Exploring

This rail line is north Portland... the "far" north Portland. Every other month or so, I'll ride a bike out to "far" north Portland. Every time I come to the bridges that cross this rail line, a search begins. The first thing I search for is a good way to get down to those tracks. See this rail gully is bigger than it seems. It's almost a a half tunnel. Most routes are guarded by blackberry thickets and abandoned shopping carts. The second thing I look for is a good escape route. The last thing an explorer wants is to get trapped in an inescapable railroad ravine. This is when you become a sitting duck for pissed off railroad men, concerned citizens, or the fuzz. Nobody wants to go home with punished pride for being "caught"... or even worse, a trespassing ticket.

So far I've only climbed around underneath the bridges that hover above these tracks. That's pretty cool though. It's fairly sketchy and not without consequence... but i really just want to be down there, on those tracks. There's a certain rationalization that accompanies a decision NOT to embark on a certain journey. It usually involves visions of a stabbey death, tetanus, tickets, or the idea that all you're going to find is a shitty pair of bum undies. Or maybe you're just waiting for the right time to make your move... Maybe it's time to make a move