A Few Pictures from the Columbia River Gorge

I traveled from Spokane to Portland recently and spent a few hours one evening in the Columbia River Gorge along Old Highway 30, which parallels Interstate 84 through the some of the more scenic areas of gorge, but which is much slower but also much more beautiful than the Interstate.  I stopped first at Horsetail Falls and took some, pictures and then went on to Multnomah Falls.  By the time I took some pictures there, the sun was setting and I hurried on to Vista House on the cliffs above the gorge only to discover that the road was closed.  I ended up taking a few pictures of the sunset from a viewpoint along the Interstate instead, not nearly as beautiful a vantage point as Vista House.

Horsetail Falls

Multnomah Falls

Sunset Along Interstate 84

Columbia River Gorge

We spent Monday evening and Tuesday morning exploring old Highway 30 on the Oregon side of the Columbia River gorge, starting out at sunrise and arriving at our hiking destination around noon.  What a beautiful area that is with all its waterfalls and with the awesome scenery of the gorge visible all along the route.

Horsetail FAlls and Multnomah Falls

The Bridge at Multnomah Falls

Vista House

The Columbia Gorge Looking East from Vista House

The Gorge Looking West from Vista House

Sunset through the Windows of Vista House

We started taking pictures of the falls already Monday evening, but photography was a bit difficult since the sun was already going down and the contrast between sun and shadow did not allow for really good photos.  We drove from the Bridge of the Gods to Vista House before looking for a place to spend the night.

The next morning we started early and drove from Pendleton back to Horsetail Falls along old Highway 30.  We stopped at most of the falls for pictures, even though we had seen them the evening before.  We also stopped for pictures of some of the wildflowers that were growing along the road.

The Gorge Looking East from Angel's Landing

Looking East with Vista House Visible on the Cliffs at the Right

Through the Parapet at Vista House

Latourell Falls

The Falls at Sheppherd's Dell

Sheppherd's Dell

Blue-eyed Mary

Unnamed Rivulet

Common Camas

The Cams had a few White-flowered Forms

Poison Delphinium

Horsetail Falls

Piggy-back Plant

Multnomah Falls

We spent Tuesday afternoon hiking before heading to Portland but that's another post.  All in all it was an incredible two days.  We had seen so much that we were a bit overwhelmed by it all and it was a relief to land in Portland at a friend's home in preparation for the meeting of the Oregon Orchid Society Tuesday evening at which I spoke on the "Native Orchids of the Pacific Northwest."