4T - Train, Trail, Tram, and Trolley — Oh My!

Looking for a great way to spend a Saturday? Experience an adventure on Portland’s Famous 4T Trail Loop — where a trail, a tram, a trolley, and a train combine for a one-of-a-kind, multi-modal way to enjoy Portland, one of the nation’s most walkable cities! The unique 4T trail is a self-guided urban nature tour that lets you explore the city — and see some of the best views — without a car. All it takes is about 4 hours (lie #1, it took us 5-1/2 hours), $5, and a bit of leg power (lie #2, it took a LOT of leg power). The route is well marked with signs (lie #3, there was NOT one sign telling us where the tram portion was), and includes about 2.5 miles (lie #4 because my Garmin Vivofit says I walked just over 7 miles) of walking. Here’s an overview:

Train - Starting downtown, we caught the MAX line near Pioneer Courthouse Square to the Oregon Zoo stop. (Before boarding, we purchased an all-day pass for $5 — this is good for the train and the streetcar.) The zoo stop is 260 feet below ground level, in the nation’s deepest tunnel. Ride the elevator to the surface, where you have the option of exploring the zoo before following the “4T” signs for the next leg of the journey.

 

 

Trail - We headed downhill, crossed the Highway 26 overpass, and exited the city landscape on the well-maintained Marquam Trail (also signed for the 4T). We hiked 1.3 miles up a wooded trail to Council Crest Park, the highest point in Portland at 1,073 feet. As we rested our legs from the moderately steep, hour-long climb, we savored some of the city’s best views. On a clear day, from the top of the hill, one can see five mountains in the Cascade Range: Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams, Mt. Jefferson, and Mt. Rainier. In addition, the park boasts a fantastic 180 degree view of Portland and surrounding towns.

 

 

Tram - We walked downhill from Council Crest and and picked between 1) following the trail on a 2.2-mile hike through hilly Marquam Nature Park, or 2) taking a 1.6-mile walk downhill on city streets without sidewalks. Both paths lead to the Oregon Health & Science University campus, where 4T signs point to the upper terminal of the Portland Aerial Tram. We opted to take the longer path as we chose not to walk on the streets meandering through the city as they did not contain any shoulder. Everybody knows I have a horrid sense of direction, but something you probably do not know – Rebecca's sense of direction is way worse than mine. After hiking our way out of over 2 miles of uphill mountainous terrain, I made the mistake of asking Rebecca, right or left (she was holding her GPS so I figured she knew what she was doing AND she worked at OHSU for years) and she said right so away we went. We started our trek up the VERY steep hill, and I was panting and breathing heavily. Rebecca literally stopped EVERY stranger along the way asking if the hospital or the tram was up the hill and each had some comment of “I don't know.” Finally, a jogger she stopped told us it was down the hill. Yes, down the hill that took us the last 45 minutes to traverse our way up. If looks could have killed, Rebecca would have been dead. She looked at me and knew I wanted to kill her. She kindly told me I could give her one punch. I was afraid if I punched her once, I would not stop and would have pummeled her with punches so I just pouted and started stomping my way down the hill, numb toes, hurting knees and all.When we reached the park that we had emerged from a good 45 minutes early, yes, the point where I had asked Rebecca right or left, it was there that had we gone left the hospital was maybe 7 or 8 minutes DOWN the hill, oy vey.  The tram’s shiny, pod-like cars whisked us downhill while providing panoramic views of the Willamette River, the city’s east side and the Cascade Mountains. There is no cost to ride the tram downhill (round-trip tickets originating from the lower terminal cost $4 each). Portland’s Aerial Tram runs Monday through Saturday, traveling 3,300 linear feet between the South Waterfront and OHSU’s main campus at 22 miles per hour. The tram cabins rise 500 feet for the three-minute trip over I-5, the Lair Hill neighborhood and the Southwest Terwilliger Parkway, offering stunning views of downtown Portland, the Willamette River, Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens.

Trolley - The final mode of transport is the Portland Streetcar, which we boarded from the stop near the tram terminal. Running about every 15 minutes, the European-style streetcar — or trolley —  carried us back to downtown Portland, only one stop away from our starting point near Pioneer Courthouse Square.

When we finished with the trolley, we headed over to Salt and Straw for some ice cream, we definitely deserved it!