2008 Trip to Bearpaw Meadows, CA as well as WA and OR: June 6 - 9, 2001 Portland, OR - Timberland Lodge, and the Columbia Gorge, OR

I headed to Portland/Beaverton and spent a few days with Kay and her kitty cats – including newcomers Missy and KC (they are black cats which both remind me of my late lamented Toby cat).

Missy or KC

We spent a some time around town ...

Interesting motorcycles

... and out at the Audubon Centre and Jackson Bottom Wetland.

Balch Creek

Hazel the Spotted Owl

Rehabbing Raptor

Tree Swallow

Cedar Waxwing

Jackson Bottom Wetland

?Muskrat?

Rose in the wetlands

Barn Swallow nest

We booked a sightseeing trip with a local agency, about which least said the better. The best said is that we did have a lovely visit to Timberline Lodge and a gorgeous trip around the Columbia Gorge.

The route took us along Highway 26 where it was snowy, icy and foggy; however, once inside the Lodge - a completely different story.

It is a National Historic Landmark built on the south side of Mount Hood about 60 miles (97 km) east of Portland. Constructed from 1936 to 1938 by the Works Progress Administration, it was built and furnished by local artisans during the Great Depression.

The skill of the workmen and the beautiful design of all parts of it are evident throughout the four story, 40,000 square foot structure.

Main entrance

Information plaque

As we came in the door, a lovely warm fire was burning in the fireplace to welcome us and the smell of wood smoke permeated the air.

Fireplace column and balconies

Andirons - or fire dogs

We were okayed to have a wander around and the decor, while basic, was very utilitatian

Period table and phone

Carved cougar panel as you walk into the bar

Period Mail Box

Period Post Office with detail of iron gate.

One of the rooms

I found it an absolutely beautiful place - stunningly presented. One feels quite dwarfed by the architecture.

After rounding the eastern slope of the mountain on Highway 35, the highway descends into the Hood River valley and at about that point, the tour guide pointed out some very silty cliffs at a point which is rather well known for road washouts and debris deposits.

Silt cliffs, washout

We reached the Hood River where we stopped for a very welcome lunch and carried on to the Bonneville Dam.

This dam was the first of several dams constructed as part of the Columbia Basin Project (1944 to about 1961) when a Canadian/American Treaty was signed. Ideally, this provides flood protection and power development on the lower Columbia River.

The day we were there, the Dam was in pretty full flow. There was a lot of spring runoff from upstream and most of the spillways were open.

Bonneville Dam

Plant life at Bonneville

From there, our trip took us down the Columbia Gorge 'proper'.

Per the Columbia Gorge Scenic Waterfalls web site, “The Columbia River Gorge is one of America’s most awesome natural wonders. Over 80 miles long and up to 4,000 feet deep, this river canyon cuts the only sea-level route through the Cascade Mountain range. Interstate 84 and the Historic Columbia River Highway both skirt the river, offering wonderful vistas of the Gorge’s dramatic topography.”

We had a beautiful afternoon taking short hikes to secret (and not so secret) waterfalls, photographing bountiful wildflowers, and just kicking back and appreciating world class views.

Columbine

unknown

For part of the trip we paralleled the historic Columbia River Highway (constructed 1913-22). It is the first scenic highway in the U.S. to be designated a National Historic Landmark. Its stone guard walls and graceful arches are typical of the highway’s exquisite craftsmanship.

Our first stop was the most-visited natural site in Oregon - Multnomah Falls. Lush foliage, tall firs and towering cliffs form a spectacular backdrop.

It was so high that, try as I might, I could not get both the lower and the upper falls into the same picture. A steep paved trail leads visitors to a platform above the falls. In the middle of the upper and lower falls is Benson Bridge, built in 1914 by Italian stone masons.

Multnomah Falls

Geologically, I understand that rapid uplift of this region over the last two million years forced the Columbia River to incise the Gorge as seen today.

Multnomah Falls is a "side-effect" of the geologic origin of the Gorge's basaltic cliffs. While the spectacular geology of Multnomah Falls appears timeless, the rockface is continually being worn away by the force of the waterflow.

Little Creek

Unknown

We also stopped at a variety of other waterfalls, such as Wahkeena and Latourell Falls. At this latter spot, we saw a very interesting geologic formation called “entablature jointing”.

Latourell Falls

Latourell Falls and entablature jointing

This is a distinctive jointing pattern found in the Columbia River basalt flows. Stress, produced when lava cools and contracts, causes joints to form. Columnar joints (colonnades) are found below the entablature. They were formed perpendicular to the lower cooling surface and are beautiful prisms and columns.

I found them fascinating and took far too many photos of them. In addition to the falls, this was one of the best places I found for rich green mosses, wildflowers and geological anomalies.

Rock formation on the path at Latourell Falls

It really was starting to get late in the afternoon (if our tour had picked us up on time, it would not have been so late) and we still had a couple more sights to see.

First we stopped at a view from Crown Point State Park. This is at a bend in the Columbia River just before Gresham and Portland. From this point, on a clear day (which ours wasn’t), one gets a panoramic view of part of the Columbia River (east towards Bonneville Dam and west to Portland). The point stands 733 feet (223 m) above the river and is the remains of a lava flow that filled the ancestral channel of the Columbia River 14 to 17 million years ago (thank you Wikepedia)

View upriver from Crown Point State Park

View downriver from Crown Point State Park

Second, we had a look around the Vista House. The “Infinity Loop” website tells me “The Vista House at is an Oregon treasure and one of the most photographed and recognizable sites in the Columbia River Gorge. It stands as a memorial to Oregon pioneers, opened its doors in 1918 andoffers an inspiring view of the Gorge and the peaks of the Cascade Range.” It is also one of the most amazing “public comfort stations” I have ever seen.