Washington Park -- The Himalayan Cloud Forest Garden

 That is a long title, but it started with just two words on a rock:

I was on my way to somewhere else (which was almost certainly The Coming of the White Man statue), but I saw the rock and was intrigued; what is the Cloud Forest?

A little research revealed that is was a roughly three acre large section of the park that had become overrun with English Ivy and holly. Around 2010 as part of the cleanup they turned it into a show place for rhododendrons. 

What the Hoyt Arboretum is for trees, the Cloud Forest is for rhododendrons, though perhaps not on quite as grand a scale.

This was especially exciting to me after the fiasco that trying to get to Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden was: https://sporktogo.blogspot.com/2021/06/portland-oregon-crystal-springs.html

I admit that the rhododendrons are not as densely packed as at Crystal Springs. There are about 200 species of rhododendrons, mostly from the Sino-Himalayan region, hence the name.

There are also many companion species, including dogwood and magnolia.

At least, I think I saw dogwood in the cloud forest (the magnolia was helpfully labeled). The boundaries are not always clear on the Washington Park trails. 

I started at the shuttle stop for the Holocaust Memorial, then entered by the stone. I worked my way up to behind The Coming of the White Man, now noticing that there were rhododendrons around it. 

There was the long stairway that I wrote about last week. On the first landing, someone had placed an offering of blossoms and sticks: forest litter turned into a collage. 

The first time I found the stairs, I went all the way down. This time I understood that those switchbacks were trails through the rhododendron garden. I wended my way through them, eventually ending up exiting through Stearns Canyon onto Burnside.

You can see more rhododendrons in a more concentrated area at Crystal Springs. Washington Park is more a place of trails, and some of those trails are more themed than other. It is not without its beauty.

It is easier to get to than Crystal Springs is, and there is even a drive through option for part of it, though this is narrow and one-way, so pay attention to the signs.

I saw more bikes, as well as some scooters and lots of pedestrians. It does not seem to get crowded, but it is not deserted either. There is a nice balance with the amount of space and the amount of use.

COVID: There is just no reason to get crowded in, and it is wonderfully ventilated.

Accessibility: It could be much worse. The paths that accommodate bikes and scooters should also accommodate mobility aids pretty well, and they are laid out in a way to keep the grade fairly manageable. You are still on the side of a hill, and consistently going up or down.

https://explorewashingtonpark.org/