Doug Lorain

A Portland area hiker and writer.

Doug Lorain has been charged by a grizzly bear and bitten by a rattlesnake in the process of hiking more than 30,000 miles and writing five trail guidebooks.

At age 45, he spends 150 to 180 nights sleeping in a tent, or his Subaru Forester. His knees aren’t the best, and it’s harder now that he’s married to be gone away from his Portland home.

So, is he thinking of giving up a life on the trail, and often being alone?
Nope. He’s planning on spending most of this summer in Wyoming, working on a future book, “Backpacking Wyoming.’’

“I can’t be described as a well-rounded outdoorsman,’’ Lorain said. “I hike. I don’t hang glide. I don’t fish. I don’t water ski. I don’t cross-country ski. I hike. That’s what I like to do. I see no reason particularly to change.’’

Southwest Washington hiking buffs can get the benefit of Lorain’s trail miles in his new book “Afoot & Afield Portland/Vancouver,’’ new on the market from Wilderness Press.

The 454-page book costs $19.95.

“The idea of the book is to include every wild trail, at least one mile in length, within a one-hour drive of the Portland/Vancouver metro area,’’ he said.

Also he has a book coming soon of backpacking trips within three hours of Portland. Click on the link for his favorite area hikes.