Located along Lake Oswego’s Northern boundary is Tryon Creek State Park. It consists of over 600 acres of natural areas. There are trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding and a paved trail that is designed to be user friendly for people with disabilities. It is a gem in the metro area and it is at our back door.
I have been hiking in the park for years. The trails are varied enough that you can do a short excursion of under a mile or stretch it out to be several miles long. While hiking in the park last Sunday, I was impressed with the condition of the trails. Oregon lottery money has been infused into the maintenance of the park and is easily evident in the well maintained paths and bridges.
Bridges are necessary because the park is layed out around a canyon that contains a natural watershed. The creek at the bottom is one of the few remaining creeks in the area with an active run of steelhead trout.
The history of the park goes back to an early pioneer, Socrates Hotchkiss Tryon (gotta love that name!). He established the first land claim which was sold in the late 19th Century to the Oregon Iron company for $7000. The Oregon Iron Company logged the canyon to provide fuel for the iron foundry in Lake Oswego. Logging continued off and on until 1961.
People locally began to appreciate the value of the natural area and the Friends of Tryon Creek was formed in 1969 to work toward preserving the area in its natural state.
In 1970 a land developer obtained an option on the property to develop it into homesites. This set off a firestorm of volunteer support. In just 3 weeks time 325 volunteers raised $27,000 as the first step in saving the park. Efforts continued throughout the year and on October 26th of that same year, Governor Tom McCall announced the formation of Tryon Creek Park. The state then purchased 600+ acres for nearly $3,000,000. The park was dedicated in 1975.
Today visitors come to the park to enjoy the trails and the nature center. There are classes for children as well as for adults. There is an annual art display called Natural Cycles: Art in the Forest. And then there is the Trillium Festival.
A discussion about Tryon Creek State Park would not be complete without the subject of the native trillium. Trillium Ovatum are a wildflower that grow in the undisturbed shadows of the forest. They are a member of the lily family and bloom in March. They start out white and turn pink as they age. They are a very delicate plant. As a child I recall my grandmother telling me “don’t pick the trillium”. This is because if you pick a the flower, it takes the plant 7 years to recover and to bloom again.
The Trillium Festival is held annually when the forest is in full bloom. It includes a plant sale where you can purchase trillium to put into your own garden. This year’s festival is April 4-6.
Admission to the park is free.
This park is so close to Lake Oswego that it is easily enjoyed. There are trails directly into the park from both the First Addition and Forest Highlands neighborhoods.
Lake Oswego is home to a very unique and beautiful facility, Lake Oswego Hunt. The Lake Oswego Hunt is an equestrian training program and a riding school for children and adults of all ages. Unlike many facilities that focus on one discipline, Lake Oswego Hunt works with Combined Training, Dressage, and Hunter/Jumper. So if you have a love for horses, and you want to have access to horses in your life, there is a way to do that here in Lake Oswego.
When I stopped in to visit the Lake Oswego Hunt, besides the beautiful arena and barn, I was also struck by the warmth and friendliness of the people that I met. Everyone was gracious and welcoming. I was very taken with the attitude that this is a place that wants to be a part of our community. They made it very clear that they love to have people come in and that they are happy to give you a tour. Along with a calendar of events that includes horse shows and parties, there are occassional open houses that invite the general public to come and see what is happening at Lake Oswego Hunt. The next open house is scheduled for February 7th, from 9am to 5pm.
Wow! A newscaster said yesterday that we are experiencing the biggest snow event since 1964! For those of you who tune in to the Blotter from out of state, I am attaching a few photos so that you can see what we are talking about. Dianne has posted some for your amusement as well. We usually focus on real estate pretty much exclusively in our Blog, but with this kind of excitement, we can’t resist giving you a little local flavor.
Main roads are kept pretty passable with mostly packed snow, and are sanded regularly (Oregon does not use salt), but side streets, especially hilly ones, are let’s say… invigorating! Kids who have been out of school an extra week this Winter Break are sledding everywhere. Lots of folks have bagged their aspirations of mobility as evidenced by the feet of snow burying their cars on the sides of many roads. Others who are able and so inclined have headed for Mt. Hood where skiing is incredible, and road crews are always ahead of the curve. Trees laden with snow and ice have released some of their burden in the form of limbs in yards and on roadsides. But hey… it’s pretty!
Christmas has taken on a completely different tone this year. Instead of filling the malls, people gather in kitchens around batches of cookies. Fireplaces are the center of many homes where friends, family and a variety of hot beverages and toddies complete the picture. The uptick in Internet shopping in the area has kept UPS busy all over! This year is definitely one we will never forget.
The Lake Oswego City Council has awarded the $830,785 contract, to Pioneer Waterproofing, Inc. Requiring specialized skills, Pioneer Waterproofing fits the bill and has met the standard for brick and masonry restoration in conformance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. Pioneer Waterproofing has also completed impressive restoration projects which include Vista House, Crater Lake Lodge, Timberline Lodge, and the Portland Art Museum.
Kudos to the Lake Oswego Library which was ranked the best library in the state of Oregon by the 
I crunch my way to the mailbox to pick up the daily paper thrown there in the walkway, and look up half asleep at the clear blue sky feathered with white brush strokes.
Construction was completed on the new multi-use field near Lakeridge High School in the spring, the first sporting events being soccer and lacrosse. The field also accommodates football and baseball. It boasts a playing field made of plastic fibers and ground-up rubber which has excellent lasting capacity and drainage according to Gary Evans, assistant director at Lake Oswego Parks & Recreation. Neighbors’ concerns were addressed with state-of-the-art, computer-controlled, “green” lighting that uses a minimum number of fixtures and reduces energy-wasting light “spill”. The park is open until 10:00PM, but lights may be turned off by teams if they’re finished early by calling a toll-free number and entering a password. Most local leagues may use the field for free once a seasonal fee is paid.
Amenities of the 12-acre site include walking paths and access to trailheads, a beautiful 1.5 acre wetland, playground, parking lot, restroom facility and two luxurious off-leash dog parks- one is 1.6 acres and intended for larger gregarious dogs (though it is open to all dogs), whereas the other is 1.1 acres and reserved for smaller and/or timid dogs. Both dog parks include incredible fencing that is seemingly jump-, dig-, and escape-proof with double-entry gates. There are also benches and picnic tables for dog owners to relax and/or socialize, covered/shady areas for rainy or too-sunny days, water-stations, garbage cans, you-scoop-bags, and open areas for playing fetch or just letting the dogs play.
One of the things that I always explain to anyone buying a home in Lake Oswego, and particularly a lakefront home, is that the lake has a history of routine maintenance that occasionally requires a draw down of the water level.
I was pleasantly surprised yesterday morning to find an article on the front page of the Clackamas County edition of the Oregonian featuring a story about the new electric-car, plug-in charging station that is now in Lake Oswego.
Absolutely one of the best features of living in Lake Oswego is the ability to enjoy the lake. And one of my favorite ways to enjoy it is by riding a bike, or taking a walk or a jog around it. The first time I ran the lake was in 1980. I have done it many, many times since then. Although I have to admit that these days instead of running it, I bike or walk it. It’s just about 8 miles all the way around. Biking it, the challenge is to do it in one hour’s time. I know that does not seem very fast, but there are two substantial hills in the ride and if you can do it in an hour, you are kicking some serious #*%*. Walking it takes about 2.5 hours, and running it, back in my hey day, took just over an hour.
Start at the Lake Grove Swim Park, which is just North of the intersection of Southshore Blvd and Lakeview Blvd, along Lakeview Blvd. Proceed North on Lakeview. I suppose it is actually slightly Northeast, but for the sake of keeping it simple, head North along the shoulder of the road. There is a nice wide bike path and you’ll be enjoying the view of the lake and the stately mansions. You will go about half a mile before you come to the first right hand turn. 
cross the bridge with the view to the left of Lakewood Bay you will come to a 3-way stop, turn left. Go about a block and take the first right. This is is Fairmont. You are only going to go about 100 feet before you turn left onto Middlecrest. Middlecrest is not a through street. It has a barrier erected to keep out auto traffic, but there is a pass through for bikes and pedestrians. Stay on Middlecrest a couple of blocks to the traffic light at State Street.