The Dalles, Mosier Tunnels, Multnomah Falls
A cool nip in the air greeted us this morning. With the rising sun, a rosy glow washed the clouds to the east as well as the gauzy layer shrouding Mount Hood. We admired and photographed the snow- capped sentinel in our view downstream of the Dalles Dam.
Hood River sits perched along the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge. Renowned for its tree sculpting winds, which also facilitate recreational windsurfing; it is an incredible place to spend a morning moseying amongst the forest edge. Garry oak, Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir were our trailside companions as we walked along the precipitous edge of the restored Mosier Tunnels pathway. The artistic and sensitive eye of Samuel Lancaster— engineer for Sam Hill, the visionary for this scenic highway—was apparent in the gentle curves and dramatic overlooks. The singular purpose of this narrow ribbon of road was to showcase the scenic spectacle called the Columbia River Gorge. That mission was accomplished spectacularly. The beauty of the gorge is truly timeless, and we should feel fortunate that Sam Hill had the foresight to recognize this and doubly fortunate that others felt the need to renovate this portion of the Scenic Highway and continue to share the enjoyment and appreciation for the natural wonders surrounding us.
Navigating towards Bonneville Dam this afternoon, our last dam as we journey westward, partly cloudy skies, a light breeze and the slightest turning of fall colors enticed us to venture outdoors. By the time we finished our lockage and came up to Multnomah Falls, we repeated our color palette of the morning. With a glowing blush illuminating the cliffs, the thin white ribbon of the falls leapt from the edge and plummeted 620 feet to eventually join the Columbia River on its journey to the Pacific Ocean. We will follow its path to the Pacific as well, as we travel in “the wake of Lewis and Clark.”
