60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Portland by Paul Gerald profiles 60 select trails that give outdoor adventurers a little of everything there is to enjoy around Portland: mountain views, forest solitude, picturesque streams, strenuous workouts, casual strolls, fascinating history, fields of flowers, awesome waterfalls, and ocean beaches. Whether readers want a convenient city bus ride to the flat and fascinating Washington Park, a bumpy drive to Lookout Mountain, or the thigh-burning experiences that are Kings and Elk Mountains, this book lets them know what to bring, how to get to the trailhead, where to go on the trail, and what to look for while hiking. Updated maps, new hikes, even more rankings and categories, fresh photography, and useful backpacking options make the newest edition of this authoritative guide to Portland's best day hikes the most exciting yet. For 15 years, local outdoor and travel writer Paul Gerald has been the authority on Portland hiking and has just released a substantial update to 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Portland. "Portland is second to none in the types of hiking around," Gerald says. "Everybody asks, 'What's your favorite hike?' And I always say, 'Well, that depends.'" Consistently found on Powell's "Best of Nonfiction" shelf, Gerald has spent the last year researching the guide's 5th edition. Readers will find the same features that has made 60 Hikes: Portland the hiking guidebook to own: detailed trail descriptions, key at-a-glance information for quick planning, original maps with elevation profiles, and Gerald's own exhaustive list of hike recommendations. For 15 years, local outdoor and travel writer Paul Gerald has been the authority on Portland hiking and has just released a substantial update to 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Portland. "Portland is second to none in the types of hiking around," Gerald says. "Everybody asks, 'What's your favorite hike?' And I always say, 'Well, that depends.'" Consistently found on Powell's "Best of Nonfiction" shelf, Gerald has spent the last year researching the guide's 5th edition. Readers will find the same features that has made 60 Hikes: Portland the hiking guidebook to own: detailed trail descriptions, key at-a-glance information for quick planning, original maps with elevation profiles, and Gerald's own exhaustive list of hike recommendations. Paul Gerald's writing career began in the sports department of the much-missed Dallas Times Herald. He later worked for the Memphis Commercial Appeal and the Memphis Flyer before setting out as a freelancer. His work has appeared in Northwest Airlines' WorldTraveler, Portland's Willamette Week, Dish Magazine, Weissmann Travel Reports, and numerous newspapers around the country. Gerald's hiking life started at age 12, when he went to a summer camp in the Absoraka Mountains of Wyoming. He became a trail and road hound at that point, and his hometown of Memphis never looked the same. He's hiked in the Rocky Mountains from New Mexico to Montana, as well as in Appalachia, Alaska, Nepal, and Argentina. In 1996 he moved to Portland to be close to the ocean, the mountains, and the big trees. Gerald is co-author of The Best in Tent Camping: Oregon (Menasha Ridge Press), and the author of Day and Overnight Hikes: Oregon's Pacific Crest Trail, (Menasha Ridge Press) and Breakfast in Bridgetown (Bacon and Eggs Press). For more, see paulgerald.com. South Fork Toutle River KEY AT-A-GLANCE INFORMATION (additions and revisions) Length: 10.8 miles Configuration: Balloon Difficulty: Hard Scenery: Old-growth forest, waterfalls in canyons, flower-filled meadows, a close-up view of Mount Saint Helens Hiking time: 6 hours Driving Distance: 73 miles (1 hour and 30 minutes) from Pioneer Square Season: June-October; in June, call to make sure the road is snow-free Maps: USFS Mount St. Helens National Monument; Green Trails #364 (Mt. Saint Helens) or #364S (Mt. Saint Helens NW) Special Comments: Late in 2006, the Blue Lake Trailhead was wiped out by a mudslide, and other slides in the area destroyed sections of the road leading to it. The Forest Service was, as of the printing of this book, evaluating its options, but did not expect to have the trailhead itself rebuilt for the 2007 hiking season. Therefore, no matter when you're reading this, call the Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument (360-247-3900) for up-to-date information. Directions From Portland on I-5, drive 21 miles north of the Columbia River and take Exit 21/Woodland. Turn right onto WA 503 (Lewis River Road) and travel 28 miles, then turn left onto FS 8100, between mileposts 35 and 36, following a sign for Kalama Recreation Area. Travel 11.5 miles on FS 8100 to the Blue Lake Trailhead on the right. In Brief Without driving all the way around to the other side of Mount St. Helens, this is the most dramatic view you can get of the results of that mountain's 1980 eruption. A major mudflow went all the way down the To