Around Mt. Adams

We arrived back at Hood River in the mid afternoon.  As we drove north we thought we were imagining things.  Straight ahead was what looked like Mt.  Hood.  But we had left it behind us.  We realized that what we were seeing was Mt Adams.  

We headed east along the Columbia River, and left both mountains behind us.  The landscape changed drastically as we drove.  The sides of the Gorge hollowed out over centuries rose in rocky cliffs with crystaline angles.  

The river rose in white caps as the swift downstream current was whipped by the strong west wind.  
As we drove east the hills lost their lush green vegetation, and shadows blackened the cliffs.  

We imagined the thoughts of the Lewis and Clark team as they steered their dugout canoes down this treacherous waterway.  

Finally we crossed at Maryhill and stopped on the northern bank to take a last look at the Columbia River before heading north.  The hills around us were covered with hundreds of wind turbines contrasting sharply with the ancient rocky landscape.

As we came over the bluff, the landscape turned green and fertile again.  And against the lush farmland Mt. Adams rose, peaceful and majestic.  But in this farmland no scenic turnouts appeared on the roads.  And the heavy trucks barreling past made us think twice about just pulling over unless there was enough space.  At times we could see both mountains clearly.  We never found a good spot to stop for a photo so this sight will only remain in our memories.  

We entered Yakima Nation and drove many miles through barren hills. At one point we began to see the charred remnants of a recent fire (was it last summer?).

 Finally we entered a broad and beautiful valley with prosperous farms, miles of orchards, large refrigerated warehouses, and all the trappings of a successful fruit industry.  Yakima itself is not impressive but we had a good dinner, and our hotel is comfortable. Tomorrow we drive through the Cascades.

Finding Lost Lake

This morning we left Hood River with the intention of discovering something unexpected.  We started up Rt 35 in the direction of Mt. Hood. It didn't take long to come to spectacular views of the mountain. The sky was blue and the snowy peaks contrasted sharply with the sky.  It was spectacular.  

We had a small leaflet from Vista House which we picked up yesterday.  In addition to the map of waterfalls that we had used, there was a schematic of the main routes around Mt. Hood. There was a small road to Lost Lake.  I had read about it in the guidebook and knew that there was a good view, so we decided to try to find it.  We drove through a plateau north of Mt. Hood where the peak was easily visible.  The plains were covered with flourishing orchards.  There were peaches and some cherries, but also miles of pear trees.  

At one point we stopped to photograph Mt Hood and turned around to see Mt. Adams, just opposite on the north side of the river.  It was amazing to turn 180* and see another enormous snow capped peak.  

The road wound around down into a valley and then up again.  We reached an altitude where wild rhododendrons flourished.  

Finally we arrived at the park entrance to Lost Lake. A kindly woman welcomed us and pointed us in the direction of the lodge.  The place is mainly campsites grouped around a spectacular lake with a view of Mt. Hood.  

We found a spot at the shore of the lake and broke out our picnic.  Kate and I had replenished our picnic stores so the lunch was delicious.  After we ate Kate did the dishes in the lake.  

We watched osprey pull fish out of the lake and fly off with their catch.  It was hard to imagine a better spot for a picnic.  It is the most beautiful one we've found yet.  We were glad to have found Lost Lake.

Finally we pulled ourselves away to star the drive to Yakima where we would spend the night.

Wonderful Waterfalls in the Gorge

The Historic US 30 is a scenic route built in 1916 along the south bank of the Columbia River Gorge. We missed the first exit of Interstate 84, but took the next one and climbed up to the narrow road tha follows the bluff overlooking the river.  We had a guide book, and had even read a couple articles about the route, but we were unprepared for the glory of the place. We started at Vista House which was an impressive building constructed to "refresh travelers" in 1916.  There is a balcony which looks over the river and gives a spectacular view which reminded me of the Rhine.

 The volunteers at the desk gave us the best information.  Of course they begin by asking you to sign the guest book and ask where you are from.  They gave us a handy little leaflet with the names and locations of 8 falls along our route within the next 10 miles.  

We followed the road and sure enough there were clear signs and ample parking at each spot.  We started at Latourell Falls.  

Bridal Veil Falls demanded a bit of a hike.  

And Multnomah Falls deserves its worldwide reputation.  

Kate was enthralled. She climbed as close as she could each time. 

We are staying in the town of Hood River where the Hood River flowing from Mount Hood empties into the Columbia.  This spot is tops in the world for parasailing and we watched some sails from the window as we ate dinner.  And we can see Mount Hood from the parking lot.mmhopefully tomorrow will dawn bright blue so we can see it again.

Following in the steps of Lewis and Clark

The reason we went to Long Beach was to position ourselves for a visit to Cape Disappointment. This was the spot where The Corps of Discovery ended their long quest to find the Pacific Ocean. We have long been inspired by the epic journey of Lewis and Clark and their team.  The trip up the Missouri River, the crossing of the Bitterroot Mountains and the harrowing ride down the Columbia River has captured our imagination for several years.  We have talked of starting in St, Louis ourselves (or actually in St. Charles ) and following their route.  But since we are here in Washington and Oregon we  had to visit the site.
There is a well done Interpretive Center on the bluff looking out on the mouth of the Columbia River.   The exhibits are interesting and informative,, and we enjoyed he film which retold the story of the trip.

Our plan was to then drive up the Columbia River to get a sense of the end of their. Journey.  There are several spots marked along the road. Station Camp was where they hauled in the canoes and continued the last 13 miles on foot.  We did not cross the river to the Oregon side to see Fort Clatsop where they spent the winter of 1805-1806 before heading back to St. Louis.  But we did continue up the river and picnicked near the riverbank.  A large sign proclaimed the danger of strong currents and waves, so even today the Columbia River is not a tame waterway.  As we were eating we heard the familiar chatter of an osprey and looked up to see an eagle chasing an osprey away.  

Spectacular Sunday Drive

We got off late from Crescent Lake Lodge. The day was clear and beautiful and we breakfasted together in our cabin on granola, yogurt, tea and coffee, thanks to Lee and Danielle.  Juliet got some play time, and we took turns photographing each other in front of the lake. The photos almost look like we were taking them in front of a poster, but they were real.  

We decided to go north and find a beach for our picnic. We found a wonderful spot on the shores of the Strait of Juan de Fuca looking across to Vancouver Island.  The tide was out as we hopped from one sandbar to another.  The water was warm and shallow and the sand was elastic.  We spotted a pair of Bald Eagles lunching on a low tide morsel on one of the sandbars. Danielle and Lee had brought a delicious loaf of bread and some juicy turkey and ham, so our lunch was splendid.  We parted ways after that and while Danielle and Lee turned back to Seattle, we headed south toward our hotel in Long Beach.

It was a longer drive than we had expected, but the scenery was spectacular.  We took a detour to La Push, a small fishing village in the Quillayute Reservation.  The beaches were outstanding.  Eroded rocks poked from the sea reminding me of the tip of Brittany.  The ocean currents that carved them must be fierce.  There was an enormous tree stump on the beach that dwarfed the beachcombers.

 

From La Push we headed south, stopping from time to time to admire more spectacular beach views.  Occasionally we glimpsed the Olympic Mountains, but our view was usually hidden by ridges of hills covered with trees.  Some of them were the giants of the National Park, but many were tree farms in various stages of harvesting and regrowth.

We arrived in the beach town of Long Beach where we dined on crab cakes and oysters before turningwas in.  

Top Notch Saturday

Instead of waffles we started the day with pancakes

 then slid into the steaming hot pools at Sol Duk before the day guests arrived.

But we had too much to do to spend the whole day in the hot pools. We packed up the car while beautiful Violet Green Swallows dipped and sang around the parking lot. 

On our way to Crescent Lake we stopped at a Salmon Cascade on the Sol Duk River. It was not the right season, but we imagined how excitIng it would be to see salmon leaping the rapids to spawn up river.

We arrived at Crescent Lodge before Danielle and Lee and picnicked in front of the crystal clear water. We couldn't tear ourselves away from the blue lake, sunning ourselves and chatting with other guests while we waited for them.

When Danielle and Lee arrived with Juliet it didn't take long for the dog to slip her leash and run off to play in the lake. Lee showed his skill as a dog handler and soon had her back under control.

Our cabin was really comfortable, with room for all five of us plus the dog, and we sat out on the porch and chatted as we looked out over the lake. We talked about swimming, or taking out a canoe or hiking, but it just didn't happen. We were mesmerized by the blue water and just enjoyed the stunning view.

Dinner  a lot of fun. We hadn't reserved in the dining room, but we had a great meal around a round table at the bar. The food was half the price and just as good.  After dinner we sat outside waiting for the sun to set, before heading for bed.