Today was sunny and 50 F in Portland and I took advantage of it with a trail run through Willamette Cove.

Birds

A flock of cackling geese (similar to Canada geese but smaller) descended from the air and settled into a field of tall grass.

Tiny Anna’s hummingbirds called out with their loud buzzing call and performed their dramatic hover-dive-swoop display near me. Seeing a hummingbird in January always brings me joy.

I observe that the Pacific madrone trees are a center of activity for wildlife. I (and the animals) seem to like this unusual tree and its bright orange berries and its bundles of white blossoms and its unusual, reddish, continually peeling bark.

Other people enjoyed the trail today

After a week of heavy rain, and amid another brutal wave of covid infections, I saw people extracting all they could of the day of sunshine. Two men were biking. Three young men were spray painting the bridge (I thanked them for decorating and told them I liked the green). A young woman was trail running with headphones on. Cathedral Park was full of active people and sun worshipers.

The Willamette River is at flood level because of the rain, and the water has blocked off the main trail at the midpoint. But if you clamber up onto the rail bridge you can run from the University of Portland to Cathedral Park. That is what I did today, along with savoring an extra hot cortado with the Sunday New York Times at my perch in a Saint Johns coffee shop.

Willamette Cove trail is a mix of good and bad

The area nurtures abundant plants and animals. There are also crazy people to be alert for: one guy was pushing a red sedan along the railroad tracks. Another couple had created a sprawling meth homestead full of garbage and loose dogs, blocking the unsanctioned trail access. Another burnt out van and RV has appeared, making the trail entry look apocalyptic and bleak.

I joined a volunteer group that cleared 3500 pounds of trash in the area

This gave me a good feeling of doing something to improve the place. The cynic in me wonders why the local government can’t clean up trash and clear burned out vehicles. But when you step over garbage again and again, eventually you stoop to pick it up out of sheer practicality.

A balanced view of the trail

I feel a profound affinity for the Willamette Cove trail because I have visited so many times and so often felt the joy of small discoveries in nature.

About the photo

It’s of the cove in July 2021, the day I put out a fire set by some crazies.