesterday. We walked to the junction with the Wildwood Trail, where we took a left. Along the way, we saw a BUNCH of slugs, most likely because it had been raining throughout the day.

We meandered along the Wildwood Trail until we reached the Chestnut trail, where we took a right.

Then we walked along the Chestnut Trail until it met up with Leif Erikson Drive. After a very short walk along Leif Erikson, we found the Nature Trail and turned right.

We accidentally completed the connector trail between the Nature Trail and Wildwood Trail, but I eventually realized my mistake and got us back on track. We continued walking along the Nature Trail until we met back up with Firelane 1, which we then took back to the car.

While walking along the Nature Trail, I got stung by a plant that I tried to move out of my way, and it made my fingers burn and swell. Stinging nettle, perhaps?

Below is the route we took, outlined in big, fat red marker.

After our hike, we went up to Council Crest to enjoy the sunset and a surprise rainbow.

Hike #12: Wildwood Trail & Firelane 1

Another after-work hike AND another hike along the Firelane 1 trail! This time with my pal, Mick.

We drove out to the NW 53rd Trailhead and started hiking north along the lovely Wildwood Trail.

Always with the slugs...

We passed the junction with the Alder Trail and continued until we reached the intersection with the Firelane 1 trail, where we took a left.

This then spit us out onto NW Forest Lane, which we walked along to reach NW 53rd and then walk back to the car.

Google Maps says we hiked a little over 3 miles.

Hike #11: Leif Erikson Drive & Firelane 1

Another after work hike! This time, along Leif Erikson Drive and Firelane 1.

I rode the streetcar out to NW Portland and then got a Lyft to take me the rest of the way to the start of the Leif Erikson trail. At the trailhead, there is a sign warning hikers about aggressive barred owls in the area:

Walking along Leif Erikson was lovely as always, especially now that the fall colors are starting to arrive.

A little ways after mile marker 3, I came across the Firelane 1 trail to my right. I am very glad I was going downhill on this trail, as it was quite steep and very narrow.

I came across a section of the trail where there were several slugs slithering across the trail.

I startled the orange slug, and it scrunched up into a ball.

I would not classify Firelane 1 as kid friendly. As I mentioned before, it is quite steep and narrow, and there are sections where the trail has eroded. However, you get some great views looking over the Willamette and towards downtown.

And of course, I had to take an obligatory it's-almost-fall-so-I'm-going-to-hold-a-giant-leaf-in-front-of-my-face photo.

In total, I hiked about 4.5 miles. My route is marked in black on the map below (since Google Maps doesn't recognize Firelane 1).