From nearly 600 feet above the Columbia River, we look back upstream to see where we've been. Here at the Rowena Crest Scenic Overlook, we're nearly a third of the way between the arid east end of the Columbia River Gorge and the temperate rainforest at the western end. We can see dry brown slopes in the distance and Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir and Garry Oak directly below us. Today we cruised through the Cascade Range, and saw the uniqueness of the Columbia as a major river that completely pierces a coastal mountain range.