Don J. Scarmuzzi - Day Hikes in the Columbia River Gorge: Hiking Loops, High Points, and Waterfalls within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area

Hiking Loops, High Points, and Waterfalls within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area

Don J. Scarmuzzi

Text and photos 2015 by Don J. Scarmuzzi

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Scarmuzzi, Don.

Day hikes in the Columbia River Gorge : hiking loops, high points, and waterfalls of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area / Don J. Scarmuzzi.

pages cm

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-941821-70-1 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-941821-90-9 (hardbound)

ISBN 978-1-941821-89-3 (e-book)

1. HikingColumbia River Gorge (Or. and Wash.)Guidebooks. 2. Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area (Or. and Wash.)Guidebooks. 3. Natural historyColumbia River Gorge National Scenic Area (Or. and Wash.) I. Title.

GV199.42.C64S36 2015

796.51097954dc23

2015006590

Design by Vicki Knapton
Edited by Mindy Fitch

Cover photo by Don J. Scarmuzzi. A rare angle of the striking Elowah Falls shows one of two cascades directly above the main 213-ft drop visible to most people, to bring the total height to around 289 ft.

WestWinds Press

An imprint of

P.O. Box 56118

Portland, OR 97238-6118

(503)254-5591

www.graphicartsbooks.com

Dedicated to Miley Cyrus who said, Theres no right or wrong, success or failure.

Day Hikes in the Columbia River Gorge is the most straightforward, colorful, easy-to-follow hiking guide for the region, offering easygoing jaunts, exceptionally steep scrambling, long hikes, and everything in between. Within these pages youll find a new day hike or a new perspective on an old one. Truthfully, you dont even have to get out of your car to see many of the waterfalls and surprisesbut I really hope you will!

The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area truly unveils itself as you come at it from the west on I-84 E, within seconds of driving under the bridge at exit 22 for Corbett. And its just as dramatic when you round the turn to Cape Horn from Washougal in Washington. Traveling 50 million years back in time to the Miocene era, then the Pleistocene era, the Columbia Gorge was formed due to several volcanic eruptions and uplift that produced the Cascades. Then, at the end of the last Ice Age some 15,000 years ago, the Missoula Floods carved the deep walls of columnar basalt, exposing layers of lava.

Anyone who lives in or regularly visits Oregon and Washington should make a pilgrimage to this National Scenic Area several times a year. True, the Gorge can be rather ominous at times during the cold season. But hiking during the best days of fall, winter, and spring can help you stay in shape for the more demanding treks of summer, when the snows melt higher up in the Cascade Mountains and volcanoes of the Pacific Northwest. And no matter the season, the Gorge is boundless with beauty and wildlife. For more about the history of the area, and contemporary conservation efforts, visit:

www.fs.fed.us/rtr/forests/crg.shtml

www.summitpost.org/columbia-river-gorge/153977

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_River_Gorge

This guide begins with a counterclockwise tour of the awe-inspiring 85-mi corridor from Troutdale in Oregon all the way to the Deschutes River State Recreation Area past The Dalles. Then we cross the river into Washington, working west through a kaleidoscope of options, climates, and high points by several charming towns over a smaller, picturesque highway to Washougal and Vancouver.

Each hike begins with essential information about elevation, distance, duration, and difficulty level, and trip reports point out any noteworthy and important tidbits. Elevation information includes the highest point (or points) and destination of a hike as well as the maximum vertical gains you will experience along the trail. Difficulty level is broken up into five categories: easiest (short hike, little to no elevation change, sometimes paved, ideal for families and novices), moderate (more elevation change but easier than most), strenuous (longer hike, some steeps, some trail-locating, use of hands for balance), very challenging (fairly long hike, sustained steeps for thousands of feet, bushwhacking, GPS helpful, use of hands necessary), and expert-only (very long hike, extreme steeps, overgrown paths, exposed cliffs, climbing-type moves possible though no climbing gear necessary, traction devices at times). While the Overview Map on pages 6 and 7 covers the entire region, each hike is covered by maps that detail smaller subsections of the Gorge.

For the sake of brevity, I use the abbreviations TH (Trailhead) and FR (Forest Road). Likewise I refer to the Pacific Crest Trail (also known as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail or Crest Trail) as the PCT and the Historic Columbia River Highway as the HCRH. A switchback is a spot in a trail that zigzags sharply, whether once or fifty times. A shoulder is a rise or small ridge. Exposure refers to an individuals level of risk of falling where a tumble would be fatal. A trail section described as airy is exposed to some degree, with drop-offs. Exercise extreme caution in such areas.