Destination walk--Camassia Nature Preserve

 On Friday I took a break from my routine of writing, editing, keeping up the apartment, reading and etc. Hal and I got out of town and walked the trail at Camassia Nature Preserve.

Every month the retirement community organizes “destination walks,” hikes in one of the many wilderness areas or nature preserves that abound here in the Willamette Valley. These walks are for the hardier residents, those who exercise regularly and have a certain level of energy. And who like to spend time outdoors.

I confess I’m on the borderline of being in this group as I grapple with issues that tend to rob me of energy. But I want to belong to the hardy club and I love being outdoors and away from the ordinariness of every day. So Hal and I decided to try it. This was one of the easier of the walks, being a loop of only a mile. We thought I could manage that and were willing to give it a try. (Normally my dizziness kicks in after a quarter of a mile.)

We grabbed our walking sticks and a small backpack with water and my notebook, then joined the group of about 15 people in front of the bus. Since we were among the last to sign up, there was no room on the bus, and we went with our friends in their car. The park was about an hour’s drive away.

Camassia Nature Preserve is a 26-acre natural area located on the outskirts of West Linn, part of greater Portland. It’s managed by The Nature Conservancy, a non-profit international environmental organization. Its name comes from the common camas, a purple wildflower of the lily family that blooms throughout the northwest in the spring. We were there just past the peak season when we were told that the purple blooms covered the meadow in regal splendor. Even though the flowers now only bloomed here and there in patches, they were beautiful.

 

They weren’t alone. We saw abundant buttercups, fringecups, thimbleberry blossoms, wild roses, and many small blooms I couldn’t name. The area is home to more than 300 types of plant species.

The one-mile loop is a narrow trail that winds through forest and brushland. From the viewpoint we looked down on the 205 freeway with the Willamette River and Oregon City off in the distance. Other than that view, we were in the silence of nature, away from the city. Several trails spur off the loop, one leading to a longer trail through a wilderness area. I’d love to come back and walk that trail.

A large part of the destination walk is the community of walkers and the friendships that develop. Some walk faster than others, which is to be expected. I’m not in the slowest group, but definitely more toward that end. But every one looks out for everyone else, and a designated walker brings up the end of the line. In this case it was the fitness director of the retirement community. I’m slow, not just because of my dizziness, but because I like to stop and look around me—or down at the side of the path where the tiniest flowers grow.

 

                                    Camas and buttercups

                                    Thimbleberry blossom

Viewpoint--Mt. Hood

Madrona tree

    I feel proud of myself for going on this walk. I confess I’ve been in a bit of a slump lately, partly because of lack of sleep and little energy (another subject). Motivation to get out and mingle is at low ebb and I’ve spent many days in my apartment, reading, watching movies, looking out the window and playing computer solitaire (another confession). Even in the middle of a slump, I know it’s temporary, that I’ll come out of it given time and a dash of discipline.

I also know that one way to be proactive, even when I don’t feel like it, is to get out in nature. Trees are the best listeners and therapists I know. The wind in the leaves gives such good advice. Wildflowers encourage me. And walking a trail with friends is a sure prescription for a healthy spirit.

I think I’ll join the June destination walk to the Willamette Mission State Park. You come, too!