Mosier Plateau – Trail Ambassador Training Hike

Hike Leader: Natalie F., Loren P.

Max Size of Crew: 10

Hike Distance: 3.5 miles total

Elevation Gain: 700 ft

Hike Difficulty: Moderate

Trail Overview:

The Mosier Plateau Hike is a favorite summer destination for outdoor enthusiasts due to its proximity to Portland, beautiful year-round views, and prime wildflower viewing in April and May.

Hiking information:

This trail is an extremely popular destination in the Columbia Gorge and will be offered as a site for Trail Ambassadors in late May. This hike will give us a chance to assess the trailhead as well as gather first hand experience of the hike and surrounding lands to pass along to trail users.

Regardless of vaccine status, we will be wearing masks while we are together talking as a group. Masks may be removed while hiking if desired as long as physical distancing of at least 6ft is maintained from your fellow hikers.

What to expect:

This is generally considered a moderately difficult hike. The land is owned by the City of Mosier and Friends of the Columbia Gorge Land Trust. We ask that you respect all posted signage and stay on the trail. Please dress for the weather and bring plenty of food and water.

You will be asked to electronically sign the e-waiver for this event and perform a self-assessment health screening within the 24 hours proceeding the event. The hike leader for this event will verify that you have done both of these requirements at the trailhead before the party begins. Your pre-event emails will contain further details and links for both of these requirements.

You should expect to participate in this hike for its entirety. For safety reasons, please do not arrive late or expect to be able to leave early.

What to bring:

• Face mask
• Hand sanitizer
• Plenty of water
• Lunch
• Snacks
• A pack to carry your water, snacks, lunch and other items in.

What to wear:

• Comfortable shoes – Please wear something sturdy that will protect your toes from sharp rocks and give good traction on steep trails such as a hiking boot or tennis shoes. No open toed shoes!
• Layered clothing that can be removed or put on to meet rapidly changing weather conditions.
• Rain gear as appropriate for the weather

Directions:

Click here for Google Map directions to the Totem Pole Plaza.

COVID-19 Procedures **Please follow all civil authority restrictions for your community. **

In accordance with civil authority restrictions and land manager requirements for safety considerations, the following policies are currently in place:

• All volunteers will watch in the TKO COVID-19 Safety Lab, a broad safety orientation of TKO Safety Policy & Procedures for a COVID-19 Environment. Link will be provided in your registration confirmation.

• All volunteers must administer a health self-evaluation prior to attending in-person volunteer events (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html).

• All volunteers will read and sign the TKO Volunteer Waiver updated for COVID-19 for release and indemnity of TKO and the land manager partner. Link will be provided in your registration confirmation.

• Volunteers must bring their own gloves, cloth masks, and hand sanitizer.

• Tools will be sanitized prior to the event, and will not be shared throughout the day.

• No carpools will be arranged by TKO for the time being.

For a complete list of Covid specific safety measures, see our safety manual, available here.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: TKO recognizes that the trails we work on travel through the traditional lands of many Indigenous tribes. In every corner of what we now call Oregon, these people were forced to cede their land, their home, to the US government at various times throughout history. We are privileged to be here today & express gratitude to the descendants of these tribes for being the original stewards of this land.

EQUITY & INCLUSION: TKO seeks to make Oregon’s trails a place where people can go to connect with nature & one another. Not everyone feels safe & welcome in the outdoors due to racism, bias & hate. We commit to being part of the solution to change that. Conduct, speech, or expressions that target individuals or groups will not be tolerated by TKO, regardless of whether they are based on age, citizenship, disability, ethnicity, gender identity/expression, geographic origin, language, marital status, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status.

PERSONAL SAFETY: Your physical & emotional safety is our number one priority. If a person’s actions or comments make you feel uncomfortable/unsafe – interrupt directly, tell a crew leader &/or complete the post-event survey.