The Dalles, Hood River and The Columbia River Gorge
This morning we awoke in The Dalles, the division point between the arid upper reaches of the Columbia River Gorge and the deep, temperate rainforests of its western end. We got an early hint of the impending climate change: low cloud cover, a light rain, and wisps of fog clinging to the walls of the gorge. Here, nearly 200 years ago, Lewis and Clark pulled their canoes over to dry out, hunt in the foothills of Mount Hood, and enjoy some welcome relief from what had been a steady diet of salmon, roots, and dogmeat. Here, they enjoyed venison, steelhead trout, and even some duck.
After a hearty breakfast of our own liking, we stepped aboard a pair of motorcoaches and rolled through The Dalles to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, a first-rate interpretive facility that covers the natural history of the gorge as well as the human history of the immediate area. Here, we were in for a special treat. Emma, our expedition leader, managed to collar the interpretive center’s Ken Karsmizki, who happens to be the world’s premiere Lewis and Clark archeologist. Ken spoke for about 30 minutes to our group about his work at various Expedition sites throughout the Lewis and Clark route. We browsed the center’s fascinating exhibits for another hour or so, made an indispensable stop at the center’s gift shop, before reboarding our motorcoaches.
Next stop: Rowena Crest, an overlook of the Columbia River from high atop the rim of the gorge. Here, our group split. One motorcoach continued along the rim of the gorge to a section of the Historic Columbia River Highway closed to motorized traffic. There, more than 20 of us swung onto the saddles of mountain bikes and pedaled nearly five miles of winding roadway high above the river. The rest of the group strolled partway along the same route, and then doubled back by motorcoach to the Sea Bird, which had sailed downriver from The Dalles to meet us in Hood River.
Meanwhile, the second group visited Hood River, sometimes known as the world’s capital of boardsailing. We all warmed up with a welcome repast of chili, grilled cheese sandwiches, and homemade cookies.
After lunch, Tom gave us a quick overview of the winter Lewis and Clark spent at Fort Clatsop. Shortly afterward, we locked through our last dam— historic Bonneville Dam — and entered the free-flowing section of the Columbia River at last. We coasted past Beacon Rock and a series of spectacular waterfalls (including 620-foot Multnomah Falls). As we cruised, the weather lifted and Linda spotted two bald eagles for us near Rooster Rock State Park. Since we were making such good time, Captain Kay dropped anchor, the better for us to enjoy such a beautiful section of the gorge while daylight lingered and painted the remaining clouds gold and vermillion.
