Terwilliger Path

This paved path along Terwilliger has its merits. It rolls along through beautiful trees that blaze yellow and orange in fall and surround you with leafy green shade in the summer. It connects to several trail networks, including one running up to Council Crest. It is friendly to walkers, runners, bikers. It’s hilly without being killer.
The downside is, you pretty much are always breathing in exhaust. If you can fit in your run around mid-​day, the pollution is moderate, but try it at anything approaching rush-​hour and you are pretty much running in a cloud of fumes.
So, great place for a run, hit it mid-​day or on a weekend to avoid the worst of the exhaust.

Even when I was prego, I was a crazy walkin’ fool and often took this path on my way home from work. It’s especially nice on sunny, fall days. So nice, in fact, that I was inspired to write a poem about it eight years ago (slightly embarrassing, but true).
I’m surprised that no one has reviewed it, since it’s constantly busy with cyclists, walkers, joggers, and hikers (there are many trails that link to the path), at all hours. Sometimes I see those hardcore folks running uphill with their backpacks on in the freezing rain in February, and I marvel at how they can exert such energy. Sometimes there are determined joggers, obviously training for the Marathon. I see familiar couples walking their familiar dogs every day. One day, I even saw a woman on a Segway, although I’d call that cheating. And sometimes there are mamas like me, walking fast and steering the stroller with one hand, while talking on their cell phone with the other, always multi-​tasking. I often wonder if they’re also surprised that they’ve become a «stroller mom»?
I enjoy walking Terwilliger with my man, our kid, and the stroller. The path is plenty wide and smooth, there’s plenty of parking along the way, not to mention it’s hella long. You can go for like 7 miles or something, one-​way! I especially like the section between OHSU and Capitol Hwy, for the spectacular views. I have loads of memories of walking Terwilliger (like the time I had to pee during a rain shower and begged the Chart House staff to use their facilities), so it’s definitely my favorite place to stroll. I even have that silly poem from my early-20’s. Give it a shot — you might be inspired, too!
p. s. I still have someone’s keys that I found on the path 4 years ago. No one responded to the Craigslist ad I posted, but I have them in my junk drawer, just in case.