The Columbia Gorge is exceptional. That's just a fact. I've spent many happy hours there but, invariably, they've always been on the Oregon side. This past week I took a three day trailrunning and hiking trip on the north side of the Columbia and I'm here to tell you: it's just as great. It's also undervisited compared to the Oregon side so it's definitely awesome.
Note- these entries are not for navigational purposes. Detailed hike and trail run information can be found at the Oregon Hikers forum, which is how I found these various sites
My first hike this weekend was Beacon Rock.
This was an awesome hike, not especially challenging if you're reasonably fit but definitely a workout. The trail is far too crowded and narrow to recommend trailrunning. The whole thing took me 45 minutes, which included a detour on the wrong trail, spending plenty of time taking photos and sitting on the summit. It's really an amazing piece of geology, one of the world's largest freestanding monoliths and the trail is paved with rails from the days of WW1 so it's summitable by nearly everyone provided they take their time.
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| Trail Sign |
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| Trail to the top of Beacon Rock |
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| Columbia Gorge from Beacon Rock |
While the trek was a challenge it didn't quite scratch that trailrunning itch so I crossed the interstate and headed to the Hamilton Mountain Trailhead for the Pool of the Winds and Little Beacon Rock.
The first half mile or so was extremely challenging. The grade was steep and the pathway was narrow. The trail was fecund with spring growth.
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| Dat GAP tho |
The Pool itself was an amazing little geological anomaly. The waterfall is forced through a narrow hole creating an awesome little microclimate. Despite heavy sweating in the hot June air after a couple minutes at the crack I was near shivering
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| Pool of the Winds |
After the Pool I decided to extend my run back to the crossroads and follow it the other direction until I made it to Little Beacon Rock which was also very awesome.
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| Little Beacon Rock |
Between the hike and the trail run I was pretty pooped and called it a day after just about 5K
The next day was one of the best trailrunning experiences of my life at the Falls Creek Loop
Now, I know you're not supposed to run with earphones. It's considered gauche, potentially unsafe and defeats the purpose of running in the great green outdoors.... but I did and it was great.
One of my favorite podcast guests (Jessica St. Clair) made a long-awaited return to one of my favorite podcasts (Comedy Bang Bang) and it was fantastic. As ridiculous it is to have emotional. sentiment towards a podcast creation it's hard to resist the charms of St. Clair's character: the inimitable Marissa Wompler.
Knowing the circumstances behind the absence of the character made her return even better. Her and her comedy partner Lennon Parham (and, of course, The Choctaw) were on their A Game and it made the run just fly by.
Getting to the trailhead was about forty minutes from Carson, WA where I was staying. It is in the Gifford Pinchot national forest and you have to follow an extremely potholed dirt road to get there
The scenery is gorgeous, you pass a couple of old forestry test plots where different types of Ponderosa competed against one another. Very old school "Growing America's Future!" Feel to the signage as well.
Anyway from the parking lot the grade is pretty darn steep.
It also happens to be a strava segment, which I did well on, I attribute my placing to the power of Womping it up.
This is followed by a fairly short side trail to the Falls Creek waterfall which is, without hyperbole, one of the best and most scenic waterfalls I've ever seen
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| Falls Creek |
Then it was back to main trail for an additional climb to a higher plateau zone
I then returned back down the trail for an eight mile loop. It was a challenge but it was fantastic as well as undervisited. I saw a few mountain bikers at a couple different places but that was it for other people.
I've been to many waterfalls in the Gorge and Falls Creek was definitely in the top percentile.
My final hike was to the summit of Wind Mountain. This was also very steep and narrow. It could be ran but it wouldn't be safe for certain sections.
The hike wasn't overly challenging and the summit was a spectacular space.
Before reaching the summit there are a series of signs indicating that this is an archaeological site of long -term usage and ongoing sacredness to the Columbia River Plateau Tribes who are Indigenous to the area.
Great care should be taken to stay in the marked observation areas. The site has a palpable numinous liminality to it. The stone structures speak to great effort and devotion, to arduous physical spirituality on a bleak and windswept peak. They are a testament, written in the very rock of the mountain, to the specialness of the space. It's a stunning area and should be treated with respect.
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| Wind Mountain Summit |
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| Stone structures related to Columbia River Plateau Cultures |
Following the hike it's highly recommended you stop off at the Whistlestop Espresso Cafe. It was a charming little breakfast and sandwich place with excellent food and top notch coffee. It's a cozy spot with great eats.
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| Whistletop Espresso and Wind Mountain |
This was my final activity in the Gorge and it was a great one. Each hike or trail run I did was an extraordinary experience, really of the utmost. The scenery was amazing. I found the Washington side of the Gorge to be much more rural and laid back than the Oregon side which comes off I-84. It was a good time!
