Peak Northwest

By The Oregonian/OregonLiveSociety & Culture Sports Places & Travel Wilderness

Peak Northwest episodes

August 07, 2025This 216-mile race through central Oregon is one wild trip
Even if you consider yourself a runner, you probably aren’t prepared for a run quite like this.
On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, we dive into the Cascade Lakes Relay, a 216-mile race across the landscape of central Oregon that can get a little wilder and weirder than your average footrace.
Similar to Oregon’s famed Hood to Coast Relay, the Cascade Lakes Relay involves teams of runners who collectively tackle the length of the course over the course of two days. That means late-night shifts, spartan sleeping conditions and lots of wackiness along the way.
Jamie Goldberg, politics and education editor for The Oregonian/Oregonlive, joined the podcast to talk about her recent experience running the relay.
Here are some highlights from this week’s show:
How Goldberg survived a dusty midnight run through the mountains.

Rain and snow made the summertime event a little chillier than expected.

A pop-up rave and one double-decker party bus kept things lively during the race.

Team culture is a major part of relay races, even if the runs are all solo.

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29 min
July 31, 2025 6 best hikes in Mt. Hood's Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness
Oregon is renowned for its wilderness areas, found in high desert landscapes and around towering volcanoes, but you don’t need to go far from the state’s largest city to get there.
On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, we explore the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness of the Mt. Hood National Forest, found just 50 miles east of Portland. This wilderness area has rushing rivers, dense evergreen forests dripping with moss and great views of the tallest mountain in Oregon. It’s a perfect destination for day hikers and backpackers alike, with hikes that range from easy to difficult. Here are some highlights from this week’s show:
• Why the Salmon River Trail is one of Oregon’s best backpacking spots.
• Devils Peak is an easy hike with a great payoff.
• Hunchback Mountain is one of the most challenging trails in the wilderness.
• What you’ll find on the Eagle Creek Trail (no, not that Eagle Creek Trail).

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29 min
July 24, 2025The 4T trail: Is this the best urban adventure in Portland?
Portland has a lot of great places to see and things to do, but there’s nothing quite like this.
On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, we take a trip along the 4T Trail, a roughly 9-mile loop that takes combines public transit with hiking trails, taking visitors on an epic tour of Southwest Portland.
The 4T Trail covers a lot of ground, from the Willamette River way up to Council Crest, over to Washington Park and down to downtown. The four T’s stand for the four modes of transportation used throughout the journey: tram, trail, train and trolley.
Here are some highlights from this week’s show:
What is the 4T Trail route?

What it’s like to tackle the whole thing.

While most of the trail is easy to do, there are a couple of dicey sections.

Some advice on doing the 4T Trail yourself.

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33 min
July 17, 2025Can you survive the PNW Survival Games?
Surviving in the wilderness isn’t a game, but learning the skills necessary to do it can still be plenty of fun.
On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, Tony Peniche, creator of the PNW Survival Games, talks about his attempts to turn some basic survival skills into big entertainment.
Peniche’s games take hardcore survivalists and inexperienced people through skills like building shelter, making fire and putting together a raft, seeing who can execute at the highest level. An annual competition held in Oregon, the games may soon get their own show on a streaming service, bringing a much bigger audience to the local event.
Here are some highlights from this week’s show:
The unlikely origin story of the PNW Survival Games.

Who are the participants in these events?

What would the TV show version of the games look like?

How you can join (or just watch) the competition.

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39 min
July 10, 2025This Mt. Hood adventure park comes alive every summer
When the snow melts and the alpine flowers begin to bloom, it’s time for the folks at Mt. Hood Skibowl to start taking out all their toys.
With racecars, ziplines and the beloved alpine slide, there’s a lot that goes into transforming the snowy ski area into a summer adventure park. That’s not to mention the hiking trails that emerge from the snowmelt and the skilift that gets rebranded to the “sky chair” for the season.
On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, Mike Quinn, vice president and general manager of Mt. Hood Skibowl, talks all about what goes into the transformation, and how people can best enjoy the summer slopes.
Here are some highlights from this week’s show:
What goes into transforming Skibowl into the summer adventure park?

Activities are offered a la carte, allowing people to design their own days.

Does climate change affect when and how the summer season is offered?

How to make the most of a summer day on the mountain.

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26 min
July 03, 2025Take on this 105-mile bike ride from Portland to the Oregon coast
There is no shortage of beautiful bike rides in Oregon, but the Reach the Beach cycling event is a truly remarkable experience.
On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, we talk to Vickie Connor, a visual journalist with The Oregonian/OregonLive, about her experience on this epic bike ride.
Reach the Beach is a 105-mile ride from Sauvie Island to the Oregon coast, running through the scenic Clatsop State Forest. A fundraise for the American Lung Association, the ride is done in teams that are there not to race, but to share in the scenic ride.
Here are some highlights from this week’s show:
How Vickie got involved with Reach the Beach.

Why the ride is definitely hard, but not necessarily in the way that Vickie thought.

The best part of the day? It might have been the salmon hash.

Reach the Beach is just one of many cycling challenges in Oregon.

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29 min
June 26, 2025How to make the most of an Oregon summer
Summertime in Oregon is magical. But between the coastal beaches, the ice cream shops, the wine country getaways and the mountain views, how is anybody supposed to see it all?
On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, we discuss a few of the best ways to make the most of an Oregon summer, from one of the best Mt. Hood hikes to some of the best cities to explore on foot.
No matter how you approach it, the important thing is to release the expectation of doing it all. Even the most ambitious summer road trip won’t get you to all the most beautiful and interesting destinations in Oregon.
Here are some highlights from this week’s show:
This Mount Hood hike is a perfect place to see the mountain.

How to explore Portland on a budget.

Why the coast is everybody’s go-to summer getaway.

A controversial take on how to visit Oregon’s wine country.

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40 min
June 19, 2025How to travel from Portland to the Oregon coast by boat
You’ve probably driven from Portland to Astoria. Maybe you’ve even taken the bus. But have you ever traveled between the two cities by boat?
On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, we talk about the twice-a-year travel experience that’s taking people down the Columbia River, providing a very different way to travel to the north Oregon coast.
Lizzy Acker, who reported on the Astoria cruise earlier this spring, joins the podcast to talk about her experience, and some options for those who want to embark on a longer car-free trip along the coastline.
Here are some highlights from this week’s show:
Everything you need to know about the Portland Spirit cruise.

Acker recounts her trip down the Columbia River.

While most travelers take a bus right back to Portland, Acker chose to spend the night in Astoria.

It’s possible to take an even longer car-free vacation along the Oregon coast.

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35 min
June 12, 2025The best swim spots around Portland for this summer
On hot summer days, Portlanders flock to the water – thankfully there’s a lot of that here.
On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, we discuss the many, many swim spot options in and around the city, for people who are looking to dip their toes or take a dip in a cooling river or lake.
Joining us to discuss swim spots is local swimmer Hadley Brooks, who for the last several years has embarked on a personal “summer of swimming” project, in which she has found a different place to swim each week of the season. In the process, she has become an expert on local swim spots – as well as the necessary safety precautions to take before getting in the water.
Here are some highlights from this week’s show:
How to stay safe before swimming in free-flowing bodies of water.

Why Brooks started her “summer of swimming,” and the rules of her project.

Between the Willamette and Columbia rivers, there are a ton of places to swim in Portland.

Those looking for wilder places can go just a little farther afield.

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34 min
June 05, 2025 Where to find the hidden waterfalls of southern Oregon
Oregon is famous for its waterfalls, but not all are so easy to find.
On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, we explore a hidden waterfall corridor along the North Umpqua River in the southern Cascade Mountains, ranking the best plunges and falls in the region.

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41 min