Columbia River Gorge
The transition from the arid steppes of eastern Washington and Oregon to the verdant coastal rainforest astonishes us today. We awake in Hell’s Gate, a narrow side channel of the Columbia, with bare basalt cliffs on one side, and hillsides tawny with grasses awaiting the autumn rains on the other. The air is pungent with sage. Four mule deer are silhouetted against a clear blue sky, long ears quivering with the sound of our passing. The golden light of dawn warms us. By day’s end we will be surrounded by green hillsides, watching waterfalls with scattered clouds overhead. Although we understand that the rainfall increases from 12 to nearly 90 inches in just 40 miles, it is the dramatic change in vegetation that makes the transition real to us.
During breakfast, word spreads that we can see Mt. Hood. Some decide that the eggs can wait, the view is worth photographing. Then we descend into the lock chamber at The Dalles dam, where we learn first-hand the implications of lock repair and maintenance. This lock currently has just one functional valve, so the descent is slower than usual. Soon, though, we are disembarking and on our way to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. This fine museum features both the human and the natural history of the region, with excellent exhibits and grounds landscaped with native plants.
Later in the morning, we ascend the Rowena Loops section of the Columbia River Historic Highway to the beautiful crest overlook, then continue on to our respective explorations. Some choose to go directly to the quaint community of Hood River, for shopping and cultural opportunities, while others choose to walk. We walk a section of the historic highway to, and beyond, the Mosier Tunnels. Basalt cliffs tower above us, while the whitecaps on the river below seem tiny. We enjoy stretching our legs, while learning new plants and pausing to appreciate several grand vistas.
Our afternoon is spent transiting the navigational lock at Bonneville Dam and emerging on to the free-flowing lower Columbia. Here, we see the fantastic land forms and spectacular waterfalls for which the Gorge is famous. Beacon Rock, Multnomah Falls, Cape Horn and Crown Point all look vastly different from the river than from the highway, and we appreciate our vantage point on the deck of the Sea Lion. The breeze drops shortly before sunset, allowing us to bask in that magic golden light once again.
The transition from the arid steppes of eastern Washington and Oregon to the verdant coastal rainforest astonishes us today. We awake in Hell’s Gate, a narrow side channel of the Columbia, with bare basalt cliffs on one side, and hillsides tawny with grasses awaiting the autumn rains on the other. The air is pungent with sage. Four mule deer are silhouetted against a clear blue sky, long ears quivering with the sound of our passing. The golden light of dawn warms us. By day’s end we will be surrounded by green hillsides, watching waterfalls with scattered clouds overhead. Although we understand that the rainfall increases from 12 to nearly 90 inches in just 40 miles, it is the dramatic change in vegetation that makes the transition real to us.
During breakfast, word spreads that we can see Mt. Hood. Some decide that the eggs can wait, the view is worth photographing. Then we descend into the lock chamber at The Dalles dam, where we learn first-hand the implications of lock repair and maintenance. This lock currently has just one functional valve, so the descent is slower than usual. Soon, though, we are disembarking and on our way to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. This fine museum features both the human and the natural history of the region, with excellent exhibits and grounds landscaped with native plants.
Later in the morning, we ascend the Rowena Loops section of the Columbia River Historic Highway to the beautiful crest overlook, then continue on to our respective explorations. Some choose to go directly to the quaint community of Hood River, for shopping and cultural opportunities, while others choose to walk. We walk a section of the historic highway to, and beyond, the Mosier Tunnels. Basalt cliffs tower above us, while the whitecaps on the river below seem tiny. We enjoy stretching our legs, while learning new plants and pausing to appreciate several grand vistas.
Our afternoon is spent transiting the navigational lock at Bonneville Dam and emerging on to the free-flowing lower Columbia. Here, we see the fantastic land forms and spectacular waterfalls for which the Gorge is famous. Beacon Rock, Multnomah Falls, Cape Horn and Crown Point all look vastly different from the river than from the highway, and we appreciate our vantage point on the deck of the Sea Lion. The breeze drops shortly before sunset, allowing us to bask in that magic golden light once again.
