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Exploring the Pacific Greenway: from Portland to the Coast |
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The following description is an in-depth guide to the 4T Trail - Marquam Trail version:
Trailhead location: Multnomah County Library 801 S.W. 10th Avenue Portland, OR 97205 How to get to the County Library from the City center (Pioneer Courthouse Square): From Pioneer Courthouse Square it is literally a one minute ride to the Central Library. From the north side of the square board any Westbound MAX train and alight at the Galleria and SW 10th Station. From there walk .1 mile south to the Central Library. Also located at Pioneer Courthouse Square is the main TriMet ticket office where you can purchase tickets for both the MAX tran and the Portland Street Car (trolley). The entrance to the office is located at the lower level of the plaza and is accessed by crossing a short walkway between two pools of water. MAX train (light rail) tickets: For this trip you will require only a 1 zone ticket. This will cost $1.75 per adult, $1.40 for students and children, and $.85 for honored senior citizens. The tickets are valid for one hour after issuance on weekdays and two hours on the weekends; this allows you to board a connecting bus, trolley or MAX Train using your transfer (receipt). Portland Streetcar (trolley) tickets: The Portland streetcar fares are the same as the MAX train fares. Downtown locations where you may purchase MAX and Streetcar tickets:
In addition to these location each of the MAX stations has a ticket vending machine that will dispense the appropriate ticket for the requisite payment. Each of these tickets, as well as the trolley tickets need to be validated in the validators located at the stations. The trolleys also have validators on board. Portland Aerial Tram tickets: The tickets for the Aerial Tram can only be purchased at the base station for the tram located on SE Gibbs St. All tickets are for the round trip ride. The fares are $4.00 per adult. Children 6 and under ride free. Holders of the TriMet monthly passes or the C-Tran monthly Portland Express passes can ride for free. The Tram ticket machines located at the lower terminal only accept credit and debit cards, and quarters. They do not accept paper bills or other coins. The total transportation cost for this trip will be $7.50 per adult. You may also choose to purchase a $4.25 all day ticket and the $4.00 Aerial tram ticket for a total of $8.25. This will allow you to ride the system for the rest of the day. ______________________________________________
4t Trail- The Marquam Trail variant.
The following description is an in-depth guide to the 4T Trail - Marquam Trail version: Walk duration: 4 hours Trailhead location: Multnomah County Library 801 S.W. 10th Avenue Portland, OR 97205 Elevation change: Lowest point on the route is at the base of the Aerial Tram located at 55 ft; highest point is at the peak of council Crest at an elevation of 1090 feet. Trail Conditions: Footpath, portions can be muddy, but mostly graveled. Light hiking boots are recommended for the wet season, but sneakers will suffice in the dry months. 1. The route begins on the steps of the Central Library. Facing outwards turn right and walk to the corner (SW Taylor St.) and turn right. Walk to the back of the library building and across the street (11th Avenue) you will see the Trolley station. 2. Cross 11th Avenue and wait there for the next trolley; they run about every 20 minutes. The Portland Streetcar is manufactured by Skoda-Inekon in Plzen in the Czech Republic. They are about 8 feet wide and 66 feet long. That’s about a 1/3 the length of a MAX double car train. They run in mixed traffic and accommodate existing curbside parking and loading. The Portland Streetcar is owned and operated by the City of Portland. Most recently, Oregon Ironworks, a local manufacturer was awarded the newest contracts to build the first American-made streetcars for the Portland streetcar system based on a similar Czech design. Board the trolley when it arrives and enjoy the smooth ride u p 11th. At SW market the trolley turns east and passes through the university district as it crosses the South Park Blocks (see view below looking south into the South Park Blocks). From there it travels past the PSU Urban center and crosses SW Front St. to enter into the Harborside area. Traveling along SW River Parkway, it turn south at SW Moody and passes under the Marquam bridge (I-5) heading into the South Waterfront district before arriving at the end of its 7.2 mile run from Good Samaritan Hospital in Northwest Portland at SW Gibbs St - the location of the base station for the Portland Aerial Tram.
The Portland Development Commission (PDC) signed an agreement with OHSU and a group of waterfront property owners that cleared the way for construction of a 38-acre central district, which includes 3,000 residential units, one million square feet of office space, 150,000 sq. ft. of retail and a hotel/conference center.
The building features 10,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. Its design includes gardens and eco-roofs and targets silver certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDS) rating system. Sustainable aspects of the building include storm water management to mitigate run-off, high-performance glazing to reduce heating and cooling needs, low-flow shower heads, faucets and dual-flush toilets, nontoxic finishes, and local sourced materials with high percentages of recycled content. The design calls for the tower's sculptured faces to be crafted in glass for a prismatic effect. Cut into the façade, the balconies are staggered recesses in the shear glass plane of the building's face. It also has a raised courtyard and ground-level plaza.
Most floors in the John Ross are 12,261 square feet, tapering to 8,252 square feet on the top few floors. It offers 286 units, 247 in the tower and 39 in a four-story podium. Costs are from $199,000 to $2.2 million. Plans called for 50 percent of the units to sell for less than $325,000. The roof of the podium will be a so-called green roof with a community garden. The metallic blue building rises in an elliptical shape that would look wider or narrower depending upon your vantage point. For one, it seems narrower than rectangular, so-called "slab," buildings. That means more budget can be devoted to the materials and detailing of the skin. The tower lobby has an 18-foot wall of glass that is intended to be a "highly lit beacon" at night. The plaza will have trees and beds of perennials, in addition to a low-lying water feature and outdoor seating on a hard surface adjacent to the buildings. In August 2005 the developers of Portland's South Waterfront area said they were taking a tougher stand against buyers who were purchasing condos for speculative resale and they're requiring sworn promises that buyers intend to live in their units. How this restriction will hold up in the expected downturn of the condo market will be interesting to observe, but of course the downturn itself should reduce the amount of speculative investment.
3720 will consist of a 30-story tower and a five-story "side-car" structure, which will together contain 323 units, for a total of 350,000 square feet of condominium space. In addition, the development also calls for 17,000 square feet of retail and 380 parking spaces. The project is the third in the South Waterfront area for developer Block 30. The firm's Meriwether condo development is located adjacent to 3720. Completion is expected in 2009.
New residents paid more than $350 per square foot for units 600 square feet and up at prices going from $169,000 to $1.9 million. The draw is being on the river as well as proximity to the new wellness center being built by Oregon Health & Science University. The Meriwether has sold all of its 245 units.
The university sold a block in the new neighborhood to Medford-based Pacific Retirement Services Inc., which plans to build a 30-story senior housing building that would offer a range of retirement living options, from apartments to nursing home level care. The arrangement will strengthen OHSU's relationship with Intel, OHSU officials said, as the two can work to develop devices and techniques aimed at making aging easier. The completion date is 2010.
The 16-story, 400,000 square foot building - the first OHSU building to be completed in the South Waterfront and now OHSU’s gateway to health care - houses clinical offices, ambulatory surgery suites, a rehabilitation center, research laboratories, educational facilities, a conference center, and the march wellness and fitness center with its saline-treated swimming and therapy pools, basketball court and locker rooms. A Casey Eye Optical Shop, an OHSU retail pharmacy and the Daily Café restaurant occupy space on the ground floor near the three-story atrium. The building is 61 percent more energy-efficient than required by Oregon code. It uses nearly 60 percent less potable water than a similar conventional building does. One-hundred percent of the sewage generated in the building is treated in a membrane bioreactor on site. Building systems also included an integrated day-lighting system, naturally ventilated stair towers, radiant heating and cooling, and eco-roofs. Rainwater and wastewater are harvested for landscaping, keeping 15,000 gallons a day from reaching the city’s overburdened sewer system. No potable water is used for waste conveyance or irrigation in the building, and the swimming pools are integrated with the heating and cooling system as a thermal storage The south-side façade of the building on the 15th and 16th floors was transformed into a giant solar air heater by creating a 6,000 square foot trombe wall consisting of two glass skins. The warm air produced inside the trombe wall by the greenhouse effect is recirculated through the building in winter reducing the building’s energy use. The building also features: In contrast to conventional building designs that seek to seal nature out and then rely heavily on mechanical assistance, this building’s design and engineering team have harvested natural resources. For example, rainwater that falls on the building is reused in toilets and landscaping, and daylight is fully leveraged for lighting. The sun’s energy is captured both through a “Trombe wall” solar collector and photovoltaic cells located on south façade sunscreens. Eco-roofs on terraces, water efficient fixtures and appliances and the use of sustainable and regional materials in construction round out the building’s environmentally-friendly features The building’s innovative energy-saving features include:
3. Now it’s time to board the aerial tram for the three minute ride up to OHSU. The base station is directly across the street from the SW Gibbs street car stop. The Aerial Tram’s hours of operation are:
M-F 6 AM - 10 PM
The building and financing of the OHSU aerial tram is another chapter in this area’s history that is worth noting. The problem really began in 1880 when the Oregon Rail & Navigation company bought 360 acres to build a train-switching station. Too bad they didn’t consult the topographic maps, or they might have realized the idiocy of placing a rail switching yard atop a mountain. Not even the Swiss would do that, although it was ultimately the Swiss that solved the problem. Twenty-four years later, Dr. Kenneth Mackenzie, OHSU’s second dean of medicine, realized that the railroad’s 450 foot dilemma might serve a higher and better use. Despite withering ridicule he convinced the hapless railroad owners to donate the all but insurmountable peak as the site for the new campus of what was immediately dubbed “Mackenzie’s folly” , but eventually became Oregon Health & Science University. Eventually the facility grew into 35 buildings totaling more than 5 million square feet housing Portland's most important hospital, educational institution and employer. But throughout it all, access remained a real constraint. The University had to grow, but where?
Not everyone was happy about this solution, least of all the South Portland neighborhoods, over whose heads this enormous project loomed. No more nude sunbathing in the backyard, no more elicit vegetation behind the garage…This time the controversy was not about how to ascend the slope of the hill as it had been in MacKenzie’s day, but rather it was the very steep escalation of projected costs that left everyone breathless. Initially projected to cost $15.5 million the project eventually ballooned to over $57 million, requiring enormous further commitments by all parties concerned, since the cost of aborting the project could have resulted in even greater penalties and legal costs.
Here’s how it all evolved (expressed in millions):
Some of the additional costs were attributed to rapidly rising steel costs, some to expensive design changes, and some to an overall lack of effective fiduciary oversight. The $4.00 cost of the ticket is only one of the many ways that this financial tar pit has made itself felt. Ultimately, repayment will depend upon the success of the South Waterfront development, whose owners, investors and tax increment fund bondholders will bear the burden of 42% of the debt associated with this landmark project. On the other hand, the aerial tram may put Portland on the map, just as the aerial tram in Barcelona has become a new icon and tourist attraction for that city. If you are contemplating this circuit on a day the tram is not operational, you may use the # 8 bus to reach OHSU from Downtown. The bus stops along SW Gibbs, disembark as close to SW 9th as possible.
4. Arriving at the Kohler Pavilion on OHSU's main campus, you will circle the building to the right, taking in the magnificent views from the terrace as you wend your way to SW Gibbs the main thoroughfare through the mass of hospital buildings clustered atop, “Pill Hill”.
5. At the crosswalk, you cross to the right side of SW Gibbs Road and follow it up the hill for .2 miles past a below-ground parking facility and an above-ground parking facility. From the cross walk to the corner of SW 9th you will have
6. At the intersection of SW Gibbs and SW 9th Avenue turn right and follow the road down about 500 ft. to the intersection with SW Grover. Here you will see signs for the Connor Trail.
7. The Connor Trail came about as a result of the efforts of Dr. William Connor, who teaches at OHSU and is a Board member of the Friends of Marquam Park. It was his idea that this trail would grant access for the students, employees, patients and visitors at OHSU to the 8 miles of trails in the Marquam Park and beyond to the 40 mile Loop trail that girdles the Portland area. Without easements granted by OHSU and Kelly Yeung, the owners of the steep slope that the Connor trail traverses, this access would not have been possible. The trail was build in 2005 and opened in May of 2006 with the help from many local volunteers, an Americorp team and the city’s Parks and Recreation employees.
As you start down the switchbacks that lead downwards along the foundation of About .1 mile or 550 feet from the beginning of the trail, you should observe the trees below you on your right and there you should spot a magnificent example of a burl that has completely capped a tree. It looks like a giant match with an As we proceed north the trail turns to the west (left) just above the intersection of Sam Jackson Park Road and Terwilliger Parkway. The trail is in good condition with gravel still visible. Wooden bridges cross the smaller ravines and traverse the steeper slopes. The larger trees are mostly Western Red Cedar, Hemlock and Douglas Fir. Between them you will see Vine maple, Huckleberry bushes, Alder trees, and some Big Leaf Maple trees. Looking north across the valley you can see the houses that line SW Broadway Drive and also the water pipes that descend to the large water tank located on Sam Jackson Parkway. After the paths turns westward you may be able to catch a glimpse of the “hidden House” with its blue metallic roof that’s located halfway down the slope from SW Broadway. This house can only be accesses by means of a steep dirt path that climbs
8. About a half mile from the start of the trail it crosses a short bridge over a particularly steep slope and then drops down to a larger trail, the southern end of the Shelter trail. As you approach this juncture be careful, because the slope has eroded severely leaving only a sliver of a trail for about 10 feet. Beyond it is a tree covered with a fine sampling of licorice ferns. Turn right on the Shelter trail and
9.
There is also a wonderful water fountain at this shelter that even sports a basin for dogs to slack their thirst. 9. The Marquam Shelter on SW Marquam St. (off Sam Jackson Park Rd.) houses interesting historical information about the Marquam Gulch. Also pick up a brochure on the Marquam Nature Loop; we’ll refer to it later on this walk. It’s worth taking a few minutes to take in the descriptions of the area’s flora and fauna, and besides there’s a wonderful old water fountain with a special side dish to let your dog drink as well. Drop a stone in to cover the basin’s drain and that will allow the water to collect sufficiently to slack your hound’s thirst.
After perusing the information at the shelter (elevation 300 ft.), head up the hill following the short paved road for about 10 feet until you see the beginning of the Sunnyside Trail branch off to the right. It crosses the floor of the valley just above the shelter where you can still see the foundations of two early homes. These homes were abandoned in 1974 when the park was formed. About .12 miles from the shelter you will come across a set of steps that leads upwards to the path. At that point also note the Nature Trail Post #11 intended to show you the proliferation of ivy in the area and the other invasive plants, such as the Himalayan Blackberry, Holly, Laurel, and Poplar trees that most likely originated in the gardens of the now ruined homes we just passed. A little further up the trail (about .22 miles from the shelter) you can look over the widening ravine below you and see at least 12 trees that have been completely or mostly killed by the ivy that has strangled their growth.
The next level is characterized by the Vine maple, the Rhododendron, the Alder, and Red Elderberry rising to about 20 feet in height. This is the playground of the squirrels, the Black-capped Chickadees, the Stellar Jay, the Juncos, the Warbling Vireo and the Red-eyed Vireo, the Wilson’s warbler, the Varied Thrush, the American Robin and the Cross spiders. The third level of a succession forest is a canopy of approximately 50-75 feet in height. The structural basis for this level is formed by younger conifers, but mostly it’s comprised of Big-leaf maples, larger Alders, the Pacific dogwood and the Black cottonwood. Here’s where you find the Northern Flicker, the Red-tailed Hawk, the Coopers Hawk and the Sharp shinned Hawk, the Douglas and Grey Squirrels, the Northern Flying Squirrel (whom you will probably never see since they’re nocturnal). The structural foundation of the final eco-system layer in a mixed succession forest are comprised of the mature large Douglas fir, Western Red cedar and hemlock trees. This layer can rise to over 100 feet and comprises the forest canopy. Look here for the squirrels, Great Horned Owl, the Pileated Woodpecker, the Ravens, the Hawks, Ospreys, and Eagles.
Just past the switchback, and before the intersection with the Marquam Trail, you will encounter the last of the nature posts that we pass on this route. Nature Trail Post #9 is located on the uphill side of the trail and is intended to point out a toppled Douglas fir with its shallow root structure. We will see a far more recent and dramatic example further up the trail… 10. This point marks the western terminus of the Shelter Trail (which we have been ascending) as it meets the Marquam Trail that extends all the way from Marquam Hill Road (the extension of SW Gibbs St.) all the way through the Marquam Gulch and up (1.2 miles) to Council Crest and eventually to the Hoyt Arboretum, located just beyond the Portland Zoo. As we approach the intersection from below we will see the sign that notes the distances to the summit at Council Crest and to the Terwilliger Trail, whose trailhead is located on the Marquam Hill Road. At this point we will make a sharp turn to the right and begin following the Marquam trail uphill. As we ascend the Marquam gulch you can now also begin to spot two very important and essential denizens of these forested slopes.
Of course, the other ubiquitous Oregon path-side plant is the Salal shrub (Galtheria shallon). Aside from Salmon, From the intersection with the Shelter Trail the Marquam Trail route carries you up about .1 mile to the intersection with the Sunnyside trail on the north side of the ravine. This stretch is a series of switch backs that rise about 50 feet, though it feels like more than that. The route leads across the bed of the ravine (and a small muddy water course) and up the northern side of the valley to the juncture with the Sunnyside trail and the continuation of the Marquam trail to the summit. 11. Immediately above SW Sherwood you will see (on the right side) two gardens that have been completed restored to native species and have been awarded a “Certified Backyard Habitat” status as part of the West Willamette Restoration Project. This is a program that is being spread across the entire area in an effort to get rid of invasive species especially in people’s back yard – from whence they spread to infest the natural parts of the hill. Continuing on we cross the creek again and immediately thereafter look for an old stump on your left out of which is growing a young cedar sapling. This is a perfect example of a “nurse tree” – or the sprouting of a young tree from the nutritious soil of a rotting older stump or log. The path continues upward amidst a canopy of vine maples that can be extraordinarily beautiful in the fall as they turn brilliant red and yellow. The path switches back to the left midway up the slope, and you can see the drainage pipe to your right on the floor of the ravine. SW Arden forms a cul-de-sac just above this portion of the ravine, but there is not pedestrian connection from the trail. Follow the trail as it traverses the east facing slope and just before the trail begins to turn westward, you will pass close by a middle aged cedar tree situated right next to the trail. It is just beyond the large log that has been cut to allow the path a passage. If you look closely at the cedar tree you will see that it has sustained a split in its surface that has nearly healed, leaving only a tiny hole at the top. This is the home for at least four Douglas Squirrels, whom you can sometime hear squeaking away inside the tree!
As you ascend the trail westward you will pass a large uprooted Douglas fir immediately next to the trail. Note how shallow the root structure is. This tree fell along with a number of other trees a few winters ago when heavy rains had saturated the ground and effectively turned it into a gelatinous texture. A heavy wind followed and having nothing solid to anchor it, the tree fell. Note also the presence of a female holly tree on the slope below the tree. Holly trees come in both genders and they cannot thrive without the presence of at least one female in their midst. Other plants of note in this section of the trail include: Thimbleberries, Trailing Blackberries, Huckleberries, Salal, Pacific Bleeding Heart, the Wild Ginger plant, Ducksfeet, Pathfinder, and unfortunately a prevalence of ivy. 13. At this point, 1.2 miles above the Marquam Shelter we cross SW Fairmount and enter a short stretch of path that parallels SW Fairmount as it heads northwards. In this section you can see the prodigious work that has been begun to rid the hill of invasive plants including the ivy and the holly trees. Where once the ivy blotted out all the ground hugging plants, you can now observe the return of False Solomon’s Seal, Wild Ginger, Oregon Grape, Wild Rose, Larkspur and Vetch. 14. Next we cross SW Greenway and we have only.2 miles to go to reach the summit. This area has been cleared to a great extent of all the ivy and the native species are making a comeback. 15. As we approach the top a side path leads out on to the lower portion of the pasture used as the off-leash dog area, hence I refer to it as the dog pasture. 16. A few more feet up the hill and you will enter a low circular stone structure that marks
17. Continue on down the paved path to the 3-way intersection of SW Fairmount and SW Talbot Rd. and SW Talbot Terrace. From here follow SW Talbot Rd. northwards (continuing the direction of travel you were on when you came out of the park). 18. SW Talbot Road bends to the left and then heads north again to meet SW Patton at the gas station. Do not take the southward extension of SW Talbot Road as that will only lead you back to the eastern slope of the hill and away from where we need to go. 19. At the gas station first cross to the north side of SW Patton and then turn right to cross SW Humphrey. The initial portion of this trail is a series of switchbacks that drop you down to the bed of the ravine. About 250 feet below SW Patton you cross the muddy little creek that runs down the bottom of the ravine. Our path will take us to the western slope of this gulch that runs roughly NE towards the US 26 freeway below. Having crossed the muddy creek, we encounter a number of steps that guide you along and down the slope. The trail continues for about .2 miles paralleling a set of wooden power lines that also run down this ravine and ducking into and out of small side ravines where wooden bridges provide safe passage over the muddy ground. We climb up a short bit as we emerge from this ravine and begin to turn westward on the slope directly above the freeway. The noise of the cars grows appreciably from this point forward, even as we continue to dip in and out of ravines. 20. Eventually we come to a single switchback that marks the final descent to the freeway. Railroad tie steps provide sure footing as we drop the last few feet in elevation to emerge on an “on ramp” that descends from the bridge that crosses US 26 to access the Portland Zoo. 21. 22. 23. Follow this sidewalk up to the left until you approach a rough stone structure on the right side of the road. This is the Portland Zoo Max station. It is comprise of two nearly identical stone buildings, one across from the Forestry center and the other on the far side of the parking lot closer to the zoo. We will choose the one closer to ourselves. 24. A cross walk allows you safe access from he sidewalk to the transit facilities. The elevators heading downwards are located on the east side of the stone structure. The upper level of the station is located at an elevation of about 730 feet – about 100 feet above the freeway.
Board the next Portland-bound train (the right platform as you emerge from the western elevator). You can also check the direction of the subway by looking at 25. Once aboard the ride will swiftly take you down another 275 feet in elevation to emerge from the hillside at an elevation of just under 200 feet. 26. The first stop is Collins Circle located near the mouth of the Robertson Tunnel from which you just emerged. This stop serves a small retail community including the famous Goose Hollow Inn, run by Portland’s former Mayor, Bud Clark. 27. The next stop is at Kings Hill station that serves Lincoln High School, the Multnomah Athletic Club, and PGE Park. 28. Another stop at the north end of PGE Park is the final stop before the MAX light rail train continues uninterrupted all the may to your final destination. 29. Disembark at the Yamhill and SW 9th station, which is located a few feet from the Central Library – where you started this journey. The entire circuit as described is about 8.5 miles, but only 3.9 miles of it involve walking.
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“4 T” Trails 
The 4T trail system was conceived of in two versions, The “Marquam Version” uses 3.75 miles of trail networks to link the Oregon Health Science University (OHSU) to the MAX Station at the Portland Zoo. This route features forested footpaths that wind in and out of the many remote valleys lining the steep slopes of Portland’s West Hills. This hike ascends from the OHSU aerial tram station to SW Gibbs and SW 9th. At the north end of SW 9th the route descends the Connor trail into the Marquam Gulch. Pause at the Marquam Interpretive Center to enjoy the historical descriptions and drawings of flora and fauna before climbing to the summit of Council Crest. The complete 4T circuit using this route is 8.5 miles, of which only 3.5 miles entails walking. The balance can be enjoyed from the comfort of the train, trolley or tram. Plan about 4 hours to complete the circuit.
Don Baack, the driving force behind the Southwest trails network was the originator of this “4T” concept, and his “Urban trails” version of the 4T trail uses mostly streets and neighborhood paths. Using the Urban Trails variant the walker leaves the OHSU aerial tram station and climbs SW Gibbs to SW Fairmount, and from there progresses northwards by way of SW Talbot Rd to SW Patton where the route uses a .9 mile portion of the Marquam trail to reach the MAX Station at the Portland Zoo. The “Urban Trails” variant is 7.9 miles in length and requires about 3 hours to finish.
The South Waterfront District:
The 
The $145 million Center for Health & Healing anchors the university’s presence in the South Waterfront Central District. Eight of its floors are devoted to physician practices, surgery and imaging across a wide range of specialties and programs, including: dermatology, family medicine, internal medicine, spine, neurology, neurosurgery, cardiology, oncology, surgical oncology, digestive health, ENT (ear, nose and throat), plastic surgery, physical therapy, ophthalmology, urology and fertility. The building also represents a tremendous commitment to research that leads to new knowledge and better treatments as well as commercializable intellectual property. Four floors – almost 100,000 square feet – are devoted to research, including cancer and cardiology research, OHSU’s General Clinical Research Center and biomedical engineering laboratories.
unit.
cabins rise 500 feet for the three-minute trip over I-5, the Lair Hill neighborhood and the Southwest Terwilliger Parkway. It should be noted that the tram will not permit dogs in the cabin (nor can you dangle them outside the cabin). Their regulations restrict permitted animals to “Assistance animals” which means an animal recognized under the Americans with Disabilities Act as a service animal, including a dog guide, hearing ear dog, or other service animal assisting an individual with a physical disability in one or more daily life activities including, but not limited to, pulling a wheelchair, fetching, and balance work. 
In 1999, OHSU developed a 20-year Master Facilities Plan to address that question. The plan recognized that OHSU's ability to expand on Marquam Hill was severely limited due to site and road constraints. In December of 2000, OHSU merged with the Oregon Graduate Institute located in Hillsboro, and it was thought that the hilltop campus might migrate further west. But six years later that western campus was sold, because by then the decision had been made to expand into the new developed South Waterfront district of Portland. Now the question wasn’t “how to get up the hill”, but rather how to get down the hill to the planned new facilities on the waterfront? A study was commissioned to look at the many connection alternatives, and it concluded that a tram was the best solution. Here’s where the Swiss (remember them?) got into the act. Turning to Angelil/Graham/Pfenniger/Scholl, an aerial tram builder based in Zurich, Switzerland, the city proposed to construct an aerial tram from the waterfront to the top of Marquam hill. The custom-designed cabins were manufactured by Gangloff Cabins of Bern, Switzerland, and the Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group of Switzerland engineered and eventually built the operating system. 
climbed about 58 feet in elevation.
From where you stand at an elevation of 640 ft, you are .6 miles from the Marquam Shelter that stands at the base of the gulch (at about 310 ft in elevation), and from there it’s 1.7 miles to the summit of Council Crest at 1090 ft in elevation. 
the “Basic Science Addition/CROET” building, note the many young cedar seedlings that have been planted and will one day grace this slope with their majestic presence. At the bottom of the half dozen switchbacks, you will cross a wooden bridge and begin to traverse the slope heading directly northwards. 
oversized match head covered in moss (see picture). 
The sides of the trails are graced with Sword Ferns, Oxalis (see picture below), False Solomon Seal, Pathfinder, Foam flower, Licorice ferns (see below with mushrooms) and Oregon Grape. 
up from near the Marquam Park Shelter. 
you will arrive at the Marquam shelter in .06 miles – less than 500 feet.
Arriving at the Marquam shelter take some time to read the materials and grab one of the brochures that describes the “Nature Trail”. If they’re out, don’t despair I will fill in the details on the markers you do pass on this route. Note the very informative and colorful displays that show the changing seasonal flora and fauna of the Marquam Gulch – this display taught me the basics of Northwest forest botany. The history of this area is also covered, but I’ll get to that as we climb up further.
In brief, the origins of this area go back to its settlement in 1851 by John Talbot, who built his house at the base of this overgrown gulch. In 1875, Judge Marquam, recently arrived from California, purchased the land in and around the ravine including the hilltop that now houses OHSU for $2,750. The base of the valley, lying south of a rapidly growing Portland, was the site of the city dump – situated approximately where Duniway Park and the YMCA are located today. The neck of the gulch above the dump soon became home to the most recent influx of immigrants, the Italians. Since most of the West Hills has been extensively logged for firewood in the late 1800’s most of the vegetation in the gulch was dense and low encouraging a thriving population of wild hogs. It is said that the Italian boys enjoyed hunting these feral pigs up, while the older Italians scoured the hillsides for the prized boletus mushrooms, morels and chanterelles. 
Walk on a bit further and look back out over the ravine to observe a classic example of a “succession forest”. At the lowest level you see the ground level, with fungi above ground and below, with thimbleberry and huckleberry bushes, Salal and Oregon grape bushes, shrubs and fallen timber. This is the realm of the coyote, the deer mouse, the garter snake, the yellow racer, the Townsend Chipmunk, the caterpillars and a wide assortment of beetles and bugs. 
The Nature Trail Post # 10 is located at the first major switchback that will carry you up the southern slope of this ravine. It is intended to point out to you the pipe located at the base of this ravine that carries off the run-off from the surrounding streets and naturally occurring seepages further up the valley. While is helps control erosion, it deprives the resident wildlife of an important water source. The pipe is, however, not entirely efficient in eliminating all accessible water sources as there are still small pools in this ravine sufficient to sustain deer mice, coyotes, raccoons, squirrels and the occasional deer through much of the dry season.
The Pacific Rhododendron (Rododendrum macrophyllum) is one of the most magnificent shrubs in our forests. It provides the majority of the “understory”, or layer of dense foliage up to about 15 feet high in the typical NW forest. Along with the vine maple, elderberry, hawthorn and other mid-sized plants the Rhododendron provides a lower ecosystem that sustains the Oregon Juncos, the black-capped chickadees, the sparrows, the native Douglas squirrel (orange tummy) and imported eastern Grey squirrels, as well as the Cross spider. This native Rhododendron has plain brilliant pink flowers that add a dramatic splash of color in our otherwise mostly monochromatic conifer forests. 
the Salal berry was the most important food sources for the Indians of the Pacific Northwest. The tribes along the Columbia River dried these berries in big cakes or loaves, stored them wrapped in skunk cabbage leaves, and ate them dipped in smelt oil. They also ground the tiny seeds in the berries to make an all important flour substitute. The Salal berry ripens in late August is one of the most common berries to be found in our forests, but perhaps also the least appreciated by modern inhabitants spoiled by the plethora of commercially sweetened treats available through commercial channels. I love to munch on these slightly “mushy” berries, just as a way to show my appreciation for the hidden bounties of these forests.
Another .1 mile takes you up another 100 feet to the junction with SW Sherwood Dr. This upper portion is a favorite transit corridor for wildlife, especially as there is often water in this portion of the creek bed. I’ve spotted coyotes here and seen deer tracks. The vegetation is thick in this area dominated by vine maple and some mature hemlocks and Douglas fir trees. Just before reaching SW Sherwood you will see a small sign that designates this portion of the trail and the Dan and Rusty Goldy Corridor, and further up is a stone market commemorating their contributions to the establishment of the Marquam Park. In 1974 a
the summit at 1073 feet in elevation. Take a few minutes to enjoy the views of Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier. Mt. Jefferson is only visible under very clear conditions from one particular spot to the west of the stone circle looking directly south.
Having perused the view, perhaps gotten a drink from one of the two water fountains we will now return to the top of the dog pasture. Descending into the pasture walk to your left under the trees to the entrance to the Marquam Trail. Turn left on the Marquam trail and let it lead you around the hill to where it joins a paved walkway leading down the west side of the hill. At this point you will see a large stone that marks the location of the Mt. Zion station, the last station of the electrical street car built and operated in 1906 by the Portland Railway Light and Power Company.
From here begin to descend alongside the north side of SW Patton in a Northeasterly direction. About 100 yards down the slope you will encounter the clearly marked resumption of the Marquam Trail, which leads to the Portland Zoo.
Follow the “on ramp” uphill (in the opposite direction of the cars) until you get to the bridge. I prefer to cross the ramp and use the grassy strip alongside the freeway, but you can also walk up along the outside edge of the ramp. At the bridge turn right and proceed across US 26. At the far end of the bridge you will want to cross directly over the a median strip that divides SW Canyon Court from the fee way on ramp located at the north end of the bridge. At the leading edge of this median strip is a stop sign for cars heading east on Canyon Ct. Head for that stop sign. Once safely across on the western side of the Portland Zoo access road, you must cross northwards over Canyon Ct. to the wooded slope directly across this side street. A sign there will identify the resumption of the Marquam Trail. Enter that trail and climb up a short slope to a large field located to the west of the Children’s museum and next to an overflow parking lot.
Walk along he eastern edge of that parking lot (staying close to the Children’s’ Museum) until you reach the sidewalk that circles around the major parking lots serving the facilities in this area, such as the Zoo, the World Forestry center and the Children’s Museum.
This train station marks the deepest subway stop in the United States and the elevator will now carry you down 260 feet to the train platform at an 
approximate elevation of 475 feet. The station itself is filled with information and displays about the earliest times of this area as recorded by the rock layers. A memorial also stands to the only worker that was killed during the construction of the two twin tunnels that now convey the Max Train in and out of Portland.
the sign on the lead car.