Columbia R Gorge Tour Reader
Chauffeur/Tour Guide Study Guide
(from Chanticleer Point)
From Ainsworth
NEVER look at or read this reader while driving or if the vehicle is in motion. There should be minimal reading to the group. In other words, your guiding will be mostly that which you can remember from your studies. Occasionally, you may want to read certain short segments for emphasis. To be proficient, it will take some practice, so don't expect your guiding to be great at the start. After hire, let me know when your ready to start guiding. You also should do a dry run (or several) if you are not familiar with the route/stops.
Columbia R. Gorge Reader
Bonneville Dam Reader
Mt. Hood/Timberline Lodge Reader
(Links in Green and Blue are additional study materials which should be utilized to gain additional knowledge)
http://dlmark.net/gorge.htm
Take Exit 22 at Corbett to get to Chanticleer Point, Crown Point, the Historic Highway & Waterfall Alley. Alternatively, when instructed, take the Troutdale exit to include Sandy River Bridge at Troutdale, Stark Street & Sandy River (Stark Street) Bridge.
Troutdale:
Troutdale includes the King of Roads Exhibit, historic Edgefield Manor, the 1907 Rail Depot and the 1900 Harlow House. From Troutdale, historic route 30 follows the quiet Sandy River and Gorge and passes Tad's Chicken 'n Dumplings and Shirley's Tippy Canoe Bar & Grill (a riverside restaurant that was once featured on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives for its large and messy sloppy joes.) and the Stark Street Bridge, built the same year as the historic hwy, 1914.
Sandy River:
Beginning on the banks of the Sandy Street Bridge over the Sandy River is one of the two Western gateways onto the Historic Columbia River Highway.
Along the Sandy River, the Historic Columbia River Highway winds gently past a tree-lined shore not far from where Lewis and Clark camped in 1805. They called it the “Quicksand River” for in those days it ran with a gritty, murky look and was impassable.
Lewis writes,
"I arrived at the enterance of a river [Sandy River] which appeared to Scatter over a Sand bar, the bottom of which I could See quite across and did not appear to be 4 Inches deep in any part; I attempted to wade this Stream and to my astonishment found the bottom a quick Sand, and impassable".
Majestic Mt. Hood to the east—an icon of Oregon’s landscape—had recently erupted in the same year, spilling ash into the headwaters of the Sandy high in the Cascades.
You’ll see the snow-capped mountain as you meander your way past upland orchards and blueberry fields through the historic communities of Springdale and Corbett. No Longer the bustling farm towns they once were, they stand now as quiet neighbors along the Highway, a place for folks to enjoy country living not far from the city.
The Columbia River Basin: (Columbia River)
17-6 million years ago--
KA-BOOM! Lava, Lava Everywhere!
Birth of the Gorge:
2 million-700,000 years ago--
Chanticleer Point: (Chanticleer Point)
We offer a combination of pssts!, insider tips and stories (stop intro's) of the Gorge... Knowing the stories adds appeal to your drive. If you don't want the stories and just want to see the sights, please let me know!
The true making of the Columbia R. Gorge.
Stop #2 - Crown Point - Vista House Observatory & Memorial
A magnificent panorama is revealed to all who visit this great rock Crown Point.
Crown Point Viaduct
Vista House is...
From here you can see Beacon Rock and Phoca Rock (seal rock), both named by Lewis & Clark...who said it is, "remarkable high detached rock".
Beacon Rock is... (Beacon Rock Driver Study Guide)
The historic Columbia River Highway:
Before Leaving Crown Point:
The historic Columbia River Highway:
"The one prevailing idea in the location and construction was to make this highway a great scenic boulevard surpassing all other highways of the world"John Arthur Elliott, a locating engineer on the CRH and builder of the Mitchell Point tunnel
Lancaster the Road builder wrote:
I designed the Historic Highway "so as not to mar what God had put there"
Leaving Vista House -- Approaching figure-8 loops –
(from Chanticleer Point)
From Ainsworth
NEVER look at or read this reader while driving or if the vehicle is in motion. There should be minimal reading to the group. In other words, your guiding will be mostly that which you can remember from your studies. Occasionally, you may want to read certain short segments for emphasis. To be proficient, it will take some practice, so don't expect your guiding to be great at the start. After hire, let me know when your ready to start guiding. You also should do a dry run (or several) if you are not familiar with the route/stops.
Columbia R. Gorge Reader
Bonneville Dam Reader
Mt. Hood/Timberline Lodge Reader
(Links in Green and Blue are additional study materials which should be utilized to gain additional knowledge)
http://dlmark.net/gorge.htm
Take Exit 22 at Corbett to get to Chanticleer Point, Crown Point, the Historic Highway & Waterfall Alley. Alternatively, when instructed, take the Troutdale exit to include Sandy River Bridge at Troutdale, Stark Street & Sandy River (Stark Street) Bridge.
Troutdale:
Troutdale includes the King of Roads Exhibit, historic Edgefield Manor, the 1907 Rail Depot and the 1900 Harlow House. From Troutdale, historic route 30 follows the quiet Sandy River and Gorge and passes Tad's Chicken 'n Dumplings and Shirley's Tippy Canoe Bar & Grill (a riverside restaurant that was once featured on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives for its large and messy sloppy joes.) and the Stark Street Bridge, built the same year as the historic hwy, 1914.
Sandy River:
Beginning on the banks of the Sandy Street Bridge over the Sandy River is one of the two Western gateways onto the Historic Columbia River Highway.
Along the Sandy River, the Historic Columbia River Highway winds gently past a tree-lined shore not far from where Lewis and Clark camped in 1805. They called it the “Quicksand River” for in those days it ran with a gritty, murky look and was impassable.
Lewis writes,
"I arrived at the enterance of a river [Sandy River] which appeared to Scatter over a Sand bar, the bottom of which I could See quite across and did not appear to be 4 Inches deep in any part; I attempted to wade this Stream and to my astonishment found the bottom a quick Sand, and impassable".
Majestic Mt. Hood to the east—an icon of Oregon’s landscape—had recently erupted in the same year, spilling ash into the headwaters of the Sandy high in the Cascades.
You’ll see the snow-capped mountain as you meander your way past upland orchards and blueberry fields through the historic communities of Springdale and Corbett. No Longer the bustling farm towns they once were, they stand now as quiet neighbors along the Highway, a place for folks to enjoy country living not far from the city.
The Columbia River Basin: (Columbia River)
- Starting as a small stream at the base of the Canadian Rockies, the Columbia River merges with various rivers and streams and flows through four mountain ranges -- the Rockies, Selkirks, Cascades, and coastal mountains, until it meets the Pacific Ocean at Astoria.
- It's the fourth-largest river in the United States (by volume) and stretches 1,243 miles.
- Measured by volume; the Columbia River pours more water into the Pacific Ocean than any other river in North or South America, discharging 17½ trillion gallons into the Pacific Ocean annually. The force of the Columbia flowing into the ocean creates one of the most treacherous bars in the world as evidenced by the 234 identified ships that stranded, sank, or burned near the mouth of the river between 1725 and 1961.
- In 1792, American Robert Gray, a seafarer more interested in finding furs for the China market than the honor of discovery, was the first European to successfully cross the bar, and the river was named after his ship, the Columbia Rediviva.
17-6 million years ago--
KA-BOOM! Lava, Lava Everywhere!
- Standing here, with hawks circling soundlessly overhead and a breeze barely making a ripple in the leaves, it’s hard to reconcile the fact that this peaceful place was forged in violence. Very unusual volcanoes called Columbia River Basalt Floods (CRBG; AKA shield volcanoes) erupted here. The lava field became the 3rd biggest in the world (100,000 sq miles), after Iceland & the Siberian Trappes of 250 million years ago (the Great Permian extinction, 3 million sq miles).
- Over 300 high-volume lava flows have been identified. Out of these, 21 poured through the Gorge forming layers of rock up to 4,000 feet deep. Look at the cliffs in the Gorge today, can you see these layers?
- The Yellowstone Super Volcano, as it is currently known, is believed to be of common source with the Columbia River Basalt eruptions which formed the Columbia R. Gorge.
Birth of the Gorge:
2 million-700,000 years ago--
- From 2 million to 700,000 years ago at the beginning of the last ice age; Hundreds of volcanoes erupted in the Cascade mountain range from central vents (stratovolcanoes) rather than basalt floods. You can still see the 14 major peaks and hundreds of smaller peaks and cinder cones that form the range.
Chanticleer Point: (Chanticleer Point)
We offer a combination of pssts!, insider tips and stories (stop intro's) of the Gorge... Knowing the stories adds appeal to your drive. If you don't want the stories and just want to see the sights, please let me know!
- If ever a single view could capture the grandeur of the Gorge, it would be the vista from this overlook. It is one of the most magnificent views in the world and is the classic photo scene of the Gorge.
- The domed Vista House, sitting on nearby crown point, is our next stop and makes for an impressive photo.
- Sam Hill, Sam Lancaster, John Yeon, Simon Benson & others met here in 1913 at the old Chanticleer Inn to plan the Old Highway.
- The original inn (from 1913; right) burned to the ground in 1930. It gained fame for its creamed chicken dinners.
The true making of the Columbia R. Gorge.
- From here you can contemplate the natural forces that created the scene: Between 12,000 and 15,000 years ago, an ice age dam holding back Glacial Lake Missoula, an inland sea, collapsed, unleashing a cataclysmic flood that blasted through the Columbia River valley, known as the Ice Age Floods, or Missoula Floods. The wall of water shaved off the sides of the valley, tore away the lower slopes and changed its cross-sectional profile from a V to a U shape. It turned gentle slopes into sheer cliffs and left the streams hanging high on the walls to form the plunging waterfalls. It is widely believed to be the biggest floods ever to occur on earth, equal to 10 times the combined flow of ALL the rivers of the world, occurring perhaps as many as 50 times over 2000 years! Native peoples have been documented living here for over 11,000 years. If there were people living here at the time, they would have had about 30 minutes warning. And people may have been living here at that time.
- More on Ice Age Floods
- More on Chanticleer Point
Stop #2 - Crown Point - Vista House Observatory & Memorial
A magnificent panorama is revealed to all who visit this great rock Crown Point.
- Highway engineer Samuel Lancaster thought the land atop this 733-foot cliff at Crown Point was one of the most spectacular vistas in the world! He knew it was the ideal site for "an observatory from which the view up and down the Columbia could be viewed in silent communion with the infinite."
- The Priest Rapids Basalt lava flow was liquid and hot when it flowed out of deep cracks in Idaho which filled this Columbia River Valley 15.2 million years ago. And the best place to see this canyon flow is Crown Point. Vista House sits atop 600 feet of a Priest Rapids lava flow which once upon a time flowed through an ancient Columbia River Valley.
- It was here at 5pm, JUNE 7TH 1916, that with a touch of a button, Woodrow Wilson officially dedicated Crown Point & Vista House. Quoting The Oregonian, November 14, 1915, “Vista House is intended to be the finishing achievement for the greatest highway in America and will grace the highest spot on that wonderway.”
Crown Point Viaduct
Vista House is...
- an elegant rest stop.
- A beautiful octagonal stone structure of concrete, steel, copper and glass, and provides a 30-mile view of the Columbia River Gorge.
- Its original purpose was as a "comfort station", an observatory and a monument to the hardy pioneers that arrived on the Oregon Trail in the 1840s and 50s. This was the route that enabled them to reach the metropolis of Oregon, the surrounding towns and farmland of the Willamette Valley and to the Hudson Bay trading stations at the mouth of the Columbia River. Vista House also served as a “watering station” for automobiles and a rest house/”comfort” station for the hundreds of thousands of tourists who make use of the Columbia River Highway. And at a cost at a little under $100,000, an Oregon Journal editorial called it “the most expensive comfort station in the world.” It occupies the highest point reached by the highway as it towers 733 feet above the mile wide Columbia River.
- Native American and Oregon Pioneer exhibits are inside, as well as a museum dedicated to the story of the Historic Columbia River Highway, occupying the lower level. Climb to the upper level for a spectacular view of the gorge. The marble and mahogany restroom facilities are located in the lower level of the building. I would recommend spending up to 20-25 minutes in the museum to get a fuller understanding of the Columbia Gorge Scenic Area.
- an elegant rest stop a beautiful octagonal stone structure of concrete, steel, copper and glass with marble floors and opalescent glass windows, and provides a 30-mile view of the sky, water and rock. Its original purpose was as a "comfort station", an observatory, a monument to the hardy pioneers that arrived on the Oregon Trail in the 1840s and 50s and a "watering station" for autos.
- Inside you can find a hand-out titled Vista House Construction & Architectural Info.
- On the lower level, you will find a Native American and Oregon Pioneer exhibit and a museum dedicated to the story of the Historic Columbia River Highway, as well as the beautiful marble and mahogany restrooms.
- Climb to the upper level for a spectacular view of the gorge.
- I would recommend spending up to 25-30 minutes at Crown Point to get a fuller understanding of the Columbia Gorge Scenic Area.
From here you can see Beacon Rock and Phoca Rock (seal rock), both named by Lewis & Clark...who said it is, "remarkable high detached rock".
Beacon Rock is... (Beacon Rock Driver Study Guide)
- an 850’ high remnant core of an ancient volcanic core 57,000 years old...
- the largest freestanding monolith in the U.S., and the 2nd largest in the world, after Gibraltar...
- a unique geological structure standing by itself on the banks of the Columbia River after the ice-age floods through the Gorge removed the surrounding rock while the erosion-resistant plug remains, producing a distinctive upstanding landform.
- You can walk up the steps in the center of an volcano. 1.8 mi RT-moderate difficulty.
The historic Columbia River Highway:
Before Leaving Crown Point:
The historic Columbia River Highway:
"The one prevailing idea in the location and construction was to make this highway a great scenic boulevard surpassing all other highways of the world"John Arthur Elliott, a locating engineer on the CRH and builder of the Mitchell Point tunnel
Lancaster the Road builder wrote:
I designed the Historic Highway "so as not to mar what God had put there"
- Skirting the edge or piercing the sides, this Wonder Road commands magnificent views of river, Gorge and mountains, exploring the formerly inaccessible Gorge of the Columbia. You will be rewarded with astounding views at every twist and turn.
- The "The King of Roads" architectural beauty stretches eighty miles from Troutdale to The Dalles and is an unmatched scenic byway that came to life one hundred years ago. Our section today includes 9 stops, 6 waterfalls and 7 bridges.
- They didn't build the hwy overnight. It got underway in 1913, but was not complete until 1922. It takes time to build a grand hwy through extremely rough terrain while maintaining and emphasis on the beauty of the "Gorge.
- Visionaries Sam Hill & Samuel Lancaster had studied highways along the Rhine River in Europe, then brought the same style and techniques (stone arch guardrails, elegant bridges, and wide, sweeping turns to tame the steep climbs) to the road along the Gorge.
- There are 2 types of rockwork walls built by Italian stone masons. The walls of dry masonry, of which there are about two miles, have been built to conform to their scenic environments. Masonry
- This road possesses many historic firsts.
- It was the 1st major paved public road in the Northwest using new methods of paving & drainage.
- the 1st American public road deliberately constructed as a scenic highway – with road alignments selected to highlight stunning vistas.
- the 1st painted highway centerline in the country, applied to the Rowena Loops section of the road.
- The two-rail, white wooden guardrail still seen in sections was 1st used here. It soon became the national guardrail standard for decades thereafter.
- And finally, it is the 1st & only state highway in the nation listed as a national historic landmark.
Leaving Vista House -- Approaching figure-8 loops –
- The road ahead includes several viaducts including the Crown Point Viaduct and is an engineering marvel which climbs 600 feet, parallels itself 5 times and is known as the figure 8 loops. The area is a beautiful roadside forest of Douglas fir, Grand (White) fir, Western red Cedar, Broadleaf maple, alder and a generous distribution of the native Western dogwood; whose white, early flowering livens these clean, attractive waysides with a touch of richness and appealing beauty that is much admired and greatly appreciated in the springtime; and their abundant red fruiting, highly colored leaves and an occasional second flowering are equally enjoyable in autumn. Climate & Vegetation
- As we approach Vista House, we will see 2 types of rock walls with rubble parapets (Lg and small rubble) built by Italian stone masons which, Lancaster believed, "added greatly to the charm of the highway."
Next Stop - Ghost town of Latourell, Latourell Falls & Bridge
Here are excellent examples of the arched stone guard rails and rock barriers symbolic of the artistry of the highway.
Town of Latourell:
Once a thriving logging town, party town and popular destination for Portlandites for its gay evenings; singing & dancing the nights away! Once boasting of 6 saloons, today the former vibrant community is quiet; no businesses and just a few residents.
Latourell Falls and the town of Latourell were named for Joseph "Frenchy" Latourell who immigrated to Oregon in the 1850s.[2] Latourell owned a mercantile and a fish wheel, and he was a boatman on the Columbia River.
The Latourells had eight children and were known to Portlanders who visited by steamboat to sing, dance, dine and listen while the family played musical instruments.
At its height, Latourell was a working timber town and had five saloons and a well-known brass band. Large scale commercial logging did not arrive until the 1880s. Before that, many Columbia River Gorge residents cut and delivered cordwood to Columbia River steamships.
See the original:
A paved path connects the park to the falls following Latourell Creek under the impressive bridge. This trail has spectacular scenery with many photo ops.
Waterfall: - waterfall type: plunge.
Disclaimer: You may hike to the falls (as with all the waterfalls) at your own risk. One can get lost in the beauty of the areas and get overwhelmed by the height and the rocks. The trails can be hazardous. We strongly advise that you keep your feet grounded, look where your stepping and stay on the trails.
Children: All passengers should be aware, that all of our stops along the route today are right on the main road, so caution should be made to be sure to not walk in front of traffic, and special care should be taken with children.
The Columbia River Gorge presents the greatest concentration of high waterfalls in North America, and Latourelle Falls is one example of many types of waterfalls whose plunge pools and tributary streams provide habitat critical to the survival of many species.
As the 2nd highest falls in the Gorge; Latourell Falls hisses, bellows and shouts for attention and is a wonderful introduction to the many waterfalls along the Columbia River Gorge.
This falls is a miniature Niagara Falls pouring over a steep bluff, because it's a plunge-type falls.
The 249 foot high, 20 foot wide falls cascades down a basalt cliff on the north side of Pepper Mountain in giant steps.
At the falls, the lichen covered columnar basalt formations around the falls steal the show. Columnar Basalt is very evident and dramatic at this falls, the most dramatic example on our tour today.
Latourell Falls Villa, located right above the parking lot, offered "home cooked lunches and dinners" up until the 1950s.
The Bridge:
I love these old Columbia Highway bridges. There are a lot of them left, and they aren't all the same -- there are all works of art, have many different designs and are all over 100 years old.
The road engineers conquered the challenging terrain by designing structures which included viaducts, several tunnels and 24 Columbia Gorge bridges. Bridges are among the finest examples of American structural art-power objects of pure utility and science--a realm in which Americans have excelled."
And one of the best views of this falls is from the original artistically designed bridge that spans the highway from cliff to cliff.
This bridge, dating from 1914 is interesting in its own right, with special lightweight construction due to the unstable soils in the area.
This 316 foot, three-span, reinforced concrete, braced-spandrel deck arched bridge was built by the Pacific Bridge Co. from Portland.
Each arch is 80 feet long and the bridge is 100 feet high.
Bridge Details
More about Latourell Falls/Study Guide
https://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/waterfall/Latourell-Falls-4061
Stop #4 - Shepperd's Dell State Park & Bridge
Driving around Bishops Cap; Notice the dry masonry, stone guard rails & rock barriers. These have become the signature of the Historic Highway.
West of Shepperd’s Dell – 2 architectural & natural landmarks
Here are excellent examples of the arched stone guard rails and rock barriers symbolic of the artistry of the highway.
Town of Latourell:
Once a thriving logging town, party town and popular destination for Portlandites for its gay evenings; singing & dancing the nights away! Once boasting of 6 saloons, today the former vibrant community is quiet; no businesses and just a few residents.
Latourell Falls and the town of Latourell were named for Joseph "Frenchy" Latourell who immigrated to Oregon in the 1850s.[2] Latourell owned a mercantile and a fish wheel, and he was a boatman on the Columbia River.
The Latourells had eight children and were known to Portlanders who visited by steamboat to sing, dance, dine and listen while the family played musical instruments.
At its height, Latourell was a working timber town and had five saloons and a well-known brass band. Large scale commercial logging did not arrive until the 1880s. Before that, many Columbia River Gorge residents cut and delivered cordwood to Columbia River steamships.
See the original:
- Old Billiard Hall,
- Carriage Shed,
- Latourell House,
- Schoolhouse,
- Saloon, cafe, post office & others.
A paved path connects the park to the falls following Latourell Creek under the impressive bridge. This trail has spectacular scenery with many photo ops.
Waterfall: - waterfall type: plunge.
Disclaimer: You may hike to the falls (as with all the waterfalls) at your own risk. One can get lost in the beauty of the areas and get overwhelmed by the height and the rocks. The trails can be hazardous. We strongly advise that you keep your feet grounded, look where your stepping and stay on the trails.
Children: All passengers should be aware, that all of our stops along the route today are right on the main road, so caution should be made to be sure to not walk in front of traffic, and special care should be taken with children.
The Columbia River Gorge presents the greatest concentration of high waterfalls in North America, and Latourelle Falls is one example of many types of waterfalls whose plunge pools and tributary streams provide habitat critical to the survival of many species.
As the 2nd highest falls in the Gorge; Latourell Falls hisses, bellows and shouts for attention and is a wonderful introduction to the many waterfalls along the Columbia River Gorge.
This falls is a miniature Niagara Falls pouring over a steep bluff, because it's a plunge-type falls.
The 249 foot high, 20 foot wide falls cascades down a basalt cliff on the north side of Pepper Mountain in giant steps.
At the falls, the lichen covered columnar basalt formations around the falls steal the show. Columnar Basalt is very evident and dramatic at this falls, the most dramatic example on our tour today.
Latourell Falls Villa, located right above the parking lot, offered "home cooked lunches and dinners" up until the 1950s.
The Bridge:
I love these old Columbia Highway bridges. There are a lot of them left, and they aren't all the same -- there are all works of art, have many different designs and are all over 100 years old.
The road engineers conquered the challenging terrain by designing structures which included viaducts, several tunnels and 24 Columbia Gorge bridges. Bridges are among the finest examples of American structural art-power objects of pure utility and science--a realm in which Americans have excelled."
And one of the best views of this falls is from the original artistically designed bridge that spans the highway from cliff to cliff.
This bridge, dating from 1914 is interesting in its own right, with special lightweight construction due to the unstable soils in the area.
This 316 foot, three-span, reinforced concrete, braced-spandrel deck arched bridge was built by the Pacific Bridge Co. from Portland.
Each arch is 80 feet long and the bridge is 100 feet high.
Bridge Details
More about Latourell Falls/Study Guide
https://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/waterfall/Latourell-Falls-4061
Stop #4 - Shepperd's Dell State Park & Bridge
- The place is one of the most attractive on the whole route and has always been a popular stopping spot along the highway and many pictures of early Gorge travel were taken here.
- Youngs Creek cascades down a twisting alcove in a series of falls totaling about 220 feet in height. The bottom portion of the uppermost tier is visible, but trees and the shape of the alcove block the majority of it from sight. The waterfall is one of absolute simplicity, grace & beauty. It is the rendezvous of the fairies.
- One of the most artistic bridges on the highway spans the chasm of 150 feet across and 140 feet high and is registered as a National Historic Landmark. At the falls look at the bridge high above the canyon. One can truly appreciate the skill and knowledge the builders must have had to build such an impressive structure... Then walk to the middle & look down to see the two final drops! Bridge Details
- George Shepperd and his wife lived in a little cottage not far from the dell. Both were lovers of nature and on Sundays would go there and sit, charmed by the scenery for hours. And it was his desire to commemorate her that prompted Mr. Shepperd in his generous act. He could have sold the property for more than $10,000. He is not a rich man, and in view of this fact his donation is considered all the more noble."
- This is a place to connect with each other and the past, both man-made and geologic.
- The road ahead, winds around a great pillar called Bishops Cap, which is the end of a Basalt flow & forms the east gateway to Shepperd's Dell.
- Determined to maintain as much natural beauty as possible, Lancaster the Road builder directed his engineers to undercut the basalt dome only what was necessary to accommodate traffic. The resulting 'half-tunnel' has become a featured landmark along the highway.
- In fact, there are four Basalt domes, beautiful in their gigantic proportions.
- a basalt dome undercut to accommodate the half tunnel. Workers on the Highway created a "half-tunnel" through the basalt to get around this feature.
Driving around Bishops Cap; Notice the dry masonry, stone guard rails & rock barriers. These have become the signature of the Historic Highway.
West of Shepperd’s Dell – 2 architectural & natural landmarks
- Forrest Hall – This grand southern-style home, circa 1910, was originally built as a restaurant called Forest Hall for 2 sisters from Paris Kentucky serving southern-style chicken dinners.
- Lusher Farm – Built in 1870 by the Luscher family—Swiss immigrants; to the south of the highway is the 1929 rustic English Cottage style home of Fred Luscher who helped build the highway.
- Cattle Pass to the Luscher Barn ... (1914): "The Lusher family required construction of this Cattle Pass so that his herd could migrate to both sides of a pasture bisected by the highway's construction."
Next Stop - Bridal Veil Lodge, Loop Trail & Bridal Veil Falls
Here is beautiful (Bridal Veil Lodge) & (Bridal Veil Falls) & Overlook Trail (Bridal Veil Overlook)
2 Different Hikes are available:
Hike #1, Bridal Veil Falls – waterfall type: tiered,
Fair & gossamer, shimmering like cobwebs drenched in dewdrops and fittingly called Bridal Veil Falls, named from the mist at the falls. The 160 foot tall Falls (a tiered falls) is one of the most pristine of the Gorge and is the only one below the old highway.
The short hike (two thirds mile round trip) is definitely well worth it.
When you get there, take the footbridge across the stream to get to the observation area for a view of the Falls, plunging twice in a wide steep slide. At the falls you will see remnants of an old mill flume of the Palmer Logging Camp and Bridal Veil Lumber Company which stood there from 1886-1960 when Kraft made the iconic wooden cheese boxes (1937-1960). During WW2, ammunition boxes were made here and in 1942 the town was intentionally burned down to avoid sabotage by the Japanese.
Hike #2 is Bridal Veil Overlook - A personal favorite; take the Overlook Trail. There are many vistas along the half mile loop path for photos of the Gorge.
See such features as Cape Horn across the river; a massive CRBG (Short for Columbia River Basalt Group) rocky Basalt outcrop. An outcrop is visible exposure of bedrock or an ancient deposit.
The majority of the CRBG flows are Early Miocene between 17 and 5.5 million years old. They erupted from north-south fissures near the present-day Washington-Idaho border, presumably originating from the Yellowstone Super Volcano Hot spot, which was located along southern Oregon at that time. The CRBG consists of approximately 300 thick sequences of flood basalt flows, each flow from 10 to over 100 feet in thickness, with an estimated eruptive volume of at least 50,000 sq miles up to 4000 ft thick creating the Columbia Basin Plateau, making them the largest documented individual lava flows on Earth.
Cape Horn and Phoca Rock (seal rock), are both named by Lewis & Clark,
Native Americans gathered here to fish, trade and socialize for thousands of years. Historic markers explain the Indian history, geology and plant life of the area (Native wild flowers such as Camas root was used by the local Indians and given to the Lewis &Clark party for sustenance, lupine, bead lilly, trillium and bleeding heart line both sides of the pathway along the cliff. The Camas plant, a member of the lily family, was unknown to science before the Lewis and Clark journey.
Other sights are Cape Horn Landing, Crown Point, Phoca Rock, the remnants of the Pillars of Hercules, and Sand Island.
Good lunch stop for small groups--1 picnic table on the loop trail.
(Bridal Veil & Post Office) Bridal Veil, A ghost town--
We’ll visit the nation’s 2nd Smallest Post Office, and the remnants of the old Lumber Mills.
Bridal Veil was established in the 1880s. The only non-abandoned structure (besides the B&B), is the post office, from the year eighteen eighty seven. It is all that remains of a once thriving town with the most extensive logging operation in the region. The post office is not only active, but is popular. This tiny outpost mails out more mail a year (per sq foot), more than any other in the nation, most of which are wedding invitations (now the sole reason for its existence).
Soon to be newlyweds can choose between 2 different post marks, interlocking hearts or doves. It puts a personal touch on their wedding invitations.
The town was created when the Bridal Veil Lumber Company built a paper mill on the lower section of property. The property included residences for the mill workers. What are left are simply foundations, remnants of a logging boom long gone! The Bridal Veil Lumber Company which stood here from 1886-1960 when Kraft made the iconic wooden cheese boxes (1937 to 1960).
During WW2, ammunition boxes were made here and in 1942 the town was intentionally burned down to avoid sabotage by the Japanese.
Bridal Veil Cemetery: From 1888, buried here are true pioneers of the timber industry.
Here is beautiful (Bridal Veil Lodge) & (Bridal Veil Falls) & Overlook Trail (Bridal Veil Overlook)
- In the early years, a traveler couldn't count on finding a motel around every bend; much of the time, you either pitched a tent or slept in your car. Bridal Veil Lodge came about in an era when American culture was increasingly revolving around the automobile,
- But motorists were accustomed to having Sunday dinners of chicken, rabbit, or salmon at several places along the highway. These included Chanticleer Inn, Crown Point Chalet, Latourell Falls Chalet and its successor, Falls Villa and Forrest Hall. Some even kept a few rooms for road weary travelers, like Bridal Veil Lodge. It was one of dozens of roadhouses which sprang up during the early years offering travelers crisp linens, cold beverages, hearty meals and fantastic views,
- In 1927, a weary traveler could shut down his sputtering Model T engine and for 50 cents would get a good hot meal of roast pork, mashed potatoes and vegetables fresh out of the garden. For another $1.50, you could pull the Ford around back and pitch a tent, or tuck in your family in one of the snug cabins or rooms in the lodge,
- In 1987, the great-granddaughter of the original owner returned to Bridal Veil Lodge, began restoration, and reopened the lodge as a bed and breakfast. The place has been kept as it was in the early days, and guests are still seated for breakfast on the original restaurant chairs around the huge pine-plank table built by her father, surrounded by furnishings, photos, and memorabilia of days gone by,
2 Different Hikes are available:
Hike #1, Bridal Veil Falls – waterfall type: tiered,
Fair & gossamer, shimmering like cobwebs drenched in dewdrops and fittingly called Bridal Veil Falls, named from the mist at the falls. The 160 foot tall Falls (a tiered falls) is one of the most pristine of the Gorge and is the only one below the old highway.
The short hike (two thirds mile round trip) is definitely well worth it.
When you get there, take the footbridge across the stream to get to the observation area for a view of the Falls, plunging twice in a wide steep slide. At the falls you will see remnants of an old mill flume of the Palmer Logging Camp and Bridal Veil Lumber Company which stood there from 1886-1960 when Kraft made the iconic wooden cheese boxes (1937-1960). During WW2, ammunition boxes were made here and in 1942 the town was intentionally burned down to avoid sabotage by the Japanese.
Hike #2 is Bridal Veil Overlook - A personal favorite; take the Overlook Trail. There are many vistas along the half mile loop path for photos of the Gorge.
See such features as Cape Horn across the river; a massive CRBG (Short for Columbia River Basalt Group) rocky Basalt outcrop. An outcrop is visible exposure of bedrock or an ancient deposit.
The majority of the CRBG flows are Early Miocene between 17 and 5.5 million years old. They erupted from north-south fissures near the present-day Washington-Idaho border, presumably originating from the Yellowstone Super Volcano Hot spot, which was located along southern Oregon at that time. The CRBG consists of approximately 300 thick sequences of flood basalt flows, each flow from 10 to over 100 feet in thickness, with an estimated eruptive volume of at least 50,000 sq miles up to 4000 ft thick creating the Columbia Basin Plateau, making them the largest documented individual lava flows on Earth.
Cape Horn and Phoca Rock (seal rock), are both named by Lewis & Clark,
Native Americans gathered here to fish, trade and socialize for thousands of years. Historic markers explain the Indian history, geology and plant life of the area (Native wild flowers such as Camas root was used by the local Indians and given to the Lewis &Clark party for sustenance, lupine, bead lilly, trillium and bleeding heart line both sides of the pathway along the cliff. The Camas plant, a member of the lily family, was unknown to science before the Lewis and Clark journey.
Other sights are Cape Horn Landing, Crown Point, Phoca Rock, the remnants of the Pillars of Hercules, and Sand Island.
Good lunch stop for small groups--1 picnic table on the loop trail.
(Bridal Veil & Post Office) Bridal Veil, A ghost town--
We’ll visit the nation’s 2nd Smallest Post Office, and the remnants of the old Lumber Mills.
Bridal Veil was established in the 1880s. The only non-abandoned structure (besides the B&B), is the post office, from the year eighteen eighty seven. It is all that remains of a once thriving town with the most extensive logging operation in the region. The post office is not only active, but is popular. This tiny outpost mails out more mail a year (per sq foot), more than any other in the nation, most of which are wedding invitations (now the sole reason for its existence).
Soon to be newlyweds can choose between 2 different post marks, interlocking hearts or doves. It puts a personal touch on their wedding invitations.
The town was created when the Bridal Veil Lumber Company built a paper mill on the lower section of property. The property included residences for the mill workers. What are left are simply foundations, remnants of a logging boom long gone! The Bridal Veil Lumber Company which stood here from 1886-1960 when Kraft made the iconic wooden cheese boxes (1937 to 1960).
During WW2, ammunition boxes were made here and in 1942 the town was intentionally burned down to avoid sabotage by the Japanese.
Bridal Veil Cemetery: From 1888, buried here are true pioneers of the timber industry.
Quaking Aspen grove: 1/3 mile east from Angels Rest trailhead on the south side. Look for lupine and coltsfoot in the spring, and knee high Poison Oak! https://wyeastblog.org/tag/bridal-veil/
Jacobson Estate & Coopey Falls - South of the highway, Morris Whitehead, architect of the Columbia Gorge hotel, designed this Italian Villa in 1916 in the Spanish-Italianate style. It is now owned by the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist.
Stop #6 - Wahkeena Falls – type: tiered & block shaped
Stop #7 - Multnomah Falls – type: tiered & plunge
Viaduct - Approaching Multnomah Falls
Viaducts on the west & east of Multnomah Falls are where rail, road and river meet. Road builder Lancaster decided that cutting into the steep rock talus slopes would cause sliding problems This monster concrete viaduct is built upon a solid base of rock, with retaining walls constructed by those same old-world Italians.
West Viaduct
East Viaduct
The 3 principal sites to see are the Falls, the Lodge and the U.S. Forest Service Interpretative Center.
The Falls:
The Bridge:
The deck arch bridge was completed in 1914. It was one of the first continuous pour concrete bridges ever built in America.
There is an enjoyable and very easy 1/2 mile (15 minute) walk leading to Wahkeena Falls, our next stop.
MULTNOMAH FALLS - The Hike
Viaduct - Leaving Multnomah Falls
Up to the left is Beacon Rock
Viaducts on the west & east of Multnomah Falls are where rail, road and river meet. Road builder Lancaster decided that cutting into the steep rock talus slopes would cause sliding problems This monster concrete viaduct is built upon a solid base of rock, with retaining walls constructed by those same old-world Italians.
West Viaduct
East Viaduct
Stop #8 - Oneonta Gorge & Tunnel
The large holes in the walls were formed when lava flowed enclosing trees. After the lava cooled, it entombed its charred remains. The receding falls uncovered these pockets leaving prehistoric "tombs".
Bridge Details
Tunnel Details
Stop #9 - Horsetails Falls – type: horsetail
Extended Hikes: (Trailhead Release Required)
Keep hiking to Ponytail falls (3/4 hour RT) and Triple Falls (3-4 hours RT). Release Form Required.
HORSETAIL FALLS - The Hike
The Ponytail Falls Hike: Access Horsetail Falls Trail #438 to the left of Horsetail Falls. After 0.2 mi. go right on Gorge Trail #400. In 0.2 mi., you will reach Ponytail Falls. The trail actually goes into a cavern behind the Falls. You can see the basalt layer at the top, covering a softer dirt layer that has now washed out creating the cavern. This is very typical of many of the falls downstream of the lava flows.
The Falls:
Ponytail Falls is a plunge falls on Horsetail Creek and is 125’ high, and looks like, well, a ponytail.
UPPER ONEONTA FALLS
The Hike: Continue on the Gorge Trail for 0.8 mi. where we descend switchbacks to a metal footbridge above Oneonta Falls on Oneonta creek. Look to the right for a view down Oneonta Gorge.
The Falls:
Upper Oneonta Falls is a horsetail falls on Oneonta Creek and drops 75’ feet. The name is probably associated with the city in New York State. A side-wheel steamboat named the Oneonta was built at Cascade Locks in 1866. The Oregon Stream Navigation Company operated it until 1877. It’s likely that the Creek and Gorge were named after the steamboat was constructed and that the naming resulted from an incident connected with the boat.
TRIPLE FALLS
The Hike: Continue climbing on the Gorge Trail for a short distance. Turn left at the intersection with the Oneonta Trail. The trail is pretty steep so we will go a comfortable pace. At about 0.9 miles we will arrive at a high point overlooking the Falls. There is a small steep trail going off to the left. Pass this by. Bypass another trail going to the left. Go a few feet further and take the better trail to the left to look at the Falls. Please don't go too near the edge. After we have finished looking/photographing the Falls, continue on and go across the (New!) bridge beyond the top of the Falls, then turn left and descend along the stream to where we will have a snack or lunch. Backtrack about 2.2 mi. on the same trails to the base of Horsetail Falls.
The Falls:
Triple Falls is a segmented falls on Oneonta Creek. The three rivulets drop 135’ feet. The name is obvious.
Ainsworth State Park
OPTIONS ARE BELOW (MAY EXTEND TOUR TIME AND CHANGE PRICING)
Warrendale:
From the 1970s to the 1930s, the Columbia was the lifeblood of the fishing and canning industry. The big, untamed river churned as fish wheels scooped up millions of lbs of salmon. They belched steam and smoke as laborers processed the fish and packed the cans that carried the salmon throughout the world. At the industries leading edge was Frank Warren, whose Warren Packing Company cannery was located here in Warrendale. At its peak, the company operated 14 fish wheels, about 1/3 of the total on the river. He employed 150 Scandinavians and Chinese. Warren died in 1912 on the Titanic. His wife survived.
His children managed the company until it closed in the 1930s. The many buildings are long gone. All that remains are rotting timber pilings along "Blood Beach"--so named for the red sand from the rusting scraps of millions of salmon cans.
Has a great view of the elusive Beacon Rock and Beacon Rock basalts.
(541-374-8820) (Bonneville Dam)
Table Mountains sheer face (seen here North of Bonneville Dam) is the result of an earthquake 300-600 years ago (debate still ongoing) which shook the landscape so hard that the massive south face slipped off and slid down to push the Columbia River 1 mile south and block it with a 300 foot rubble dam, forming an inland sea and the Bridge of the Gods. This event is known as the Bonneville Landslide, and may have coincided with the approx year 1400 9.0 Cascadia earthquake...
Guided powerhouse walks (free; 45 minutes) on the Oregon side are scheduled hourly or bi-hourly from 10-4 daily and on the Washington side they are scheduled at 10:30, 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. every day. Call 541-374-8820 on the morning of your tour to check on tour availability or schedule a private tour for large groups. Self-guided tours of the facilities (9-5pm) are available anytime.
IF YOU ALREADY SCHEDULED A POWERHOUSE TOUR—PREPARING FOR YOUR VISIT:
What they offer on the tour:
Historic Fish Hatchery/Sturgeon Pond (Bonneville Fish Hatchery)
1909
We'll see the spectacular historic fish hatchery, sturgeon pond & sturgeon viewing center.
Cascade Locks
In the museum, learn about the real Cascade Locks. The locks were built to ease river traffic around the deadly cascade rapids. It included over 3000 ft of canal with 3 giant steel gates. The job took over 20 years to build but when it opened in 1896 it offered easy passage for steam boats delivering food, supplies and people up & down the river. Over yonder you can see a bronze of Sacagawea and Lewis & Clarks dog Seaman. Visit the museum to learn about Native Americans in the Gorge, the historic waterway and locks, the once-fierce Cascade Rapids, railroads, fish wheels, sternwheelers and steamboats on the Columbia River. (Museum hours: May - Sept 12-5pm. Closed Mondays. $3/adult, $2/senior & youth, $5/family)
Cascade Locks readers:
"Steamboats on the Columbia"
"History of the Bridge of the Gods"
Study Guides:
Starvation CreekNamed after a Union Pacific Express train carrying 148 people rolled out of The Dalles heading west on schedule to arrive in Portland later that day, December 18, 1884. Along the way a blizzard trapped the train for 2 weeks between two avalanches with 30 foot high snow drifts. A relief party finally reached them on Christmas Day by foot. For some days, the passengers were kept from starvation by Hood River men using home made skis employed to carry food to the snow bound passengers. They were paid $25.00 per trip. This was before the days of huge rotary snow plows. Among those helping the hungry passengers was "one hog who had the misfortune of being in Hood River at the time." Newspapers of the day gave columns of space to this story, telling how car seats were burned in addition to all coal in the locomotive tender, that passengers might be kept from freezing. A week later the train was able to retreat to The Dalles. It finally reached Portland three weeks late on January 7, 1885. ...
[NOTE: The bronze plaque commemorating the beginning of the Historic Columbia River Highway now sits at the rest area at Starvation Creek.]
Mitchell Point Viewpoint:One of the largest draws for travelers was Mitchell Point Tunnel...If you look at what the original Mitchell Point Tunnel was, it was one of the reasons that people did the trip. They did it to go and see this tunnel...one of the wonders of the world.
The rugged terrain of the Gorge posed a tremendous challenge in constructing the Old Highway. Here, at Mitchell Point, the engineers faced a sheer rock wall and conquered the challenge to create a work of art.
Designed after Lake Lucerne's Auxenstrasse, the Mitchell Point Tunnel, also called the "Tunnel of Many Vistas", was one of the most spectacular and celebrated features of the Historic Highway. Influenced by the great roadways of Europe, engineers designed 5 windows in the north wall of the 390-foot-long tunnel that provided light, air and a breathtaking view of the Columbia River.
"The tunnel in the face of Mitchell Point may well be considered among the most wonderful pieces of highway construction in the civilized world. It is fully equal to the Auxenstrasse of Switzerland and is one of the great features of the Highway."
SAMUEL LANCASTER
Columbia R. Highway Engineer, 1926
Sadly, the tunnel, was blasted away in 1966 to make way for I84.
Many famous people passed through this tunnel, including JFK and the Queen of England. There even was an Elvis sighting here once.
They are planning on rebuilding the tunnel with the windows to complete the long anticipated opening of the Historic Columbia R. Highway State Trail.
Throughout prohibition and the Great Depression, "Babe" Tenney's Roadhouse located here earned a reputation as a place to cast away cares and woes. Here, you could eat a hearty meal, Lindy Hop (swing dance) to a hot Portland band, and rent a room for the night. Rumor has it that, in the early years, moonshine enlivened the good times.
Tunnel & Viaduct Details
Mount Hood & Timberline Lodge (503-272-3311) *** Travel time from Multnomah Falls to Timberline Lodge via Troutdale is 1 hour 25 minutes (From Multnomah Falls; get on I-84 from either Bridal Veil or a little past Horsetail Falls; Follow I-84 to NE 238th Dr in Wood Village. Take exit 16 from I-84; Take NE 242nd Dr to US-26 E in Gresham; Follow US-26 E to Timberline Hwy; Continue on Timberline Hwy to your destination); or via Hood River is 1 hour 50 minutes (take Hwy 35 out of the town of Hood river; eventually you will see a split in the highway to Hwy 26 to Portland, take it; watch for Timberline Lodge turnoff). Travel time between Timberline Lodge and DT Portland is about 1 hour 25 minutes.***
Timberline Lodge
***Mt. Hood Info & more about Timberline Lodge***
8 MAIN ACTIVITIES AT THE LODGE
Jacobson Estate & Coopey Falls - South of the highway, Morris Whitehead, architect of the Columbia Gorge hotel, designed this Italian Villa in 1916 in the Spanish-Italianate style. It is now owned by the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist.
Stop #6 - Wahkeena Falls – type: tiered & block shaped
- A "must stop", Wahkeena Falls is without a doubt one of the most beautiful of the many falls along the Highway, and in fact, means “most beautiful” in the Yakima Indian language. It's a fine place to picnic, stretch and hike a gently graded trail to a bridge at the base of the upper falls; a 10 minute hike on a paved trail. From there is a beautiful view of the gorge below. The footbridge and falls was a gift to Portland from Simon Benson in 1915. (As all hikes on this tour, you are not accompanied and you hike at your own risk).
- This watershed is just 1 example of a unique Gorge ecosystem stretching from rain forest to desert and from sea-level to mountains, providing a wide range of habitat for plants & animals. And in fact, because the watershed is isolated, there are 2 types of insect (a Caddis Fly and the flightless Stone Fly) which exist here and nowhere else on the planet.
- Wahkeena Falls has another distinguishing feature:
- 2 waterfall types:
- Philanthropist Simon Benson donated the land here (400 acres) to the City of Portland in 1915.
Stop #7 - Multnomah Falls – type: tiered & plunge
Viaduct - Approaching Multnomah Falls
Viaducts on the west & east of Multnomah Falls are where rail, road and river meet. Road builder Lancaster decided that cutting into the steep rock talus slopes would cause sliding problems This monster concrete viaduct is built upon a solid base of rock, with retaining walls constructed by those same old-world Italians.
West Viaduct
East Viaduct
The 3 principal sites to see are the Falls, the Lodge and the U.S. Forest Service Interpretative Center.
The Falls:
- Is the state's #1 natural tourist attraction.
- Niagara Falls she is not, though she is of the same type; a plunge waterfall. And at 620 feet, is much higher than Niagara at 167 ft.
- Her bragging rights are simply that she is the tallest waterfall in Oregon and the second tallest year-round falls in America and...that her thin silvery stream has a fascination all its own.
- It is the highest and grandest of the numerous falls along the Columbia River Highway, fed by underground springs and snow melt.
- Lancaster (the highway's architect) wrote: “There are higher waterfalls and falls of greater volume, but there are none more beautiful than Multnomah”.
- With its dense growth of ferns and shrubbery, it is nature's symphony in water, rock and foliage.
- According to Native American lore, the Falls was created to win the heart of a young princess who wanted a hidden place to bathe.
- The Falls was created when floodwaters incised the main canyon. The Missoula Floods 14-15,000 years ago cut away the cliff face, eroding loose and softer materials, creating the falls. Therefore, it’s a “side effect” of the geologic origin of the Gorge.
- Watch the geology closely and see if you can tell how glaciers and floods cut through this land to make the Gorge thousands of years ago.
- The visitor can view six lava flows in the cliff face, with pillow flows (when Lava meets water) being visible in the upper sequence near the lip of the Upper Falls. The 6th (last flow) created the lower falls.
- To view the falls, walk to the viewing area located in a carved out opening in the rock face. From there you get a mind-boggling perspective on the sheer magnitude of the Falls. Then follow the trail 1/4 mile to the historic Benson Arch bridge, permitting one to observe the beautiful Falls of Multnomah plunging into "Devil's Punch Bowl". It is one of the most photographed bridges in the world. But before you turn back, cross the bridge and hike a short way further up to a viewpoint at the sharp bend in the trail, a 1 minute walk. This spot is even closer to the waterfall hitting hikers with spray when gusts come toward the trail. Watch as water is swept away from the rock at the bottom of this enormous drop. Turn around there to head back. Benson Footbridge Details
- Some of the birds & fish you will see here include:
< >Osprey
Belted Kingfisher
American Dipper
Chinook Salmon
Cuttthroat Trout
Steelhead Trout
Threespine Stickleback
Coho Salmon
Bridgelip Sucker
To make your stop complete, learn The History and go inside the Visitor's Center from 1925 to view natural, cultural & geologic historical exhibits. The historic structure (made of every type of rock found in the Gorge) also houses a restaurant with NW cuisine and great views of the Falls, a gift shop & rest rooms. In the summer, a snack & espresso bar awaits. Lodge Details - The top of the falls is just one mile further (this is steep, though! Trail Release Agreement Required)
The Bridge:
The deck arch bridge was completed in 1914. It was one of the first continuous pour concrete bridges ever built in America.
There is an enjoyable and very easy 1/2 mile (15 minute) walk leading to Wahkeena Falls, our next stop.
MULTNOMAH FALLS - The Hike
Viaduct - Leaving Multnomah Falls
Up to the left is Beacon Rock
Viaducts on the west & east of Multnomah Falls are where rail, road and river meet. Road builder Lancaster decided that cutting into the steep rock talus slopes would cause sliding problems This monster concrete viaduct is built upon a solid base of rock, with retaining walls constructed by those same old-world Italians.
West Viaduct
East Viaduct
Stop #8 - Oneonta Gorge & Tunnel
- The Oneonta Gorge (meaning 'place of peace') is a narrow steep gorge leading back into the hills for a mile; the sides imbedded with ferns and wild flowers. Along its course runs a silvery stream, fed from beautiful water-falls. It is a botanical treasure with over 50 species of plants residing in this perpetual cool & moist shelter. Mosses and lichens and ferns, OH MY!
The large holes in the walls were formed when lava flowed enclosing trees. After the lava cooled, it entombed its charred remains. The receding falls uncovered these pockets leaving prehistoric "tombs".
- The Bluff: is solid basalt rock which was tunneled to permit the roadway to parallel the railroad in continuing the Columbia River Highway without bridging the railroad or climbing the steep grades. The bluffs smooth surface gives the impression of the one-time floods that washed over the mountains in the geological period.
- The Falls: about 1000 feet in, is one of the most spectacular in the whole Columbia River Gorge, but not accessible without walking through water.
- The Tunnel: When the railroad was built in the late 1800s, the tracks were laid very close to the protruding bluff. Engineers had no choice but to bore a 125 foot tunnel. Traffic used it until 1948 when they decided to move the railroad tracks a little north and build a 2nd road around the point. The tunnel was recently rebuilt as part of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail.
- The Original Bridge: dates from 1914. I love these old Columbia Highway bridges. There are a lot of them left, and they aren't all the same -- there are many different designs. Check 'em out as we go down the route today. They are all over one hundred years old now.
Bridge Details
Tunnel Details
Stop #9 - Horsetails Falls – type: horsetail
- WOW!, that water is really shooting out there!
- Our last stop is Horsetail Falls. Coming from a great height, this Falls catapults 176 ft. down a steep front of columnar volcanic basalt & shoots downward with a great velocity as it passes over the face of the moss covered cliff.
- The name has been used since pioneer days and aptly describes its appearance.
- View the beautiful stonework and the 1914 bridge is a miniature version of the Oneonta Gorge Bridge, our next stop. Bridge Details
- It is an easy climb to the top via a gentle switchback trail.
- If Included: Hike to & behind the Ponytail falls. Once on top, A short (.8 mile RT, moderate 30-45 minute) hike leads to Ponytail Falls (1/4 mile further from the top), where a path cuts behind the water, providing a backside view of the spray and a cool spot to linger on a summer day. To the left is the trail to the top of the falls, a few switchbacks and a short hike.
Extended Hikes: (Trailhead Release Required)
Keep hiking to Ponytail falls (3/4 hour RT) and Triple Falls (3-4 hours RT). Release Form Required.
HORSETAIL FALLS - The Hike
The Ponytail Falls Hike: Access Horsetail Falls Trail #438 to the left of Horsetail Falls. After 0.2 mi. go right on Gorge Trail #400. In 0.2 mi., you will reach Ponytail Falls. The trail actually goes into a cavern behind the Falls. You can see the basalt layer at the top, covering a softer dirt layer that has now washed out creating the cavern. This is very typical of many of the falls downstream of the lava flows.
The Falls:
Ponytail Falls is a plunge falls on Horsetail Creek and is 125’ high, and looks like, well, a ponytail.
UPPER ONEONTA FALLS
The Hike: Continue on the Gorge Trail for 0.8 mi. where we descend switchbacks to a metal footbridge above Oneonta Falls on Oneonta creek. Look to the right for a view down Oneonta Gorge.
The Falls:
Upper Oneonta Falls is a horsetail falls on Oneonta Creek and drops 75’ feet. The name is probably associated with the city in New York State. A side-wheel steamboat named the Oneonta was built at Cascade Locks in 1866. The Oregon Stream Navigation Company operated it until 1877. It’s likely that the Creek and Gorge were named after the steamboat was constructed and that the naming resulted from an incident connected with the boat.
TRIPLE FALLS
The Hike: Continue climbing on the Gorge Trail for a short distance. Turn left at the intersection with the Oneonta Trail. The trail is pretty steep so we will go a comfortable pace. At about 0.9 miles we will arrive at a high point overlooking the Falls. There is a small steep trail going off to the left. Pass this by. Bypass another trail going to the left. Go a few feet further and take the better trail to the left to look at the Falls. Please don't go too near the edge. After we have finished looking/photographing the Falls, continue on and go across the (New!) bridge beyond the top of the Falls, then turn left and descend along the stream to where we will have a snack or lunch. Backtrack about 2.2 mi. on the same trails to the base of Horsetail Falls.
The Falls:
Triple Falls is a segmented falls on Oneonta Creek. The three rivulets drop 135’ feet. The name is obvious.
Ainsworth State Park
- This semi-circular masonry trough and faucet provided water for visitors and their vehicles. It was part of a rest area used by early travelers.
- The fountain was part of a construction project conducted along many Oregon state highways in the 1920s."
- The water is from live springs and is of high quality.
OPTIONS ARE BELOW (MAY EXTEND TOUR TIME AND CHANGE PRICING)
Warrendale:
From the 1970s to the 1930s, the Columbia was the lifeblood of the fishing and canning industry. The big, untamed river churned as fish wheels scooped up millions of lbs of salmon. They belched steam and smoke as laborers processed the fish and packed the cans that carried the salmon throughout the world. At the industries leading edge was Frank Warren, whose Warren Packing Company cannery was located here in Warrendale. At its peak, the company operated 14 fish wheels, about 1/3 of the total on the river. He employed 150 Scandinavians and Chinese. Warren died in 1912 on the Titanic. His wife survived.
His children managed the company until it closed in the 1930s. The many buildings are long gone. All that remains are rotting timber pilings along "Blood Beach"--so named for the red sand from the rusting scraps of millions of salmon cans.
Has a great view of the elusive Beacon Rock and Beacon Rock basalts.
(541-374-8820) (Bonneville Dam)
Table Mountains sheer face (seen here North of Bonneville Dam) is the result of an earthquake 300-600 years ago (debate still ongoing) which shook the landscape so hard that the massive south face slipped off and slid down to push the Columbia River 1 mile south and block it with a 300 foot rubble dam, forming an inland sea and the Bridge of the Gods. This event is known as the Bonneville Landslide, and may have coincided with the approx year 1400 9.0 Cascadia earthquake...
- Built in the 1930s during the Great Depression, Bonneville Dam was the 1st of about 14 dams built on the Columbia River.
- It was a New Deal project aimed at providing flood control, hydroelectric power and navigation upstream.
- Inside the visitors center you will view the fish ladder (viewing windows), where fish return from the ocean to their birthplace to spawn. Fish are most abundant April-September. Or take a guided tour through the powerhouse, and watch the turbines at work. And if you see a tugboat or barge coming, hurry to the shipping canal to see them locked through to the upper level of the river.
- Lewis and Clark Expedition camped here on April 9, 1806. During your visit to the Visitor Center you'll find displays that cover Lewis and Clark's local activity.
- The Dam spans the Columbia River and links the two states. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates and maintains Bonneville Lock and Dam for hydropower production, fish and wildlife protection, recreation and navigation. Since 1938, Bonneville Dam has supplied the region with inexpensive electrical power. With one of the largest public viewing facilities in the Corps of Engineers, visitors have lots to see and learn at Bonneville Lock and Dam.
- It was about 1935 that Alfred Joseph's grandfather of the Ktunaxa First Nation Tribe went down to the river near Invermere British Columbia and waited for weeks not understanding why the fish had not returned that Spring. He had no way of knowing that the new Grand Coulee Dam had stopped the ancient migration of Pacific Salmon to his traditional fishing site near the headwaters. As you enjoy the imagery today, keep in mind that at this very moment, negotiators from Canada, US and Native American Tribes are attempting to amend the original Columbia River Treaty to pair aboriginal knowledge with cutting edge fish-passage technology that may eventually revive the ancient Pacific Salmon runs back to Canada. It is miraculous that maybe, in our lifetimes, salmon may be able to go all the way home.
Guided powerhouse walks (free; 45 minutes) on the Oregon side are scheduled hourly or bi-hourly from 10-4 daily and on the Washington side they are scheduled at 10:30, 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. every day. Call 541-374-8820 on the morning of your tour to check on tour availability or schedule a private tour for large groups. Self-guided tours of the facilities (9-5pm) are available anytime.
IF YOU ALREADY SCHEDULED A POWERHOUSE TOUR—PREPARING FOR YOUR VISIT:
What they offer on the tour:
- Hydropower: Most of their tours focus on how they generate electricity and getting the power from their powerhouse to your house. You may tour inside the powerhouse.
- Salmon: They also offer a variety of programs about salmon (life-cycle, adaptations, bypass routes at the dam)
- Navigation: You may visit the navigation lock.
- History: Bonneville is a National Historic Landmark with a rich history starting during the Great Depression, through World War II, and it continues to provide clean renewable power and efficient river transportation.
- A roster of everyone who will enter the powerhouse on the tour. Include first and last names of adults but only first names of children. Because of security concerns, visitors may be required to show ID, and it is not possible to cross the entire dam.
- Appropriate clothing and footwear for the weather.
- "Print out the "After Your Visit" form, complete it and leave with one of the rangers at the end of your program."
- Backpacks or large purses. Backpacks with medical supplies are allowed but will need to be checked upon arrival.
Historic Fish Hatchery/Sturgeon Pond (Bonneville Fish Hatchery)
1909
We'll see the spectacular historic fish hatchery, sturgeon pond & sturgeon viewing center.
- 80,000 Salmon return to this hatchery every year (Sept, Oct & Nov) and can be viewed in the holding ponds.
- From watching workers sort incoming salmon, to harvesting eggs and caring for young frys, finglerings and smolts, each stage of the operation is on display, and explained by either videos or audio explanations that can be played.
- This is really about education here, learning about the salmon’s lifecycle and the biology of the fish in the area.
- The hatchery, built in 1909, continues to be the largest of Oregon’s 33 hatcheries.
- Tours are self-guided and mostly outside.
- The first stop should be a kiosk near the gift shop that has slick brochures that will give you a step-by-step tour of the hatchery. Also, make sure you bring quarters, because if you want to feed the fish at the hatchery – you will need change. But do not throw coins in the ponds! The pamphlet has a map with the tour route, which will take you from the egg incubation rooms to sturgeon, trout and salmon viewing ponds and spawning building and holding ponds.
- Fish raised: Chinook and coho salmon.
- One of the highlights is the Sturgeon Viewing Center. It is one of the few places on the planet where people have the opportunity to gaze directly into the eyes of a fish that predates man by 150 million years, a modern day 'dinosaur with fins', the oldest fish on the planet, about 200 million years old from the Jurassic period. The Columbia River has the largest population of white sturgeon on the planet, about 1,000,000 below Bonneville Dam.
- There you'll see “Herman” the sturgeon, a 80-year-old (as of 2018), 11-foot long, 500 pound sturgeon.
- Herman is an icon and something of a pop-culture figure. He raised eyebrows with his own Facebook page and line of Herman memorabilia, recently starred in a National Geographic documentary, made a music video with a famous rap musician Aesop Rock and for nearly 50 years was the undisputed star attraction at the Oregon State Fair.
- Herman has been kidnapped, clobbered and mangled by thieves and sadly, even the story about the man who jumped into the pond with Herman and repeatedly stabbed him with a knife … is true. Herman and his friends have been assaulted on multiple occasions. In 1969, an unidentified assailant entered the sturgeon pool at Bonneville and stabbed five fish repeatedly. In 1980, one of the sturgeon at Bonneville mysteriously disappeared and was believed stolen. After being nursed back to health each time and in light of these attacks, hatchery workers responsible for taking care of Herman are guarded about any attempts to disturb him anymore.
Cascade Locks
In the museum, learn about the real Cascade Locks. The locks were built to ease river traffic around the deadly cascade rapids. It included over 3000 ft of canal with 3 giant steel gates. The job took over 20 years to build but when it opened in 1896 it offered easy passage for steam boats delivering food, supplies and people up & down the river. Over yonder you can see a bronze of Sacagawea and Lewis & Clarks dog Seaman. Visit the museum to learn about Native Americans in the Gorge, the historic waterway and locks, the once-fierce Cascade Rapids, railroads, fish wheels, sternwheelers and steamboats on the Columbia River. (Museum hours: May - Sept 12-5pm. Closed Mondays. $3/adult, $2/senior & youth, $5/family)
Cascade Locks readers:
"Steamboats on the Columbia"
"History of the Bridge of the Gods"
Study Guides:
- Bonneville Landslide
- Bridge of the Gods - Bridge of the Gods Legend
- Cascade Rapids
- "Columbia Gorge" Sternwheeler
Starvation CreekNamed after a Union Pacific Express train carrying 148 people rolled out of The Dalles heading west on schedule to arrive in Portland later that day, December 18, 1884. Along the way a blizzard trapped the train for 2 weeks between two avalanches with 30 foot high snow drifts. A relief party finally reached them on Christmas Day by foot. For some days, the passengers were kept from starvation by Hood River men using home made skis employed to carry food to the snow bound passengers. They were paid $25.00 per trip. This was before the days of huge rotary snow plows. Among those helping the hungry passengers was "one hog who had the misfortune of being in Hood River at the time." Newspapers of the day gave columns of space to this story, telling how car seats were burned in addition to all coal in the locomotive tender, that passengers might be kept from freezing. A week later the train was able to retreat to The Dalles. It finally reached Portland three weeks late on January 7, 1885. ...
[NOTE: The bronze plaque commemorating the beginning of the Historic Columbia River Highway now sits at the rest area at Starvation Creek.]
Mitchell Point Viewpoint:One of the largest draws for travelers was Mitchell Point Tunnel...If you look at what the original Mitchell Point Tunnel was, it was one of the reasons that people did the trip. They did it to go and see this tunnel...one of the wonders of the world.
The rugged terrain of the Gorge posed a tremendous challenge in constructing the Old Highway. Here, at Mitchell Point, the engineers faced a sheer rock wall and conquered the challenge to create a work of art.
Designed after Lake Lucerne's Auxenstrasse, the Mitchell Point Tunnel, also called the "Tunnel of Many Vistas", was one of the most spectacular and celebrated features of the Historic Highway. Influenced by the great roadways of Europe, engineers designed 5 windows in the north wall of the 390-foot-long tunnel that provided light, air and a breathtaking view of the Columbia River.
"The tunnel in the face of Mitchell Point may well be considered among the most wonderful pieces of highway construction in the civilized world. It is fully equal to the Auxenstrasse of Switzerland and is one of the great features of the Highway."
SAMUEL LANCASTER
Columbia R. Highway Engineer, 1926
Sadly, the tunnel, was blasted away in 1966 to make way for I84.
Many famous people passed through this tunnel, including JFK and the Queen of England. There even was an Elvis sighting here once.
They are planning on rebuilding the tunnel with the windows to complete the long anticipated opening of the Historic Columbia R. Highway State Trail.
Throughout prohibition and the Great Depression, "Babe" Tenney's Roadhouse located here earned a reputation as a place to cast away cares and woes. Here, you could eat a hearty meal, Lindy Hop (swing dance) to a hot Portland band, and rent a room for the night. Rumor has it that, in the early years, moonshine enlivened the good times.
Tunnel & Viaduct Details
Mount Hood & Timberline Lodge (503-272-3311) *** Travel time from Multnomah Falls to Timberline Lodge via Troutdale is 1 hour 25 minutes (From Multnomah Falls; get on I-84 from either Bridal Veil or a little past Horsetail Falls; Follow I-84 to NE 238th Dr in Wood Village. Take exit 16 from I-84; Take NE 242nd Dr to US-26 E in Gresham; Follow US-26 E to Timberline Hwy; Continue on Timberline Hwy to your destination); or via Hood River is 1 hour 50 minutes (take Hwy 35 out of the town of Hood river; eventually you will see a split in the highway to Hwy 26 to Portland, take it; watch for Timberline Lodge turnoff). Travel time between Timberline Lodge and DT Portland is about 1 hour 25 minutes.***
Timberline Lodge
- NATIVE MATERIALS & OLD WORLD QUALITY create a unique and truly regional style known as Cascadian. Three themes including wildlife, Native American and pioneer appear throughout the lodge.
- Not everyone thought it could be done—Build a ski lodge near the top of Oregon’s tallest mountain at the brutal height of the Great Depression? But build it they* did—entirely by hand, inside and out—from massive timbers and rock they found in the wilderness.
- Thank the depression era WPA. A remarkable collection of craft artists--from wood carvers, iron workers, painters, weavers and stone masons were put to work in 1936 to create a strikingly beautiful haven for winter sports enthusiasts and for all.
- Few visitors venture very far into the scenic alpine landscape that lured hotel builders here in the first place. The landscape here is entirely the product of recent volcanism. The silvery snags below the chairlift and along the trail to the Silcox Hut are trees killed by the hot blast of a small eruption in the 1790s. The ground itself on this side of the mountain is a debris field from a much larger, Mt. St. Helens-style blast two thousand years ago. In that eruption, a gigantic avalanche wiped the mountain's slope clean as far as Government Camp. Afterwards, a lava dome slowly rose to plug the vent. The dome remains as Crater Rock, the monolith looming in front of the actual summit. See Below.
- Check out the Roosevelt Terrace, made famous as the place President Roosevelt dedicated the lodge on Sept 28, 1937, about 1 1/2 years after work began!
- In 1978, it was declared a National Historic Landmark.
***Mt. Hood Info & more about Timberline Lodge***
8 MAIN ACTIVITIES AT THE LODGE
- Magic Mile Sky Ride (Snow boots & heavy jacket recommended -- After arriving at Timberline Lodge, you can start by riding the Magic Mile Chairlift Ride up to Silcox Hut.
Have a picnic lunch or just enjoy the views at the top of the mountain taking the Magic Mile Ride while inhaling the cool, clear non-smells of mountain air up to 7ooo feet... Take in the scenery by looking right to the coast range, left to the Great American Desert, and straight ahead, beyond Mount Jefferson and the Cascade mountain range.
If operating - $15 per adult. Allow 30 minutes to ride up & down or 2 hours to ride up & walk down. The Magic Mile Ride operating hours vary. Check Lift Conditions & hours) Allow 30 minutes to ride up & down, or 2 hours if you choose to ride up and walk down.
Allow
Allow 30 minutes to ride up and ride down, or 2 hours if you choose to ride up and walk down. Spend as much time at the top of the lift as you like before returning to the Lodge. However, for tickets purchased within 15 minutes of closing, this option is not available. - See more at: http://www.timberlinelodge.com/ski-area/magic-mile-sky-ride/#sthash.gtDBXCxb.dpuf
Allow 30 minutes to ride up and ride down, or 2 hours if you choose to ride up and walk down. Spend as much time at the top of the lift as you like before returning to the Lodge. However, for tickets purchased within 15 minutes of closing, this option is not available. - See more at: http://www.timberlinelodge.com/ski-area/magic-mile-sky-ride/#sthash.gtDBXCxb.dpuf
Allow 30 minutes to ride up and ride down, or 2 hours if you choose to ride up and walk down. Spend as much time at the top of the lift as you like before returning to the Lodge. However, for tickets purchased within 15 minutes of closing, this option is not available. - See more at: http://www.timberlinelodge.com/ski-area/magic-mile-sky-ride/#sthash.gtDBXCxb.dpuf - Exhibition Center - Once inside the lodge, the once-damp, black hole of the Lodge’s lower level is now the airy Exhibition Center. Here a visitor can stop the clock, for the Center describes the creation of Timberline Lodge and, using modern audio and visual technology, re-creates the Great Depression and the architecture, engineering and art created in the Northwest during the 1930s. One of the Center’s highlights is the life-size replica of the popular Blue Gentian guest room. The viewer looks into this room through an outside window and sees an occupied hotel room in 1937 with period music and the voice of FDR coming from the 1930s radio on the bedside table.
- The Builders of Timberline Video – 30 Minutes
Watch the video The Builders of Timberline in the Barlow Room of Historic Timberline Lodge. This video provides a wonderful overview of the Timberline Project and Lodge Construction. Topics that will be discussed include: WPA history, Lodge History, Ski History and a general overview of the building of Timberline Lodge. - Lodge Tour - Join a U.S. Forest Service Ranger for a 25 minute tour of historic Timberline Lodge. Explore the rich history of the Lodge and all it has to offer. Tours are free and available to everyone. Ask about their smartphone audio tours.
Where: Meet at the US Forest Service desk inside Timberline Lodge
When: Thursday – Sunday at 11:00, 1:00, 2:00 (Monday – Wednesday when Forest Service Staff are Present)
Cost: Free - Enjoy Eats:
Spend the day in historic Timberline Lodge, by the fire, soaking up the scenic history and enjoying the soft, live music at the Ram's Head Bar before a hearty fireside brunch buffet or gourmet dinner in the Cascade Dining Room, where you may want to sit at a window table so you can look south across the tops of the Cascade Mountains...
< >In the Blue Ox Bar, the visitor drops back 70 years in time to check out the murals of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox; while enjoying pizza or a deli sandwich with beer, wine or coffee.
Located on the mezzanine, the Ram's Head Bar offers casual food & drink (soups, salads, sandwiches, snacks, cheeses & main courses with stunning views of the mountains. 10:30am-11pm Fri-Sun; 2-11pm Mon-Thurs)
Fireside Lunch Buffet celebrating Oregon Bounty ($19.50/adult; Limited hours-11:30-2pm M-F; 11:30-3pm Sat & Sun)
Casual by day; romantic by night; enjoy fine dining & an award winning wine list in the Cascade Dining Room (Breakfast: 7:30-10am M-F; 7:30-10:30 Sat-Sun. Dinner: 6-8pm Sunday-Friday; 5:30-8pm Saturday. Call 503-272-3104 for dinner or group reservations)
11:30am-2:00pm Monday-Friday
11:30am-3:00pm Saturday-Sunday - See more at: http://www.timberlinelodge.com/dining/cascade-dining-room/#sthash.7vu7DWDV.dpuf - The Gift Shop in the lower lobby features regional artists and fine gifts and souvenirs.
- Hike the Mountaineer Trail - Ask me for details.
- Government Camp - A slow drive through the historic village.
.png){kind=link}