Tag Archives: Columbia Gorge

ENDURANCE NEED ON NESMITH POINT – A GORGE CLASSIC

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Above the first set of switchbacks, views begin to open - here is Hamilton Mountain, Table Mountain and Mt. Adams.
Above the first set of switchbacks, views begin to open – here is Hamilton Mountain, Table Mountain and Mt. Adams.

Nesmith Point gained the name Mount Nesmith in 1915, bestowed by the Oregon Geographic Board working with the Oregon Historical Society and the Mazamas, a local Portland climbing group. James Nesmith was a tough specimen, an important political figure from the early days of Oregon as both a territory and state.  He served as one of Oregon’s senators during the Civil War.  But Nesmith was never a climber spending most of his time in Oregon on his farm and grist mill near Rickreall, a few miles to the west of Salem where his grave also sits.

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DEVIL’S VIEW DEMONSTRATES THE MAGIC OF THE GORGE

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Time for a rest at Devil's Viewpoint.
Time for a rest at Devil’s View.

We do have our favorite hikes. And we have our favorite training hikes. A training hike is not always our favorite, maybe because of the effort needed to complete. Maybe the training hike has no real wow factor, just a lot of sweat and strain. In recent years, one of my first major hikes of the season has centered on the Wahkeena Basin and Devil’s View high above.

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LARCH MOUNTAIN TRAIL – RIVER TO VOLCANIC CRATER AMIDST MAGIC OF THE GORGE

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View to the northeast off Sherrard Point. Note the west and east rims of the volcanic crater atop Larch Mountain.
View to the northeast off Sherrard Point. Note the west and east rims of the volcanic crater atop Larch Mountain Trail.

Look out to the east from Portland and your attention draws to the snows and glaciers of Mt. Hood. But search a bit to the left and you can notice another bulky mountain with a notch on its northern rim. This is Larch Mountain one of three shield volcanoes sitting in a line of volcanic vents making up the Boring Lava Field range stretching from Mount Sylvania on the southwest edge of Portland all the way east past Larch Mountain to Beacon Rock standing near Bonneville Dam, almost thirty miles apart in a straight line. 

Larch Mountain sits on the western end of the canyon of the Columbia River Gorge rising just over 4,000 feet above the river running about three straight miles to the north of its peak. Coming from the east along the river, Larch Mountain is the last significant Cascade peak on the Oregon side of the Gorge before the mountains begin to ease topographically into the northern end of the Willamette Valley.

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ANGEL’S DEVIL’S REST – HEAVEN AND HELL ON THE SAME HIKE

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One of the imaginative trail signs found along the maze of paths atop the Bridal Veil plateau between Angel's and Devil's Rest.
One of the imaginative trail signs found along the maze of paths atop the Bridal Veil plateau between Angel’s and Devil’s Rest.

The last couple of years, I have linked Heaven and Hell – Angel’s and Devil’s Rests on the same hike – together from the Wahkeena Falls trailhead. This makes a very nice lollipop loop which my corgi Ollie appreciated as much as I did. The Wahkeena Canyon path is quieter compared to the Angel’s Rest trail further to the west, the lack of parking probably has something to do with that. But also, Angel’s Rest is probably the second or third most popular trail in the Columbia River Gorge after Multnomah Falls and maybe Dog Mountain (in wildflower season) and Hamilton Mountain. Just from looking at the Angel’s Rest parking lot on a weekend, I would maybe push it into second spot.

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STARVATION CREEK – UNCOVERING MAGIC IN THE MINIATURE WATERFALL ALLEY

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Wind Mountain stands across the river from Camp Benson Falls next to Shellrock Mountain.

The area around Starvation Creek along I-84 has undergone some changes with the recent restoration of the Historic Columbia River Highway here in 2019. For a long time, the site has been a rest area with a short trail leading to the drama of Starvation Creek Falls. It is also the beginning of a couple of the hardest trails found in the Gorge, Starvation Ridge and Mount Defiance trails. These trails entail a gain of 5,000 feet, with the latter trail doing it in under five miles. But before going high there is a lot to discover down below.

In the short stretch between the rest area and Shellrock Mountain about two miles to the west, five waterfalls easily come into view; one other notable if it has rained hard recently and two or three others a bit harder to access – especially if you have to carry a 38-pound cogi.

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MIST FALLS – GAINING THE SECRETS OF THE GORGE’S DIAPHONOUS PRINCESS

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Mist Falls turned down - from Hartmann Pond in Benson State Park.
Mist Falls turned down – from Hartmann Pond in Benson State Park.

In Scott Cook’s wonderful round-up gem of places lesser known in the Columbia River Gorge, Curious Gorge, Mist Falls is uncovered and revealed. This waterfall moods changes dramatically with the seasons, from a solid waterfall after a rain to one with mists dancing in the wind. Mists never seeming to be in any hurry to settle back on the ground as they enjoy their brief moment of freedom. It sits as a nearby neighbor to the king, Multnomah Falls. The waterfall is most visible to the motorists ripping along Interstate 84. Those motorists – the drivers, anyway – only get a fleeting glance. Their attentions quickly focus on cars using the left-hand exit for the nearby huge parking lot at Multnomah. Mist Falls is a true overlooked gem in the midst of Waterfall Alley.

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LATOURELL FALLS – waterfall magic and a primeval canyon

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The main Latourell Falls dropping 224 feet in one long plunge over basaltic cliffs.

Latourell Falls is an easy hike. At only 2.4 miles with a gain of 625 feet, the hike is one for the masses. And the masses do hike. Come early. Come late and there will be no parking.

Here, the first of a series of waterfalls seen from the old Columbia Gorge Highway US 30 in an area known as “Waterfall Alley”. Technically, it is not the first, but it is the first seen from the old highway heading east from Portland.

The hike being short can easily be an add to other short hikes or even longer, more technical endeavors.

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REVEALING WHAT LIES BEHIND THE SHROUD OF BRIDAL VEIL FALLS

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The Bridal Veil reveiled.

Bridal Veil Falls is one of the more dramatic waterfalls of the Columbia River Gorge. The falls was once the site of local industry, but now restored to natural magic. Walking to the falls is short and is an easy add-on to a more extensive day. Or, it is easy to just sit and watch the waters deep inside the forested canyon of Bridal Veil Creek.

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BLOCKHOUSE GUARDIAN ON THE COLUMBIA – FORT CASCADES

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Steamboats making for the Cascade Locks near the Upper Cascades later in the 19th century. Fort Lugenbeel was just around the corner to the left.

Fort Cascades served as the main post comprising several blockhouses set up to defend the vitally important transportation corridor along the Columbia River through one of the treacherous points along the river.

The Oregon Trail was a long and perilous route. Perhaps the most difficult section lay almost at the trail’s end as it made its way through the Cascade Mountains to the promised lands of the Willamette Valley. Once the Trail dropped down out of the Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon, it followed near the Columbia River. It was possible to float your wagons down much of the river, but most kept to the road leading up and down further to the south of the Columbia. Crossing the John Day and Deschutes rivers were minor difficulties compared to the last difficulty lying ahead in the mountains.

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