Photo by Jeffrey McFarland
City Walking Trails and Pathways
An Often Overlooked Treasure
I
n non-pandemic times, I travel fairly extensively in my work for the LOC. A lot of my travel involves me spending the night in hotel rooms across this great state. But, with COVID-19, I have greatly reduced my traveling; I went from being on the road 4-6 times per month to maybe only a dozen times in the last year. And while my travel schedule has changed, so too has my routine while I’m on the road.
Most hotels I’ve stayed in this last year have closed their swimming pools and exercise rooms—requiring me to find other ways to get in my daily workout. Luckily for me, Oregon cities, both large and small, have invested heavily in creating and maintaining walking trails and pathways. These miles of walking trails and pathways have not only been a blessing in terms of providing an avenue for physical exertion during this pandemic, they’ve also provided, well at least for me, an opportunity to breathe fresh air and find some peace and serenity in nature. I can’t possibly describe, or even begin to list, the numerous walking trails and pathways that exist in our Oregon communities, but I can at least point out and give kudos to those trails and pathways that have given me respite during my travels over the last several months.
24
| Second Quarter 2021
Photo by Williamsborg
By Patty Mulvihill, LOC General Counsel
Butte Park, Hermiston Butte Park covers 40 acres and features soccer fields, a dog park, a spray park, an outdoor swimming pool, and most importantly (at least to me) a hiking trail that leads you up to the top of Hermiston Butte. When you’re standing on top of Hermiston Butte you have a panoramic view of the entire city, and if you are willing to make the short climb around sunrise, it’s a pretty spectacular place to start the day. The trail itself isn’t long, the city’s website indicates the trail is a little less than a mile. While the distance may be short, the elevation gain is pretty solid. I did three trips up and down the Butte and if my pedometer is to be believed, I managed to climb the equivalent of about 70 flights of stairs.
www.orcities.org
