6/27: 'Exciting' Hikes on WA Side of Columbia River Gorge

 After spending the preceding day driving 3.5 hours each way to Mount Rainier National Park in southern Washington state from our hotel in The Dalles, Oregon, Steven and I felt we were certainly due for a relaxing day! After driving on the Historic Columbia River Highway west through countless hairpin turns, we reached the summit of Rowena Crest Lookout for some commanding and sublime views of the river. The views were drop dead gorgeous but it was hard to think of being on a windier spot right then!

It was so windy at the top of the hill, I had difficulty keeping my camera steady. Thank goodness, I didn't care about my hair as it became a windswept mess in seconds. I don't think any amount of hairspray would have made a speck of difference that day! The views of the Columbia whitecaps couldn't have been any more beautiful that day.

There looked to be an interesting hike through a nature preserve on the wide open plateau at the viewpoint but the strong wind took away the enjoyment from that prospect. Instead, we drove further west toward the town of Hood River passing lots of U-pick cherry farms.

Hood River Bridge connected the town of Hood River in Oregon with the towns of Salmon River and Bingen in Washington.

As Steven and I have always been intrigued looking at, but not staying in, grand hotels on our travels, we stopped for a few minutes at the historic Columbia Gorge Hotel near Hood River. Tourists of the 1920s were, like us, equally dazzled by the striking vistas and dramatic cliffs as they drove along the newly completed Columbia River Highway. After being bounced around in their touring cars, they no doubt welcomed the comforts of the charming, new hotel that was built in 1921 to accommodate the new travelers. The owner hired some of the same stonemasons who had worked on the highway to create the stonework on the 'new' Columbia Gorge Hotel and grounds. The hotel was subsequently placed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Lina: I don't know if Dan and his friends visit this part of the Columbia River Gorge to do their adventure sports in late June or when every year but I cannot fathom a more beautiful time of the year to enjoy watersports with the drop dead gorgeous views of Mt. Hood in the background.

The last few days we had crossed back and forth on various bridges between Oregon and Washington, more times, I think, than we've ever crossed between states in such a short period of time.  As we crossed yet again on the suspension bridge over to Washington, we could see why this area is so incredibly popular with wind surfers and enthusiasts. 

The paragliders looked like they were just flying through the air as they caught gusts of wind! All the times we'd seen people participate in water sports on the river they had been only east of the Hood River bridge. I didn't know why, though, that fairly small area of the Columbia River Gorge was the place to be.

We decided to try out a trail off the Old Highway 8 called the Catherine Creek Trail. There, we were encouraged to first clean off the bottom of our shoes so as not to let stowaway seeds 'catch a ride' before and after hiking. That would help protect the area from new invasive weed infestations.

What a profusion of colorful summer wildflowers on the trail that overlooked the Columbia River!

I don't ever remember seeing so many bachelor buttons before! They were just lovely.

A sign said that Catherine Creek was a harsh place to live as temperatures in the summer could reach 100 degrees, rainfall is scarce, and near constant winds leach moisture from the ground and from plants. And in winter when temperatures dip below freezing, frost heave the thin soil, sometimes exposing plant roots. Even with all that adversity, the plants have adapted and obviously thrived.

From the widen open plateau, the trail detoured through a microhabitat consisting of a stand of oak trees and holly. The shade made the area cooler and darker and far less windy and allowed sheltering wildflowers to flourish that would otherwise perish on the open slopes. 

Most of the rainfall comes in the winter. Imagine being here in the early spring when the fields would be a carpet of emerald green grasses.

The camas flowers were as soft as my newborn granddaughter, Max's bottom!

Wildflower watchers have been coming to Catherine Creek for many years to wander these slopes, outcrops and canyons in search of blooms. In February, they'd be rewarded with the first sight of the first spring grass called Spring Widow or the deep purple Meadow Larkspur in early June. The Catherine Creek area was acquired by the US Forest Service in 1987 in recognition of its unique botanical, geological and archaeological features. We were so grateful that staff and hundreds of volunteers then built the all-access trail.

Despite the trail's name, there was no creek that we saw!

The profusion of sweet peas in this one area with the magnificent backdrop of the river and Oregon mountains was just mind blowing. 

We'd enjoyed ourselves so much on the Catherine Creek trail that we figured we were game for the Coyote Wall Trail across the road. 

It started with a gentle ramble through grasses filled with beautiful wildflowers but all too soon, it morphed into an almost vertical hike and having to scramble among rocks. For me, it was tough slogging and not a pleasant 'walk in the park' like Catherine Creek had been. I was not a fan hiking this terrain having broken both feet and then had quite a tumble hiking on a rocky trail a few years ago! 

I told Steven that we were foolhardy going on hikes where we had no idea of the length, the degree of elevation or difficulty. A I have gotten older I had discovered taking chances like that was not my idea of comfort or fun. 

However, looking at the glass half full, it was easy to appreciate the 'gorgeous' views of the gorge as we climbed well above it. 

It was hard to tell what we were looking at on the Oregon side of the river, fruit orchard or vineyards possibly?

We finally gave up going up and up a high trail with no end in sight and headed back toward the parking lot of which I was a fan! But Steven suggested we not give up and instead try another gentler trail, hopefully through the meadows only! I sure wished the third time would be a charm in terms of ease and comfort level.

We wondered if this might be the (dry) Catherine Creek connected to the trail on the other side of the road?

Unlike the well-marked Catherine Creek trail, there was no signage on this one so we could only imagine there may have been a homestead once near the corral.

An impressive arch beyond the corral!

This is a very familiar sight for me while we hike of Steven constantly checking maps.me to see if we might be on the 'right' trail! Nope, we weren't and had to backtrack again!

Once out in the open again, the wind was quite fierce - thank goodness, I didn't care about my hairdo!

Notice the damage done to some of the trees by the harsh climate.

Though the trail might look easy to you sitting in the comfort of your chair at home, it was pretty challenging navigating  the rock spurs on the switchbacks.

It was like being in a House of Mirrors crossing the wonky bridge that listed severely to the right!

Looking back at the wonky bridge!

I was so relieved to arrive back at the car in one piece after that 2.5 hour hike. Once it was done, I realized how exhilarating it had been and very glad we'd completed it but also knew I never wanted to hike again in such fierce wind conditions. 

Next post: The Dalles murals, I promise!

Posted on October 13th, 2020, from Metropolis, Illinois, our last stop on our road trip from Florida before we get to spend time with our granddaughter, Clara, in Chicago for the next few days. Steven and I hope that you stay safe, healthy, and connected during these tough times.