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.

That turns out to be 199 trails. Some worthwhile trails were excluded, he said, because of manicured lawns, picnic tables and locations near major roads or golf courses.

In the Southwest Washington chapter, the book includes several trails — including Bells Mountain, Snass Creek and Starway — not described in the plethora of other trail books.

“I don’t think anyone can compare to my knowledge of Oregon,’’ he said.

It’s a claim he doesn’t extend to Washington, though.

Lorain also plans to have a book entitled “One Night Wilderness’’ by late 2008 or early 2009. That will include the best weekend backpacking trips within a three-hour drive of Portland, ranging from the southern Olympic Mountains on the north to the Mount Jefferson area on the south.

The former certified public accountant logs 1,200 to 2,500 miles a year hiking. He’s old-school, and still writes his notes on a cheap pad and shoots slide film instead of digital images.

Lorain has quick answers when questioned about his favorite trails.

His No. 1 in Southwest Washington is Bluff Mountain No. 172, which leads from the east for seven miles to near the summit of Silver Star Mountain.

“It has views the whole way and flowers,’’ Lorain said. “I love mountains. It has a real alpine flavor to it because it’s never really recovered from the Yacolt Burn 105 years ago. It feels very alpine and open although you’re only at 4,000 feet. It’s just terrific.’’

Here are his other top choices: