Columbia River Gorge and Portland Pt 2

Finally a sunny day!! I woke up to a warm sun and got ready for the day. I then left the Walmart for the Horsetail Trailhead. As I got closer to the trailhead the sunshine began to fade as I drove near thick foggy woods. The waterfall was right along the road, and it was awesome! It was pretty tall and fell into a somewhat small pond-type thing. There was some mist that would fly up and it was just really beautiful. I started the short, about a mile, hike up to the top of the falls. There was moss covering everything. Rock walls and boulders were green. Everything seemed to be coated in the stuff. Once I reached the top I could see Ponytail Falls just down the trail a little ways. Similar to Horsetail Falls but a little smaller and it fell slightly different. The trail took you behind this waterfall and it was cool to walk under a portion of the cliff. I could have continued on this trail to the area I was hiking next but I decided to hike back down and park at the trailhead for the Oneonta Gorge Trail. The gorge trail was closed but you could still hike the portion I was wanting to do anyway. This one was a bit longer, maybe about 4 or so miles. About 10 minutes into this hike the sun moved its way in and suddenly the fog was clearing and the warmth of the day was heating me up. For a few minutes, I could feel the cold and warm air circulating. As the fog rose up and out of the gorge it looked like the ground and rocks were steaming. I was hiking along the rim/walls of the gorge so I could see the rushing Oneonta River and many mini waterfalls along the way. More moss covered everything and signs of spring with wildflowers spotted along the trail. It wasn’t too busy either, maybe 10 other people the whole time. Once I turned a corner there was Triple Falls. A stunning waterfall that has three “streams” down the epic drop. There was a little jut out where I sat for a second watching as the blue river water fell. There was a bridge a little ways up from the falls that I planned to see next before heading back to my van. I had to cross a mini waterfall to continue on the trail and once I got to the bridge I could see up the river. Big moss-covered boulders sat in the rapid river and tall trees were still caught up in a little leftover fog in the distance. I was a little nervous going over the bridge, it was thin but very sturdy. I think it was just the quick water underneath it that made me feel a little cautious. But I crossed it and looked down the gorge. It was very pretty. I took my time on the way back but it felt quick. I decided to see if Multnomah Falls was busy so I drove over that way. The parking lot was nearly full so I decided to come back earlier tomorrow so that I can try to see this famous waterfall and bridge when it’s a little less crowded, hopefully. I headed for the Beacon Rock Trail that was on the other side of the Columbia River. I stopped in Cascade Locks, a cute little town, and had some lunch at the boat landing parking lot that looks down the river in front of the Bridge of the Gods. After lunch, I grabbed an ice cream cone at the little local ice cream/burger joint. It reminded me of those local places in Wisconsin, in every small town, that you go to in the summer. It felt like home.

After, I drove over the Bridge of the Gods, which had a toll I didn’t know about, and into Washington, which I also didn’t know about! It was cool to just cross the river and be in another state for a short while. I parked at the trailhead and started the hike. The switchbacks were pretty cool on this hike. You could see the railings up the side of the cliff the whole way, some had wooden bridges and all of them had great views of the Columbia River. The clouds looked really cool at this point in the day, some thick, some wispy, and some created by planes that were lines in the sky. It was such a beautiful hike. With every switchback, you got a little bit more view; a wide river, an island, trees, and the Oregon side of the gorge. The top wasn’t even the best view since you were in the trees at that point but it was a really nice hike. I came back down and decided to stop at the park next to the boat landing in Cascade Locks. I sat and read for a little bit on a bench. I sat on my phone for a little while before going to find a spot for the night. I didn’t want to park at the Walmart again since they said they allow it for one night only. I didn’t want to stay there again and abuse the spot so that they don't revoke that offer to other van travelers. But I knew there was a street nearby that didn’t have any 'no parking' signs up for overnight parking. I went further down than the app I use suggests because I didn’t want to just park in front of residential houses. I parked in front of a business or factory where I saw another van and a camper. It seemed like a good spot and luckily was pretty level too. It was a little noisy with cars passing by, but it worked for one night. I set up and cooked some dinner. I just hung out the rest of the night before going to bed.

Portland Pt 2

I woke up to another sunny day. I headed off to Multnomah Falls and by 9 am it was already kind of busy. There’s a nice lodge at the base of the beautiful waterfall. I stopped to take some pictures at the viewing area in front of the falls. It was a great view of the upper and lower falls and the Benson bridge that crosses it halfway up. After enjoying the view for a bit I walked up the sidewalk to cross the Benson bridge. It’s a beautiful concrete bridge that has moss growing on it and that overlooks the upper falls pool, with a great view up and down of the falls. Mist sprayed, probably why the rock cliffs are coated in moss. It was a decently short, but uphill, hike to the top of Multnomah Falls. Just switchbacks until the top. I noticed there was a sign indicating the 4th, out of 11, switchback and then noticed the rest until the top. Along the way, I liked that I knew how much I had done, but I didn’t like knowing how many I had to go. This trail was quite busy but I passed a lot of dogs so it was ok. I didn’t feel pressed for time so I didn’t mind taking my time on this trail. The river leading to the falls was wide and rapid. It was cool to see just how high the falls really were by looking down at the lodge and roads from the top. After some time up there I hiked back down. The mist from the falls was heavier than it had been on the way up but it felt good since I got warm from the hike. Once I was back at the viewing area again I stood there and watched it for a while. I read on one of the information boards that in 1995 a big chunk of the cliff wall, the size of a school bus filled with concrete, fell from the upper falls into the upper pool and sent a 70 ft splash that drenched a wedding party.

After spending a decent amount of time at Multnomah Falls, I headed to Waukegan Falls. The parking lot was full and so was every pullout within walking distance of the falls. So instead I tried Bridal Veil Falls and the same thing. Then I tried Angel’s Rest Trail and the same thing. I decided I was good on what I had seen in the area and left to go back to Portland. I got another shower in, did some much-needed grocery shopping, and ate a very late lunch at a cool sushi restaurant. It was the kind where the food comes around on a conveyer belt and you just take whatever sounds good and pay by the plate. It was fun to try new things I hadn’t had before and it turned out to be a good place to eat alone since it was like sitting at a bar but the food is moving past you. I ate way too much and then left to spend the night at that rest stop I stayed at on the way to Portland. There was a very short trail at the rest stop and I decided to take an evening stroll. I was glad I did because it ended up being really nice. I was catching it at golden hour and the trail took me over a river and went back into the woods. What looked like birch trees were draped with moss and there were some cool knobby trees too. It just looked really pretty throughout this short little trail. I set up for the night and wasn’t hungry enough for dinner. I just made some popcorn and watched a show before going to sleep.