Larch Mountain - Oregon

Take the Historic Columbia River Highway East from Troutdale.  After you pass the hamlet of Corbett, and the scenic viewpoint of the Women's Forum, take a right "Y" at Larch Mt. Road and keep going for about 15 miles until you reach the parking lot at the end of the road.  (Forest Service Parking Pass here)  The road is gated (locked)  through the winter for the last several miles, due to snow.  This year it wasn't opened up until after July 4.

We visited on July10 and fawn lilies were still blooming (the parking lot is above 3000 feet in elevation)

Bear Grass, another lily, is also common here

 Saskatoon, also called service berry or June berry, is common throughout the Gorge.

Looking downslope from the viewpoint on top of Larch Mountain

Several mountains are visible from the viewpoint

 Rock Penstemon, which we saw earlier on Beacon Rock, blooms here. Larch Mountain (elevation just over 4000 feet) is a shield volcano, similar in formation to the Hawaiian volcanoes, with typically smooth, flowing lava.  Our big mountains, Hood, Adams, Jefferson, Rainier, St. Helens, are all composite volcanoes, which have violent eruptions of gas, ash, and rocks.

Mr. Thornsby admires Mt. Adams

Snow on the trail.  In addition to the trail leading up to the top of the mountain, another trail goes around Larch Mt. and down to Multnomah Falls.

Table Mountain Trail to Gillette Lake in Washington

 On July 6, Janene from Kazakhstan and I went East on I-84 to Cascade Locks, paid the Gods, crossed the bridge to Washington and turned West for a couple of miles to the North Bonneville trailhead
(see map at left).  You are supposed to have a Forest Service pass to park here.  And now, in Washington State Parks, you have to pay also.
So it goes.

Remembering that "courage and strength are naught without prudence"  we did not hike all the way to Table Mountain, but had brunch at Gillette Lake, a reasonable destination for a half day hike.

The trail heads Northward, through some woods

Mr. Thornsby gets up close and personal
with a big tree. 

You go through a clear cut with a view of Bonneville Dam

Suddenly, a view of Gillette Lake, and a host of asters

The lake is natural and is supposed to be stocked with Golden Trout, who normally live at high elevations in very cold water.  We did see some fish jump, but were not able to identify them.  There are some campsites by the lake.  

Mr. Thornsby found some Ghost Pipe (Monotropa uniflora) also known as Indian Pipe.  It is a saprophytic plant that gets nutrients from myccorhyzal fungi that live with tree roots in deep shady woods through much of North America.  This species is also found in Asia, but is absent from the Rocky Mountains.  Ghost Pipe flowers throughout the summer.  Unicorns love it.

Janene from Kazakhstan and her new friend

Cape Horn - on the Washington side

 Despite the warning below, fires in the Gorge have not been frequent, but the potential is increasing.

More and more, people are using the phrase "more and more"

There is much you can do around your home for fire safety

 We went to Cape Horn on June 19.  From Portland, take I-205 North to Washington SR 14, go East on SR 14 to milepost 26.  Turn left on Salmon Falls Road turn right into the park and ride.  Part of this loop is closed for Peregrine Falcon nesting from February 1 - July 15 (they need space).

There are some big trees along the trail

 I am not sure why a metal pipe is embedded in this tree - not really a good thing for the tree.

 A view from the road - snow on the ridge tops in June!

 Beacon Rock and Bonneville Dam are visible on the left

Beacon Rock

 I-84 East to the Cascade Locks exit,
 take the Bridge of the Gods to Washington (after paying the Gods), go West on SR 14, Beacon Rock will come up on your left in a couple of miles.  At the base of the rock is this sturdy WPA bathroom, built to last.

Lewis and Clark stopped on their journey downriver near here and measured the the tidal influence on the Columbia, which informed them that they were getting closer to the Pacific Ocean. (We visited 6/4/11)

The sign tells the story, the rock is a volcanic plug of basalt.

Mr. Thornsby rests in "Club Moss"

 There is a gate on the trail near the base, locked at night to keep yahoos out.  It is also closed sometimes in the winter because of icy conditions.  Climbers as well as hikers use Beacon Rock, and one side of it is closed during Peregrine Falcon nesting season.

The trail is a series of ramps that go up for nearly one mile

High water on the Columbia floods an island below

If you have vertigo, you may not enjoy this hike

The view from on top