Sunday Assembly Portland

Gladstone Nature Park is a nearly 12 acre natural space featuring a system of rough trails leading to lovely basalt outcroppings, and a paved pedestrian trail from one end to the other,crossing a grassy meadow. This park sits on 40 feet of basalt and is a mixed oak/conifer habitat. Recently this regional park was threatened with sale and development, which did not happen (to the extent feared). Instead a group was formed to protect, clean up and restore this lovely nature park: FOGNAP=Friends Of Gladstone Nature Park. FOGNAP meets at the last Saturday each month from Jan-Oct, 9 AM-noon. This 501(c)3 organization is working to restore the park to its original natural habitat. They've made a huge difference in a fairly short time, come and be part of the nature park love! Let's meet and help them out. There are baby trees to be watered, wood chips to spread, blackberries and poison oak to conquer, trash to collect, and trails to define. Wear long sleeves, long pants, socks, gloves if you decide to do battle with those noble and formidable adversaries of poison oak or blackberries. There's plenty of gentler ways to help out without risking a rash or thorny punishment. Meet in the parking lot at 9 AM or join the volunteers later, just come. 18111-18395 Webster Rd, Gladstone, Or 97027. There's a parking lot across from the the SDA convention grounds.

Let’s take a walk on the trail from Clackamette park, at the union of the Clackamas and Willamette rivers, along the Oregon City Promenade overlooking the Willamette River, then into old town Oregon City, up the only vertical street in America, then walk the bluff trail to the viewing Platform for the powerful Willamette Falls, and back down via the long bluff stairs featuring water features and more waterfalls. Clackamette park is a haven for waterfowl that stay all year due to handouts. The promenade provides amazing river views, and often you can see and sea lions who often visit an old pier. Old Town Oregon City features a plethora of antique and collectible shops, a giant abandoned mill, and it’s most unusual feature-the Municipal Elevator. The Oregon City Municipal Elevator is officially "Elevator Street", and is a 130-foot tall tower built in 1955 to connect the lower city to the upper. It's free, staffed, and has an access tunnel and an observation deck up top for amazing river and mill views. Both tunnel and deck are lined with large holographic pictures of the elevators construction as well as some indigenous and cultural local history. It began as a water-powered elevator in 1915, but was upgraded to an electric-powered elevator in 1954. It is an example of Googie architecture, which is reminiscent of the space-age housing structures in the Jetson's cartoon show. To add to this fun, the elevator is also reported to host the ghost of a red-haired boy named Carl Green that died after drinking contaminated river water. From the top, the trail continues and offers views of a huge abandoned mill and the second-most powerful falls in North America-Willamette falls. We’ll take the long easy stairs down to view even more falls (manmade). This absolutely fabulous walk will be around 3 miles long, mostly on concrete trails and street sidewalks. Please wear stabilizing active footwear such as sneakers, hiking boots or Tivas. Bring water or snacks as needed. Friendly dogs are welcome on leash. They are even allowed in the elevator. If you want to carpool from some distant part of town, then leave a comment and we’ll try to find someone going your way. The walk will take an hour to an hour and a half, but allow the two hour window due to any view breaks or general group lag. This should be fun! Let’s take a walk! Meet/park near the restrooms located straight in towards the boat ramp and to the left from the Clackamette Park entrance. From 99E cross the bridge across the Clackamas River into Oregon City, then take a right on the first street just past McDonalds across from the strip mall. Take the first right, then turn left into Clackamette Park. 1955 Clackamette Dr, Oregon City, OR 97045. Contact organizer Dr. Mindy Curry at 503-995-8674 with any questions.