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
3
- $10.00
Guided Rockhounding Tour: The Three Graces
The Three Graces, 14474 Oregon Coast Hwy, Rockaway Beach, OR, USIf 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 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, 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 snacks, and admire the view as the mood strikes us.
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 winter waterfowl. The mixed forest along the tracks is bopping with thrushes, finches, and warblers in season. 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, snacks, 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. Adults only, please, and no pets, thanks.
8 attendees - $10.00
3rd Annual Oregon Donkey Sanctuary Field Trip
Oregon Donkey Sanctuary, 15900 S Thayer Rd, Oregon City, OR, USDid you know donkeys are super affectionate, sensitive, and kind? Have you ever snuggled close to a soft, warm donkey and looked deep into two soulful brown eyes? Wanna brush one?
The Oregon Donkey Sanctuary is just chock-full of cuteness and opportunity in all shapes, colors, and sizes--even adorable miniatures! Rhonda and Jim Urquhart's 40 acre farm in Oregon City evolved from a satellite facility for Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue, fostering and adopting out neglected and abused donkeys to new homes, to the Oregon Donkey Sanctuary in 2021. It quickly received the Oregon Humane Society’s Diamond Collar Award in 2023 and now they're running an equine therapy program.
They'll give us a guided tour where we will learn all about their operation, different donkeys and their backstories, donkey body language and communication--we'll even get to brush and pet them! If our group is large, they'll split us into two tour groups. We'll be walking on flat ground but it is a barnyard, so be prepared to enjoy dust, mud, donkey hair, dog hair, cat hair, and the occasional chicken feather.
NOTE: Donkey's are highly intelligent and keen on self-preservation with excellent personal boundaries. You can call that stubborn if you want, but they know what's what. They will choose you. Please do not feed them anything and make sure you don't have any food on your person. Remember, they are smart as a whip and have a spectacular sense of smell. To that end, please also skip the perfume/cologne today.
The Oregon Donkey Sanctuary is completely nonprofit and volunteer- and donation-driven. The impressive facility is an awe-inspiring labor of love. To preserve this vision, they ask only that you sign an online waiver beforehand and consider making a donation of your choice--you can even sign up to volunteer! They have swag and souvenirs (cash/debit/cc), so you don't have to go home with just pictures. I have some of their art hanging in my home and, as always, I will be donating half of the day's proceeds to the sanctuary.
Please arrive between 10:30 AM and 10:45 AM to check in with me (navy windbreaker) before the tour begins at 11 AM. Get on the waiting list even if it's way full; last year, everyone got in who wanted to come.
Bring $10 cash only, some extra money for donation, water, camera, WEATHER- and barnyard-appropriate clothing including boots for mud. Sign the electronic waiver at this link before you arrive. Restroom facilities on site. Adults only, please, and no pets, thanks.
30 attendees - $5.00
Full Moon Rising Over Killin Wetlands
Killin Wetlands Nature Park, 46280 NW Cedar Canyon Rd, Banks, or, USThe full Hunter's Moon will rise at 5:34 PM on what will hopefully be a clear Sunday evening in October. From Killin Wetlands Nature Park parking lot, you can get a pretty tasty view with a telephoto when the sunset often dresses Mt. Hood in a pink negligee for the evening--Ooo, la, la!
First, we'll walk very slowly about 1 mi. out and back down paved NW Cedar Canyon Road to the west slough to photograph autumn colors, waterfowl, and nutria (and maybe an elk or otter). The fall migration is in full swing, so it should be good birding. If time allows, you can explore the little 0.7 mi. trail loop through the park, itself, before it gets too dark. Then we'll return to the paved parking lot, set up our tripods, snuggle into our chairs and blankets, and watch for the moon to become visible over the hills around 5:55 PM at 67° azimuth.
Bring $5 cash, water/snacks, headlamp/light source, binoculars/scope, camping chair with blankets, weather appropriate clothing, and all your photography gear. Restroom on site. Adults only, please, and no pets, thanks. We're settin' out promptly at the start time, so arrive 15 minutes early.
5 attendees
Past events
560
