About us
This group is for nature lovers and photographers who like to soak in the moment, ID plants, birds, and wildflowers, pick up rocks, commune with waterfalls, meet wildlife, practice mindfulness, or just feel like taking it easy today. Our hikes are short and sweet and we incorporate a lot of pauses.
We take full advantage of full moons, eclipses, meteor showers, sunrises, sunsets, meteorological phenomena, low tides, king tides, bird migrations, whale migrations, salmon runs, elk ruts, wildlife viewing, peak wildflower blooms, fall colors, plant and tree ID, prime rockhounding spots, unique natural features, waterfalls, nature instruction, meditation, gardens and gardening, and weird stuff around the Portland periphery.
Membership denotes agreement to:
Be 18 years or older, leave all pets at home, be vaccinated for COVID, and refrain from smoking/vaping, alcohol, and/or any recreational drugs during our time together.
Always check your email and the event page of the hike you've signed up for to see if there are any last minute changes. Sudden weather developments are often a factor, especially in winter.
Update your RSVP if your plans change. Be advised: 3 No Shows and you will be asked to find another hiking Meetup.
Get there early. Events start at the time posted, so give yourself plenty of time to find a parking spot, pay the parking/entrance fee if there is one, gear up, use the restroom, pay your event fee, and be ready to go. Leave at least 15 minutes early for nearby events and 30 minutes early if the drive is going to be over an hour. Don't rely on GPS, a lot of our meeting spots are remote and/or unnamed, so read the directions in the event description carefully.
Read the WHOLE event description.
Let the Organizer know if you prefer not to have your photograph posted or tagged online. Privacy is important to us, so if you find your image has made it into the photo albums, contact the Organizer and it will be removed, no questions asked.
Take responsibility for your own safety, comfort, and enjoyment and understand that the Organizer is not liable for any incidents that may befall you leading up to, during, or following the event.
Understand that all proceeds go to the Organizer's expenses, including Meetup subscription, parking passes, park entrance fees, and gas. The Oregon Donkey Sanctuary event donates half the proceeds of that event to the sanctuary.
Refund Policy: If you are attending an event and it is unable to proceed as planned due to unforeseen events beyond the Organizer's control, a refund will be offered during that event. Refunds will not be issued after the conclusion of the event.
See you out there!
Upcoming events
2
- $10.00
Blueberries and Volcanoes: Hood River, OR
Wilinda Blueberry Patch, 730 Frankton Rd, Hood River, OR, USThe Darrows are ripe! Darrow blueberries are, in a word, huge. They average 3/4" in diameter and their flavor is light and sweet, perfect for eating by the handful or sprinkling on a slice of sponge cake with a little whipped cream. Half a dozen other varieties are also ready, so you can go home with a blue fruit salad, if you like.
Wilinda Blueberry Patch is a quiet organic farm just minutes from Interstate 84 that has it all--a variety of blueberries from succulent little deep purple ones to pale blue monsters the size of grapes; a large waterlily pond and waterfall that collects ducks, herons, and riparian songbirds; and a stately view of snow-capped Mt. Adams.
Wilinda works on the honor system. They provide marked buckets to fill while you pick and brown paper bags to take your harvest home in at $5 per quart. All proceeds go to the Fistula Foundation that helps women and girls in Uganda. All you need is a box or rigid container to set your bags in for the drive back home so the berries don't get jostled or bruised.
We'll convene at 9 AM in the grassy parking area. You'll be standing under the full sun and brushing up against plants, so a hat, pants, and insect repellent are recommended. Bring some water to rinse off your hands afterwards, baby wipes work well, too. No restroom on site.
At 10:30 AM, we'll drive up to nearby Panorama Point County Park & Viewpoint to take in a sweeping view of Mt. Adams to the north, Mt. Hood to the south, and an endless patchwork of orchards and farms below. We'll set up our camp chairs on a large, covered concrete patio and relax with lunch and the fruits (literally!) of our labor. Bring binoculars for hawks and eagles. No parking fee. Restroom on site.
Directions from Wilinda to Panorama Point: Backtrack onto Interstate 84 heading east. At 2.2 mi take exit 64 (Highway 35) towards Government Camp. At 0.6 mi. turn left on Eastside Road. At 1.5 mi. turn right and follow the steep, curving road up to the top. There is no place to sit, so bring that camp chair.
Bring 10$, cash for blueberries, camp chair, beverages/lunch, binoculars/scope, camera, insect repellent, box to put the blueberry bags in, and WEATHER appropriate clothing. Restroom on site. Adults only, please, and no pets, thanks.
2 attendees - $10.00
Guided Rockhounding Tour: The Three Graces
The Three Graces, 14474 Oregon Coast Hwy, Rockaway Beach, OR, USSEE DIRECTIONS AT BOTTOM
If you've ever gone beachcombing and come home empty-handed, you're just not looking in the right place. I know all the tricks.
Join me on a guided rock hounding and sea glassing tour of The Three Graces near Garibaldi, Oregon. I'll provide rock, bird, and nature ID and teach you how and where to look for all sorts of treasures.
Along this stretch, I have found sea glass in snowy white, clear, chartreuse green, gold, amber, brown, lilac, aqua, pale aqua, and deep aquamarine blue; chalcedony and agates of white, gold, cream, light green, amber, red, and grey; geodes; hag stones; bizarre metamorphic formations; sedimentary shales; porphyritic basalt; vesicular basalt and pumice; a weird pale bluish-green volcanic tuff (my favorite); colorful conglomerates and concretions; jaspers in red, ochre, yellow, black, and the famous deep forest green Oregon Green Jasper; calcite crystals both loose and tucked into cavities; mica; Asian pottery shards; pieces of pre-war vintage glass cookware; fishing weights; chunks from the windscreens of shipwrecks; shells of snow white whelks, sand dollars, clams, turban snails, mussels, shore crab pincers and Dungeness carapaces, three kinds of limpets; and all sorts of freaky sea creature stuff. The tides shift the beach around every week so it will be fun to see what we find.
We'll stroll down 0.25 miles of gravel along the narrow gauge railroad tracks and then carefully scramble down an 8' drop of boulders to the shingle (all stones, no sand) beach below. The loose stones sit on a shifting incline so trekking poles recommended. Here, we'll explore photogenic Crab Rock with it's hidden tunnel and look for jellyfish, anemones, whelks, eels, and sculpins in the tidepools.
Then, we'll move very slowly for 0.5 miles down the beach, rockhounding and wildlife watching as we go, ascend another steep user trail, and walk back on the tracks. We'll pause along the way to sit on rocks, eat lunch, and admire the view.
Seals usually pop out of the water to get a look at you and I have heard locals mention orcas in the channel. There is a pair of resident bald eagles and a magnificent view of Tillamook Bay with a variety of waterfowl. The mixed forest along the tracks is bopping with thrushes, finches, and warblers. A photogenic Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad engine chugs by every few hours and the Garibaldi Historic U.S. Coastguard Boathouse is picturesque in the distance.
Bring $10 cash, sturdy hiking boots, WEATHER appropriate clothing, trekking poles/walking stick, water, lunch, binoculars, camera equipment, and something to put your rock stash in (I like Ziploc bags). No restroom on site but good ones nearby at the Barview Jetty County Campground or Lumberman's Memorial Park. Adults only, please, and no pets, thanks.
DIRECTIONS: Drive to the address given, but park on the gravel pull out on the OTHER side of the road from it. Look for my deep blue Honda CRV.
4 attendees
Past events
558
