April 4, 2024

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50º | 50% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 6:44 a.m. | Sunset 7:43 p.m.
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🥾 A hike worth tryin’

Two white trillium and one pink blooms show against a brown leafy floor at Tryon Creek State Park.

Trilliums awaken in late February and early March, turning a reddish purple toward the end of May. | Photo by Ben McBee, PDXtoday

When it comes to wildflowers you can find hiking around Portland, trillium literally stands above the rest. The attractive, three-petaled white (and later dark pink) blooms often stretch up from the forest floor on rigid stems, searching out dappled sunlight.

One of the best places to seek them out is Tryon Creek State Natural Area, a 658-acre park that encompasses a wooded ravine with an expansive trail system. This weekend, the Friends of Tryon Creek will host the Trillium Festival, where volunteers run educational booths, guided walks, and a native plant sale.

Alternating images show the visitor center at Tryon Creek State Park and a sign announcing the new education pavilion, coming in 2024. — The visitors center has information on the region; in 2024, a new education pavilion will debut.
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Photos by Ben McBee, PDXtoday

Quick facts

Starting point: Tryon Creek State Natural Area (multiple entry points are available)
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: Varies depending on route; loops range from 1.2 to 2.8 miles (or more).
Route type: Loop
Elevation gain: 26-613 ft
Trail surface: Soft/dirt
Wheelchair accessible: Trillium Trail has 0.37 mile of paved surface with resting benches and viewing decks.
Open: Year-round
Dog friendly: Yes, leashed

Brief overview

Located just 15 minutes south of downtown Portland, Tryon Creek draws 330,000+ visitors a year — and it’s free. Before setting out, grab a printed map at the visitor center to make sure you stick to your chosen route; there are 8 total miles of trails, with some open to horses.

Tryon Creek, a shallow tributary to the Willamette River, winds through lush green riparian areas among trees just starting to grow spring foliage. — You’ll see illustrated signs to keep people out of restoration zones beside the creek — listen to them.
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Photo by Ben McBee, PDXtoday

Why you should try it

Soak in the tranquility among stands of Douglas fir and riparian areas along the creek. The vibrant and varied habitats are a haven for wildlife species; search for kingfishers and pileated woodpeckers up high, blacktail deer and red foxes in the brush, and otters, beavers, and cutthroat trout in the water. At night, flying squirrels and owls take to the skies.

Pro tips

Parking is often hard to come by, so be prepared to find a spot out on the road or start your hike elsewhere, like the Iron Mountain or North Creek trailheads.

Asked

Where should we go hiking next?

We’ll take waterfalls, mountaintops, and everything in between.

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Events

Thursday, April 4

Secret Roller Disco | Thursday, April 4 | 7-9 p.m. | Boise-Eliot Elementary School, 620 N. Fremont St., Portland | Free | Don your best denim for this themed night of skating.

Friday, April 5

Hillsboro Hops vs. Everett AquaSox | Friday, April 5-Sunday, April 7 | Times vary | Hillsboro Stadium, 4450 NE Century Blvd., Hillsboro | $8-$55 | If you’re hoppy and you know it, join your fellow fans for opening weekend at the ballpark.
“Ashland” by Isabel Estelle | Friday, April 5-Saturday, April 27 | Times vary | CoHo Productions, 2257 NW Raleigh St., Portland | $25 | Billed as a “heartbreaking funny queer love story,” this performance navigates dealing with an unexpected terminal illness diagnosis and the absurdity of dying.

Saturday, April 6

Black and Loud Festival | Saturday, April 6 | 7 p.m. | Bossanova Ballroom, 722 E. Burnside St., Portland | $25-$50 | All are welcome to cheer on this celebration of Black-fronted bands featuring punk, rock, and metal acts.
Mozart’s Requiem | Saturday, April 6-Monday, April 8 | Times vary | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, Portland | $25-$132 | Hear the music shrouded in the mystery of the famed composer’s demise; preceding it is “Darker America,” a fusion of classical, jazz, and gospel.

Sunday, April 7

Adult Spelling Bee Competition | Sunday, April 7 | 6-8 p.m. | Advice Booth, 5426 N. Gay Ave., Portland | $10-$15 | H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S, hilarious. That’s what this single-error elimination bar competition is bound to be, with cocktails and cash prizes to boot.

Monday, April 8

2024 Oregon Book Awards | Monday, April 8 | 7:30-9 p.m. | Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th Ave., Portland | $5-$65 | You’re invited to an evening honoring our state’s most accomplished writers in the categories of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, young readers, and graphic literature.*

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Number

$10 million. That’s how much Jordan Schnitzer is donating to Portland State University to help construct a new home for the school’s art and design program and support his namesake museum on campus. The grand opening of the four-story, 100,000-sqft mass timber building is set for 2026. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Award

Portland has done it again, whipping up a batch of finalists for this year’s James Beard Awards. Making the cut are chefs Sarah Minnick (Lovely’s Fifty-Fifty) and Gregory Gourdet (Kann), plus JinJu Patisserie (“Outstanding Bakery”) and Langbaan (“Outstanding Restaurant”). See the other Oregon nominees. (KGW)

Listen

Tired of the same old same old on Spotify? Check out Willamette Week’s “Best New Bands,” decided by 80 diehards on the Portland music scene. See the top five live Wednesday, April 10 at Mississippi Studios — past winners include Aminé and Haley Heynderickx. (Willamette Week)

The Word

“Il Paffuto,” or “the fat guy,” is the name of the new pasta restaurant moving into the form Fermenter space on Southeast Belmont Street. Chef Aaron Adams is still in charge, bringing “Italian-inspired” vegan eats like tagliatelle with smoked carrots and green garlic pesto ravioli. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Real Estate

“We want to be part of the solution and support Portland’s revival,” said Brian Thomas, commercial banking lead for Summit Bank. The Eugene-based business just renewed its lease at KOIN Tower for 10 years, moving from the second floor to the 17th. (Portland Business Journal)

Outdoors

Want to do your part to combat light pollution? International Dark Sky Week is a great time to start. Read how you can adjust your home lighting to benefit migrating birds or join a local stargazing event.

Sports

Amid the buzz of new Oregon football uniforms next season, excitement is also high around returnees linebacker Jeffrey Bassa and tight end Terrance Ferguson. Locked On Ducks host Spencer McLaughlin thinks their leadership puts the team in a prime position to make the CFP. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Wellness

Finding therapists who have experience working with ethically non-monogamous relationships can be a challenge — but it doesn’t have to be. The Couples Clinic of Portland has several therapists on site who have specialized training and experience that can help. Schedule a consultation with Bryce Cohan or Josh Wilson to learn more.*

Development

Building a museum masterpiece

Renderings show the future Portland Art Museum from the South Park Blocks entrance, with a bright glass pavilion spanning the two brick buildings.

The new 24,000-sqft Mark Rothko Pavilion will be a transparent, welcoming “front door” to the museum. | Rendering via Portland Art Museum

The Portland Art Museum’s status as a work-in-progress now has an end date. The campus expansion and renovation project, which broke ground in January 2023, will finish at the end of 2025.

At $111 million, it’s hailed as “one of the most significant capital investments in the arts in the history of Oregon” and will create a cultural hub in downtown Portland, adding 95,000 sqft of new or upgraded public and gallery space, plus accessibility improvements.

Chicago-based Vinci Hamp Architects and Portland’s Hennebery Eddy Architects partnered on the transformation, whose shining jewel will be the Mark Rothko Pavilion, named for the Latvian abstract artist who spent his childhood in the city and took art classes at the museum.

The glass facade will connect the museum’s two historic buildings, creating a seamless transition between all four floors of exhibits.

The Buy

A bicycle phone holder that fits on bikes, e-bikes, and exercise bikes. The phone holder mounts right onto handlebars, letting you use navigation apps and keep your phone secure during rides.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Ben

From the editor

On the way home from Tryon Creek, we saw a large coyote casually strutting down Terwilliger Boulevard, so we logged the sighting with the Portland Urban Coyote Project. If you ever see one that’s “aggressive, extremely difficult to scare away, or appears severely injured” call ODFW at 971-673-6000.

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