Tag Archives: Columbia Gorge

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 along 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 along the south side 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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