Reconnecting With Your Duck Friends

Let’s be honest.
We have not been good duck friends.

At some point, we stopped showing up. We got busy. We stayed inside. Meanwhile, the ducks kept doing what ducks do, waiting by the ponds, quietly noticing our absence, yet saying nothing. Which somehow makes it worse.

This damp February walk is an opportunity to face that guilt head-on.

We’ll stroll the fully paved paths of the Fanno Creek Trail, moving through lush urban forest, winding past ponds where ducks gather with an unsettling calm, and reminding ourselves that meaningful relationships require maintenance. The rain helps. It softens the world, deepens the greens, and makes the ducks look particularly justified in their disappointment.

This is a perfect nature walk for people who want fresh air, a real forest experience, and zero mud. The entire route is paved, so your shoes stay clean while your conscience gets worked over. Expect gentle miles, quiet water, excellent trees, and ducks who absolutely remember you. There will be a bathroom stop roughly halfway through the hike, because emotional reckoning is important, but so is planning.

Bring rain gear, a steady walking pace, and the emotional readiness to acknowledge that reconnecting is the first step toward healing. The ducks are not asking for much. Just your presence. And maybe your attention.

What to Know:
Rain or shine. Ducks do not cancel.
Fully paved trail. Zero mud regret.
Parks we’ll stroll through: Woodard, Dirksen Nature, Englewood, Black Bull, Greenway
Meeting Point Location: CrossFit Tigard - 9900 SW Tigard St, Tigard, OR 97223
Meeting Point GPS: 45.432412, -122.780122
Google Maps Meeting Point
Map of our hike. Press “preview route” to see animated trail.
Distance: Approximately 7 miles
Elevation gain: 85 feet. Flat to gently rolling terrain.
Estimated time on trail: 2 to 2.5 hours
Difficulty level: Moderate
Trail type: Up & Back
Parking: Non-metered large parking lot at the meeting location
Porta-potties in Woodard Park

Come walk, breathe, and quietly rebuild trust with the ducks.