"The climb speaks to our character, but the view, I think, to our souls." - Lori Lansens
Oh, how I loved this part of Oregon. I'm sensing a trend for me. I love and am drawn to places with trees, mountains, and water. It's a bonus if there are waterfalls! I feel most at peace with this combination of nature.
Crescent Locks didn't disappoint! I was initially going to take a different route that put me in Portland, but my plans changed, and I found this place by accident. It wasn't on my radar, but I'm so glad it happened. I stayed several days here and will never forget the time I spent.
Cascade Locks was a short 120 miles from Cannon Beach and took Fern and me about 3 hours. It was a gorgeous drive, even in the rain.
It is located on the south side of the Columbia River and surrounded on three sides by the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. This place is a must-see with its streams, rivers, waterfalls, basalt cliffs, and stunning views—over two million people visit this special place in Oregon a year. If you're considering a trip here, the offseason might be worth looking into. I only encountered a few people and very little traffic.
This is a terrible picture through my dirty windshield, but it gives you a glimpse into the drive and the perspective of how large these trees were. My mouth was open in awe most of the time. I had no idea where I was going, but I might never leave if it was anything like this.
We stayed at the Cascade Locks/Portland East KOA. It was lovely and tranquil. There were only a handful of campers in the park. My timing was perfect because they closed for the season a couple of days after I departed.
When you come into town, you are greeted by The Bridge of the Gods. It connects Oregon to Washington. This is a bridge I can handle, unlike the Astoria Megler Bridge!
It recently gained notoriety from the movie Wild. The best-selling novel and later film was based on the Portland-based author's experience on the Pacific Coast Trail (PCT). The PCT is a 2,660-mile trail that extends from Mexico to Canada. It takes roughly five months to complete, bringing hikers through Cascade Locks on an alternative route. This bridge connects them to Washington.
It is the only incorporated city located directly on the trail. Many hikers come here every summer to collect their supply boxes, shower, camp, do laundry and enjoy a hot meal before continuing their journey.
Here are a few murals located under the bridge.
This is a view of Table Mountain on the Washington side of the river. Lewis and Clark reached this area in 1805 and camped across from Cascade Locks.
It was a beautiful, clear, sunny day, so it was a great time to visit Mount Hood. It was so nice outside that I didn't need a jacket and was wearing a sweatshirt and my tennis shoes.
My destination was The Timberline Lodge. It was built in 1927 and is the second oldest continuously operating ski area in the United States AND the oldest ski area in the Pacific Northwest.
These are a few pictures from their website to show how close the mountaintop is to the lodge. The middle picture is intense! If it looks familiar, it is because the outside was filmed in the movie The Shining.
As I mentioned, it was a beautiful day with temperatures in the upper 50s when I left Cascade Locks. It was supposed to be an hour and a half drive to the lodge. I enjoyed my drive and taking in all the mountains and everything around me. Shortly after I arrived at Mount Hood National Forest, things... took a turn!
I started seeing signs about how weather conditions can change rapidly, an area to attach chains to your tires, and more about checking weather conditions. Of course, I didn't think they pertained to me because it was a beautiful day.
I noticed the temperatures were dropping significantly as I was driving and starting to work my way up the mountain. Then, I went around a curve and saw snow on the side of the road and the trees. I was startled but kept moving because the sun was out and the roads were clear. I was nothing, if not determined to get to the top of my mountain.
Then this happened, and soon after, a full-on snowstorm. I was torn between awe of the gorgeous giant trees and terrified about what I was getting myself into. The awe-struck side took over, and I kept going. I told myself I was comfortable driving in snow, but driving in snow up a mountain in a snowstorm was a different animal!
I kept a death grip on my steering and slowly moved along, sometimes at 25-30 mph, until I finally got to the lodge. I was too nervous to look out my side windows around the curves. When I arrived, I saw people everywhere wearing snow
skiing/snowboarding attire. The ski season was apparently upon us. The storm picked up as I made my way through the snow... In my tennis shoes and sweatshirt! I looked like a crazy person without a coat. I then remembered I practically live out of my car; I must have something. I found a jacket and made my way to the lodge.
I got to the registration desk and asked where the best view of the mountain was, and the gentleman said it wasn't visible because of the storm. I wondered if he was sure, and he assured me there was no way I was seeing the top of the mountain today. Just in case this man didn't know what he was talking about, I asked where it would be if I could see it. He pointed me to the side of the room that was all windows. I casually meandered over there, hoping to prove him wrong, and... Nothing! All of this for nothing. lol
So I bought some hot chocolate, sat in front of one of their many fireplaces, and plotted my descent back down the mountain. It was easier than going up but no less stressful. So that was an afternoon I'll never get back. When I got to the bottom of the mountain, the sun came out, and the snow disappeared, wiping away all evidence of what I had just experienced. Today was not my day to see Mount Hood.
The next day I explored the gorgeous waterfalls in the area. You will find ten if you google waterfalls in and around Cascade Locks. This is my kind of place.
This one is called Horsetail Falls and is found in the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area. Just down the road from Multnomah Falls. It was a pretty and serene place to eat lunch which I did before continuing my day.
This is Multnomah Falls! I have never seen a more spectacular waterfall in my life. It completely took my breath away.
It can be found in the Columbia River Gorge, about 30 minutes from Portland and 20 minutes from Crescent Locks. It's fed by underground springs from Larch Mountain, and water is plummeting 620 feet in two sections.
My pictures don't begin to capture the magnificence of it. I had not seen images beforehand, so I had no idea what awaited me. I walked up to the bridge and enjoyed the view. It was just a moving experience. I visited twice before leaving the area. Once just wasn't enough for me.
On my way out of town, I stopped at this cute coffee shop called Kaile'a Coffee Co. It had a beautiful view of the mountain and a fantastic caramel macchiato.
Today was the day to see my mountain! I looked up the directions for my next destination and later realized it was leading me back up the mountain for a portion of my drive. I was nervous, given what I had encountered a few days before. This time I would be pulling a camper. The determined explorer in me kept moving forward, and I'm glad I did because this view awaited me. There was a little snow still on the road, but we took it slow and steady.
The longer I'm on the road, I realize that travel isn't about forward motion and getting to the next destination; it's about taking every moment in and being profoundly moved by what I experience. My stay in Cascade Locks profoundly moved me.
Next stop... Klamath Falls, OR
Stay Wild 🌿
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