![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
There is a observation deck in Forest Park that is rentable, and popular for weddings. However, it's not rentable all day, there is a chunk in the middle when no one gets dibs. I was having trouble writing so I grabbed my stuff and planned out a 3 hour hike, and hit up the viewpoint. Also, my path would take me over a bridge I'd only been under.
I get there after 2 hours of walking, I'd planned a loop with the longer bit first. The wedding party was still there doing pictures. I took out my book to wait. They were well over time, but I didn't care. Myself and other hikers were on the trail, waiting for our turn.
I didn't pay attention to how much time had passed, until I heard someone call out 'Want to do a coordinated hand-off?'
Long story short... shorter... the parties coordinated to block the trail and not allow us in. The morning wedding ran long, the afternoon wedding arrived early, and the decided to coordinate to block it entirely from the dirty hikers, even though neither had it rented for that part of the afternoon because you specifically can't. The second group was super aggro, too, trying to block the nearby trail so like no on could even go past it. Some of the party for the second group really thought at first they could just shut down the whole area and block the fucking Wildwood Trail in Forest Park on a weekend.
I can, and will, push through when people are trying to take over public land, but there were so many, and so aggro and I just wasn't up for trying. So, me and the others just never got access. We were, eventually, let by at least.
What the fuck is wrong with people? We let the first group have it for like an extra 40 minutes, no one bothered them, and it was their idea to do the weird 'coordinated handoff'. Just... why?
No good deed goes unpunished, I guess.
I'd planned to have lunch there on the deck, bit of banana bread and peanut butter. I'll have to try another day. The second group was loud AF so I kept walking until I could at least drown it out with headphones and finally had my lunch. Then, I was off to Barbara Walker Crossing, the bridge on my way out.
I need to pick a 3rd bridge and so if the day goes sideways again.
Anyway, bridge:
On the way to the trail head, I just needed to follow the sidewalk to... well, fuck:
Then I had to go up some stairs:
Other Pics:
At the end of a road:
Need to reshoot that last one, the weird crown on the house doesn't pop enough. Why is that house king?
I get there after 2 hours of walking, I'd planned a loop with the longer bit first. The wedding party was still there doing pictures. I took out my book to wait. They were well over time, but I didn't care. Myself and other hikers were on the trail, waiting for our turn.
I didn't pay attention to how much time had passed, until I heard someone call out 'Want to do a coordinated hand-off?'
Long story short... shorter... the parties coordinated to block the trail and not allow us in. The morning wedding ran long, the afternoon wedding arrived early, and the decided to coordinate to block it entirely from the dirty hikers, even though neither had it rented for that part of the afternoon because you specifically can't. The second group was super aggro, too, trying to block the nearby trail so like no on could even go past it. Some of the party for the second group really thought at first they could just shut down the whole area and block the fucking Wildwood Trail in Forest Park on a weekend.
I can, and will, push through when people are trying to take over public land, but there were so many, and so aggro and I just wasn't up for trying. So, me and the others just never got access. We were, eventually, let by at least.
What the fuck is wrong with people? We let the first group have it for like an extra 40 minutes, no one bothered them, and it was their idea to do the weird 'coordinated handoff'. Just... why?
No good deed goes unpunished, I guess.
I'd planned to have lunch there on the deck, bit of banana bread and peanut butter. I'll have to try another day. The second group was loud AF so I kept walking until I could at least drown it out with headphones and finally had my lunch. Then, I was off to Barbara Walker Crossing, the bridge on my way out.
I need to pick a 3rd bridge and so if the day goes sideways again.
Anyway, bridge:
On the way to the trail head, I just needed to follow the sidewalk to... well, fuck:
Then I had to go up some stairs:
Other Pics:
At the end of a road:
Need to reshoot that last one, the weird crown on the house doesn't pop enough. Why is that house king?
no subject
Date: 2026-07-14 05:40 pm (UTC)From:That bridge is very interesting looking.
The sidewalk... huh. Well.
Those are some picturesquely cracked stairs in that first pic.
It did take me a sec to notice the crown, but now that I do... Hmmm.
no subject
Date: 2026-07-15 12:15 am (UTC)From:The bridge connects the two foresty bits of Portland that are cut apart by a main road. I'd been under it a lot, but I need to explore that section more. You'd think... I'd think I'd been just about everywhere in this town by now, or close to it, still lots I should have gotten to ages ago
no subject
Date: 2026-07-16 03:55 am (UTC)From:Were any of these staircases on your list?
It does seem like there's near infinite areas to explore.