“Keep Portland Weird” is a popular slogan that appears on bumper stickers, signs, and public buildings throughout Portland, Oregon and its surrounding metro area. The slogan has been called the unofficial motto of Portland.
My kind of town – the ‘city’ version of Boulder.
Flannel fashion, inventive chefs, hippie homeless. ‘Live & Let Live’ friendly (the American West standard, ZERO tolerance for discrimination). Environmentally minded: NO plastic bags (outlawed/entire county); NO new highways – voted to manage growth thru expanded/improved public transportation. $5 rail ticket, my ride to the Airport.
One of City’s downtown landmarks – Powell’s City of Books. Page turning? 9am-11pm, 7 days a week.
Covering an entire city block, Powell’s City of Books is more than a great bookstore: It’s a microcosm of Portland, packed with smart and eclectic offerings, passionate people and, naturally, its own coffee shop. And, just like Portland, it’s open 365 days a year!
It’s the largest independent chain of bookstores in the world, and when you visit the aptly named flagship shop, Powell’s City of Books, you’ll need a map to find your way around (the store provides one). Powell’s enormity is a measure of how much Portlanders love books. Cruise the aisles, grab some coffee and enjoy the lost art of thumbing through bound paper stamped with words.
Portland FOOD. Post-hike gorged at Ned Ludd’s Friday nite. Met & talked with its Food Network chef (Jason French, a former Boulderite). Three courses, dinner entrée: whole roasted trout. WOW! Head & a backbone, only remnants on my plate. Brunched Saturday, another Portland staple. Hipster beignets – not necessarily Creole, but served on a bed of chocolate.
Sunday, RUN day. [Remember when EVERY day was a run day – HA! #2017runfail]
LOVE LOVED staying at the Hilton, the Portland Marathon’s host hotel. Bib pickup literally downstairs, booked early & secured the runner’s room rate, walked 2 blocks to this morning’s Start. Couldn’t be more convenient.
Big City race, my first in eons. Full/Half combined start – sooooo many runners, not in Okoboji today 🙂 Heard today’s 7am Start waiting patiently in Corral C, 12 minutes back. Two 11-minute miles, before the field thinned/run became manageable.
Cool morning temp, overcast sky – GREAT running weather. If only I had remembered ‘portion control’ during my big FAT foodie holiday (I gots no ‘off’ switch); two days of ‘Rose City’ gluttony. Appreciated the porta-potties at mile 8. ‘Nuf said.
Mostly flat course, gradual incline miles 5-9. Crossed St. Johns Bridge at mile 10. Portland’s tallest bridge (built in 1931) spans the Willamette River (crossed back at mile 18). Beautiful panorama, slightly foggy. Reminiscent of San Francisco 2 years ago.
Drizzle just past the Bridge, but never a steady rain. Again, couldn’t have asked for better conditions.
Incline blip at mile 22. da Truth: walked it, nothing left in the tank. excuse Time [’cause ya’ll know I got ’em]: Body’s tired. Running so often (21st marathon of 2017), find myself lacking late in the year. Frustrating, but it is what it is.
Mile marker 25. PUSH, PUSH, PUSH. Late burst of reserve, FINAL STRETCH of downtown city street. Marathon SUCCESS! Surprise, surprise – this day, medal AND a rose. Super classy. BIG thanks, City of Roses🌹 Great memory.
Paid the extra $25 for a 1pm check-out. It’s the Hilton, choose your battles (but as host hotel, could’ve been a bit more generous).
Sit-down lunch, sit-down movie (The Mountain Between Us), window-napped on my Southwest flight home.
On the runway in Denver – SNOW – first of the season, LOVE LOVE my Colorado life! ❤
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- head & a backbone
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- discrimination is NEVER welcome, not anywhere for any reason
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- largest independent chain of bookstores in the world; an entire city block
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- my big FAT foodie holiday 🙂
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- St. Johns Bridge, tallest in Portland
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- City of Roses FINISHER medal
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- Goodbye Portland
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- first SNOW of the season ❤
Lotta talk this summer ‘bout last minute registrations. Not so this weekend. Added the Portland Marathon last Thanksgiving, bought airfare over Christmas break. Almost a year ago, seriously – that’s a lotta love for the Pacific Northwest.
2 hour direct flight, arrived just after midnight. Hotel’ed nearby, picked up my rental following morning. Why pay for a car overnight to sit in the hotel parking lot? Free airport shuttle, up by 7am. Big plans, outdoor Oregon plans.
When I ranked my 50 State marathons (‘cause people asked), Oregon came out on top. Crater Lake Nat’l Park. Whatta memory, whatta beautiful place. However, never got the chance to see Portland during my first 50 State tour.
Friday HIKE day. Saturday CITY day. Sunday RUN day.
HIKE day: Columbia River Gorge, 72 waterfalls. Most of the day’s preplanning went into which waterfalls I’d have to skip. Dropped off I-84 early, driving the Historic Columbia River Highway. First stop: Vista House. However, pasted across Exit 23: CLOSED. That’s disappointing, website still posting active hours. Next stop: Exit 25, Latourell Falls Trailhead. Again, CLOSED. What the heck?
Drove up Corbett Hill, stopped by the country store. Wildfire. HUGE wildfire. All of Oregon’s Columbia Gorge gone. Eagle Hill Trailhead – today’s ‘Wild’ hike to Bridge of the Gods – gone. Multnomah Falls: trees charred, ground still smoldering, no access. Entire Gorge likely will remain closed to the public thru 2018 year-end – with an active State Police writing citations. 150 given to PCT hikers & tourists last weekend alone. Ugh.
Plan B? Hiking the other of the River – Washington State.
Brief stop at Bonneville Dam. Toured the hatchery. Most fish released early (water temps spiked during the wildfire). Few old sturgeon remained. Talked with Rangers re: potential hikes. Cross the Columbia at Bridge of the Gods, 15-minute drive to Dog Mountain Trailhead. Sage advice: Don’t forget to buy a park pass in Cascade Locks or State Police will ticket your car at the Trailhead. Who knew? Thanks Ranger 🙂
In the movie ‘Wild’ (& also in my hike book), folks cross Bridge of the Gods – Oregon to Washington – on foot. Argued a few minutes with the toll booth lady, who said it wasn’t illegal but she wasn’t letting folks walk. Too much traffic today. Double ugh.
Columbia Market, purchased my Northwest Forest Pass. DROVE over the Bridge ($2 toll). Hung a right, one small town, easily located the trailhead. Backpack. Started UP. Tired of human chatter/enough talk ‘bout what I CAN’T do. STEEP UP first seven-tenths mile. Quick sweat, shed a layer. Another half-mile, settled into the hike. Mood improved, body dwarfed by Cascade pine.
Evergreen blanketed in hair-like moss. Marveled first time I witnessed in the Sierra Nevadas. 2 months later, just as stunning ❤
2,000ft UP. Forest opened, huge expansive vista. Columbia River Gorge down below. Across the Gorge, hours away by car – Oregon’s Mount Hood, snowcapped/towering high above treeline. WOW!
7 mile hike, never topped 3,000ft. No waterfalls BUT good to be outside. For that I’m thankful, always grateful.
Car return, fancy downtown digs – the Hilton – CITY day tomorrow.
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- Pacific Northwest HIKE day
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- Oregon’s Columbia Gorge: CLOSED
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- Bonneville Dam
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- Bonneville Fish Ladder
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- spawning salmon
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- 70-year-old Herman the Sturgeon
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- the PCT (Pacific Coast Trail)
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- Bridge of the Gods
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- Plan B: hiking Washington State
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- dwarfed by Cascade pine
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- blanketed in hair-like moss
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- 2000ft ABOVE the Columbia
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- day’s WOW moment!
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- towering high above treeline, Oregon’s Mount Hood
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- ‘journey’ hike today
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- LOVE feelin’ small ❤
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- destination or journey, ALWAYS grateful to be outdoors
Columbia River Gorge
Clarence Harrison DeMar (June 7, 1888 – June 11, 1958) was a U.S. marathoner, winner of seven Boston Marathons, and Bronze medalist at the 1924 Paris Olympics. He was known by the nickname “Mr. DeMarathon.”
DeMar won his last Boston in 1930 at the age of 41. His record of seven wins has never been broken, and he remains the oldest winner of the event ever.
In my quest for 100 marathons, have double/tripled & even 12x run my home state & neighboring others. Costs, time off from work – additionally not as tough to bounce back physically when travel is minimized.
This weekend my third marathon in New Hampshire – different story.
Hadn’t been to a 50 State Marathon Club reunion since receiving my award last August in Santa Rosa. Reunions rotate among the 50 States – hence, this weekend’s race in Keene, now my third 26.2 in NH. Enjoy the camaraderie, LOVE LOVE our tight-knit community.
Reunion attendance Con? Most active runner in your hometown (BIG FISH) sitting in a room with folks who have finished 200 & even 300+ marathons in their lifetime (now a LITTLE FISH). 300+ marathons, insane? Nope, addictive.
Left Saturday’s reunion MOTIVATED to complete a 2nd rotation of the US by 2019 year-end. Heaven help me – LOL> That said, SUPER THANKFUL to be cancer-free. Can’t wait to see where/what towns my 50 State Déjà Vu tour will take me 🙂
Bib pickup, tried the Captain Crunch dog (skip it). Leaf peeping (2 weeks too early), early to bed.
You are all aware of the forecast for tomorrow and the impact on your run. Tomorrow is not your PR day or your BQ day. Those plans evaporated with the high temperatures you’ll run in tomorrow. We are taking all reasonable precautions to create the safest event we can for you, but it is now all up to you. Any decision to black flag the race before everyone finishes will be less about the temperatures or our wet bulb reading than it will be on how our runners react to those conditions. If too many of you require emergency medical attention, our medical resources will be at risk of being overwhelmed and will force us to make that decision. If that happens, we urge everyone left on the course to respect that decision, and cooperate with our protocols to bring you safely to the finish line.
Marathon morning. Received another email warning ‘bout the unseasonable heat. Low 90’s, late September. Ugh.
90+ marathons completed, first time I forgot my race Bib. Noticed it missing 10 minutes before the Start. Remember looking inside my swag bag (nite before), saw the long-sleeve race shirt (too hot to wear long sleeves) – totally forgot about the Bib. Double ugh.
Small town race, Race Director +++ Wrote down my name, provided a spare Bib, later (while I was actually running) fixed/updated my registration online to reflect the new Bib #. Very very much appreciated.
Started far from the back, jogged/chatted first 7 miles with my Maniac buddy Stacey. Comfortable early temps, leafy-canopied course. It’d get super warm on the back-half…but no regrets. Not a PR day. Goal was to enjoy the run – and FINISH.
First 15-16 miles, picturesque New England. Gilsum to Surrey Dam to Greenlawn Cemetery. Heat (& East Coast humidity) dialed waaaay up before the first Half. Salty & light-headed, puked throughout the Cemetery (mile 22). Hate heat. Residents water-sprayed runners & provided ice – most EVERY street ‘til the Finish. AWESOME acts of kindness. New Englanders, the BEST!
Ugly finish, just under 6 hours. 3 of my 50 State friends – Dan, Seth & Cade – greeted me at the Finish (& asked what happened). Some days you’re the windshield, some days you’re the bug. Can’t change the weather, all part of the journey.
Drama on every United flight home – been added to my (3rd strike) Frontier/Spirit DO NOT FLY list. Kept a smile on my face, thankful not to walk in their shoes. Must be a crummy job to maintain that level of unhappiness on a daily basis.
Home sweet Colorado Home. 40-degree temperature drop, snow in the mountains ❤
iResultsLIVE! Alert!
Event: Clarence DeMar Marathon
Name: K R Haga
Bib #: 430
Time: 5:55:39 (Net Time)
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- 40th anniversary
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- New England colour
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- 50 State reunion
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- 3 more finishers, lotta great stories
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- Keene, New Hampshire
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- when in Keene, hafta try this
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- salty FINISH in unseasonably warm New Hampshire
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- 40-degree temperature drop, snow in the mountains ❤
