Monthly Archives: May 2012

The Tualatin Hills are not just “a walk in the woods”!

During the 1830’s the famed Methodist circuit rider, Jason Lee, is said to have established a road across the Tualatin Hills that connected Scappoose and St. Helens with the communities in northern Washington County. It is very possible that today’s … Continue reading

Posted in Lower Columbia Trails, Misc Trails & Trips, Pioneer Lore | 3 Comments

Pisgah Home Road – what’s behind this curious name?

What an odd name “Pisgah Home Road” is! The name refers to the Mountain from which Moses first saw the promised land. But the local story about this mountain road above Scappoose is even more interesting… Apparently, it refers to … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 24 Comments

Portland landscape 200 years ago.

When I’m climbing in the hills above the Columbia River I often stop to gaze down into the valley and try to imagine what it looked like before contact with the European cultures. Most people’s preconception of what the lower … Continue reading

Posted in Indian lore, Lower Columbia Trails, Misc Trails & Trips, Plant lore, Uncategorized | 3 Comments