by myself or with a friend even when I was 6 years old. Feeding the ducks at the pond was a favorite. My earliest memory of the park was a few weeks before the Columbus Day storm in 62?? The trees were enormous, but after the storm, a bit shorter. I remember playing in the fallen debris.
Mt. Tabor... I miss those reservoir fountains especially the one on Division at Mt Tabor. Now it's condos I think. My brothers an I climbed Mt Tabor every once in a while but only if it was really muddy and never took the paths or stairs. I guess that was the fun of it... and the fact that it was an extinct volcano made it mysterious to this 5-6 year old.
What has really changed? The Columbia gorge and the Mt. Hood Wilderness and surrounding forests. In the 70s I used to hike just about every trail out there from Oxbow to Tanner creek to Larch Mt., Angels and Devils rest and the best of all, Perdition trail which is no more. I would bike to the "The Falls" from school and climb to the top and down before my first class in the morning. I can't even go to Larch Mt. anymore, it's sick what has happened to that area out to Mt. Hood. My memories are just too pristine to foul with what I see now. The same with the drive to and down the coast. The massive forests are gone... all gone. Just some putrid corridors and a lot of clear cut.
Sorry, I could rant about this for hours. My heart is broken over the destruction in and out of town. But I remember all too well.
on edit: It's time to resurrect Tom McCall from the beyond. Oregon needs his kind now. I remember the Entering Oregon sign on 80N (remember 80N) coming in from Idaho... "Welcome to Oregon! Enjoy your visit but don't stay too long or try to get a job here." Tom McCall Governor. He had the attitude.
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