Columbia River Gorge

[Mike Jordan]

Along the Columbia River is the Columbia River Gorge Senic area that runs just east of Portland to Hood River. Along this stretch is an area that the volcanic rock has been worn down by the Columbia River over the eons, causing a large drop in elevation from the Cascades to the river floor... in some areas 4000 or more feet. This has resulted in a large number of waterfalls from the snow melt and rain of higher elevations. Many of these waterfalls are right on the highway and can be seen as you drive up I84 on the Oregon side of the river or Hwy 14 on the Washington side of the river. Some you have to hike back into to see... usually starting off climbing 400 to 700 feet in a very short distance, leveling off and then going higher from there. I've made it to a few of the closer waterfalls but haven't made it back to the ones further back yet. Although well worth the hike for the photography, it's not something I could do easily carring my 35 pound camera back pack.

Here are a few pictures from the area.

This is Punch Bowl Falls, up the Eagle Creek State Park trail. The log across the falls is a trade mark of the falls in the area and a result of some heavy rains and flooding this part Oregon saw a few years ago. Many of us have talked about hiring a bunch of trained Beavers to go clean some of them out or haul chain saws in ourselves.

This is Metlako Falls, just down stream from Punch Bowl Falls. This is a hard falls to shoot very well because you only have a very small overlook that you can see it clearly from along the trail.

This is Wahkeena Falls, not far from Oregon's tallest waterfall, Multnomah Falls (542').

And this is Multnomah Falls. It's actually a had falls to shoot because of lighting conditions, how tall it is and the crowds of people that are always there. I'm still trying to get a good picture of it. This is a 3 image shot stitched together.

That's a few of the many falls along this stretch of the Columbia River.

Mike

 

[Ghoste]

Haha, I have the same pictures! Well the last 2, but I was on that bridge also, just not a wide enough lense =(. Great slow shutter shots!

 

[Ghoste]

Did you go to this fall, that you had to hike to? Me and my sister at the bottom.

 

[Chiller]

Cool shots..I like the first one.

 

[Mike Jordan]

Thanks for looking. Which falls is that Ghoste? I recognize the water but not the falls themselves.

I've only been to about half (if that many) of the falls that are along the Old Historical Highway along the Columbia River. Some of the ones I've been to that I've had to hike back to I didn't get all that great of shots. I always seem to have to go twice to some of these places... the first time I take some shots and then I come back after seeing what the good angles and lighting are for them. Some of the hikes I'm lucky to make it once though.

Mike