The goal: hike the Springwater Trail.
That’s right, 21 miles of un-punishing trails and non-rugged terrain in a climate where temperatures can gradually plunge to below 50 degrees. Each non-grueling stage of the journey will last from two to five unexcruciating miles.
One thing about old railroad beds — they’ve been graded to a perfect flatness. Work on the Springwater Trail in 1996 and it is mostly, but not entirely, completed. It begins where the Eastbank Esplanade ends and continues east all the way to Boring, following a route that was the route of a passenger train from 1903 to 1958.
During the first stage of the expedition, I discovered that the bike- and foot-path closest to my house, and which I’d never been on before, is really cool. You pass by wooded areas, great views of the river, weird industrial scenes, and picturesque homeless camps. Since I don’t have someone dropping me off and picking me up, I actually have to hike the whole trail twice over. On the first day, I got to Milepost 2.5 and then returned.
