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| no partners | | Day 4 of my Columbia River Gorge Trip and after day long rain on Day 3, it appeared that it wasn't quite over. Fortunately, the east end of the Gorge appeared to be forecasted as better than the west side, so I decided to drive to the east end and explore a few places on my list and maybe get in a couple of hikes as well without the danger of mud slides in burnt areas. While the day ended up mostly driving, I did find a couple of hikes near days end, which I will post separately. Even though it didn't rain on me much on the east end, the winds reminded me that the storms were going strong to the west. There were times and places where the wind was howling and I was bent over just trying to keep my feet. But it was a good day of scenery and even a little discovery when you ask the right questions of the locals.
I started in the same place as I finished, checking out the beach for views and sunrise where I was camped. Then I hit the highway to the east end of the Gorge, planning on working my way back west. My first stop was Mayer State Park which encompassed a couple of different areas. Visited both areas and then saw that some windsurfers were starting to surf the east end of the park, so I went back to that beach for a bit for photos. I didn't realize it until later, but the Columbia River Gorge is a top destination worldwide for both windsurfing and kitesurfing. Met some beautiful dogs there too.
Then it was onto Historic Highway 30, which was the original highway built in the Gorge. It was originally known as the Columbia River Highway and was considered one of the greatest engineering feats of it's day. It would later be renamed U.S. Route 30 and then replaced by Interstate 84. But they kept and preserved the original road, some of it as a Scenic Byway and other parts as a Hiking/Biking Trail. I wound my way through the forest of trees and switchbacks and arrived at Rowena Crest and the Tom McCall Nature Preserve. The goal was to hopefully catch a wildflower bloom that the area is famous for, and do a hike as well. So much for goals, lol Mother Nature had other ideas. While it was storming in the west, the winds were gale force in the east, especially at the Crest. 50 sustained with 60+ gusts. Decided to skip the hike since I was actually having trouble at times even staying upright. Photographing the blooms was also pretty pointless as 90 percent of them couldn't stay upright either and were pretty much laying down a lot. But the views were sweet and it would definitely be a nice area to come back to in less windier times. Along with gators for hiking amongst the wildflowers and foxtails.
And then down a couple of miles to the Memmaloose Overlook. Nice views there and more protected, so I hiked a little bit of a trail that I had no idea where it would end, and photographed some more wildflowers. Cool rock formation along there too. Didn't follow the trail all the way to the end. I suspected it may have gone all the way down to the bottom and I didn't want to take the time on this day.
Then down the highway into the town of Mosier. Saw a taco truck with a crowd and decided to try it. It was excellent. Saw a few things in Mosier on the map, but decided to make this my last stop of the day. Did a bit of backtracking on the freeway so I could exit the other side and check out Memmaloose SP Campground. You exit at a rest stop to enter the park/campground. Both the rest stop and the campground were pretty nice. The campground has sites right along the river. Will be keeping this CG in mind for the future.
Back on the freeway to Mosier. I was seeing a Marine Preserve designation on the touristy map I had, but I couldn't find it so I started asking around with the locals. I was pointed to a private park that allowed public access for windsurfers, so I checked it out, found a trail into another area and then after looking some things up back at the truck, found another hike. Will detail those later in separate triplogs. After the hike, it was back to camp, arriving well after dark. Another touristy type day at the Gorge exploring what all it has to offer. |
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Wildflowers Observation Substantial
Substantial in the more open areas along this stretch of highway and very substantial up on Rowena's Crest and the Tom McCall Preserve. |
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| Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!" |
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