Mt. Pisgah to the River Trail. Busy week.

 Hi, y'all. Been a busy but wonderful week.

Thursday, my hiking buddy and I drove down to Mt. Pisgah, to try our luck going up the mountain. We've both done it in the past, but it's been years. Before I left Eugene in 2009 I went out there often. I was much younger then. We didn't go to the top -- didn't intend to! But there's a nice side trail that connects to the main trail way up the mountain. After that, we explored the trails of the Arboretum, which was new to both of us.

Took this of the view, not too far up the grade. The trail went through forests and meadows, though the downhill portion on the main trail was just dirt, rocks and gravel.

This cool old barn and silo was our first discovery on the Arboretum trail. As you can see, the day was overcast, but not cold. The following photos were along the various Arboretum trails, too.

As you can see, the Arboretum trails go through a variety of scenery.

Fast forward to today, and I got in another 20,000 step day. Yay for me! I've been determined to walk down the riverfront trails on what I thought would be about a 6.5 mile loop [and I think that's about what it was]. Started out this morning with about 4000 steps between 5:30-6am. Then, about 9am headed out on the long trek.   In the map below, I've marked my route in red. A, at the top, is the starting point. B is where I crossed the river. C is the Owen Rose Garden , where I stopped to literally smell the roses. D is Alton Baker Park, where I rested for a moment before returning on that side of the river. Saw an eagle flying across the river just after I headed back home from the Park. Plenty of them around here, but it's always cool to see one.

 The Willamette River, looking south from the first bike bridge. The bridge in the distance is an automobile bridge, and the Owen Rose Garden is just this side of that bridge.

The smell here was indescribably wonderful. Thousands of roses. I've been here before, but I think not when it was in full bloom like this. Passed in on my bike countless times, but don't stop.

The Willamette, again, still looking south but this time from the next bike bridge, the DeFazio Bridge, where I crossed again so I could return on the other side of the river.

From Alton Baker Park, looking back at the DeFazio bridge.

So that was the end of the photo tour. This side of the river is far less photogenic, and it was getting crowded with walkers, cyclists, people on all manner of human-powered devices. As I got back to the first bridge, I was feeling rather weary so rather than fight the crowds the rest of the way on the riverpath, I cut over to the road that takes me straight back home. Took about 2.5 hours, and I was a pooped puppy by the time I got home. A little food and water though, and I'm feeling pretty good at the moment.

It feels so odd to crow about walking only 8.2 miles, when in the old days I wouldn't have bothered to drive out of Atlanta up to the North Georgia mountains for anything less than 10 miles, and 20-25 were more the norm. But, I was much younger then. I'll work up to more miles around here. Maybe.