The lighthouse at Cape Disappointment shines above the mouth of the Columbia River. Built in 1856, this lighthouse is the oldest in use on the Pacific Coast. The light guards one of the most treacherous waterways in the world. Ironworks crowning this tower are the second shipped here from the East Coast. The first set sank in a shipwreck at the river's mouth! Eagle-like gargoyles rimming the lighthouse roof spout water. They were designed to vent not the average 75 inches of annual rainfall, but the condensed water vapor from the burning of whale oil that once illuminated this lighthouse.
Captain Meares, exploring this region in 1788, was "disappointed" not to discover an entrance to the river, but we found only delight. Cormorants in gaudy breeding colors bathed in the water below us, and eagles soared overhead. A hundred yards away Lewis and Clark had their first clear sight of the Pacific Ocean. And though our journey was perhaps a little less arduous, we took nearly as much satisfaction in the spectacular view.
