Rain Escape on the Deschutes

After an extremely rainy mid-November week I was seeking sunshine and dry trails for the weekend.  As many Portlanders know, if you want to escape the rain -  head east! 

 

Waterfowl

 

If one travels a mere 90 miles due east of the Willamette River Valley, you enter a totally different world.  In the rainshadow of the Cascade Mountains, when Portland is soggy, the area east of The Dalles is reliably dry and sunny.

 

Churning waters

 

The Deschutes River, traveling from Central Oregon meets the Columbia River in a barren, but scenic desert canyon.  A state park located at the mouth of the mighty Deschutes offers a campground and many hiking trails following the river.

 

Red leaves add a pop of color

 

 

It was a leap of faith for me to travel through an early morning rainstorm, hydroplaning on Interstate 84 through the Columbia River Gorge, to reach this reputably dry area.  Many times I thought to myself "What am I doing?  What if it's just as rainy in the Deschutes Canyon?"  But, just past Hood River, the rain began to let up, and by the time I'd passed The Dalles, a tiny bit of blue sky was poking through the clouds.  Pulling into the Deschutes River State Park, chilly but dry weather greeted me.  Hooray!

 

Interesting black branches

 

It had been many, many years since I'd hiked here and I'd totally forgotten where to find the trailhead.  But even more pressing - finding an open restroom!  Thanks to COVID, most of the "facilities" in the park were closed.  I was almost ready to hide behind some bushes when I discovered the bathrooms closest to the trailhead were still open.  Whew!

 

Seed pods

Three separate trails began at the campground.  One, an old gravel road high above the river catered more to mountain bikers.  Two other hiker trails followed the river, one at bank level, while the other meandered through terrain between river and road.  And a bonus fourth path, known as the Ferry Springs Trail, climbed high bluffs above the gravel road for spectacular views of the surrounding area.

Looking down the canyon

 

 

 

The trailhead itself wasn't easy to find.  After wandering aimlessly for several minutes I discovered it by following another party through a large field.  Here a state parks sign (looking very much out of place next to a field) pointed to the beginning of both lower trails.  Which to chose?  Hoping for more views, I opted to try the riverbank trail first.

 

Bright orange bushes

 

I chose well.  The riverside trail didn't disappoint, meandering along at water level.  Right off the bat I spotted a huge flock of Canadian geese and some Bufflehead ducks floating in the river.  Although the main fall colors had faded, a few straggler bushes provided a bit of contrast to the otherwise brown canyon walls.

 

River rafter

 

I spotted two men in pontoon-like rafts floating downriver.  From the amount of gear strapped to their rafts it appeared they had been on a camping trip.  What a fun adventure!  I would've loved to chat with the guys about their experiences, but since they were in the middle of the river and I was on shore, all I could do was give a friendly wave before they were quickly swept away.

 

 

Rafting pair

 

 

Despite it's lack of color, I thought the Deschutes River canyon was mighty scenic, in a sweeping, wide-open kind of way.  Gentle hills, creased from years of erosion, rose from both river banks.  Looking downriver, the canyon walls steepened dramatically, framing the water.

 

Rocky stretch of the trail

 

In July 2018 a huge wildfire here charred both sides of the Deschutes, burning grassland and trees for 25 miles of the lower river.  All 8500 acres of the state-managed recreation were affected.  Only the state park campground at the confluence of the Deschutes and Columbia Rivers was miraculously spared.

More fab views

 

Although only two years had passed since the terrible blaze, I saw very few signs of the devastation along the river.  Nature is good at rebounding from natural disasters.

 

Fluffy seed pods

 

 

I did see many different type of seed pods in the grasses and vegetation lining the river banks.  Always good photo subjects!

 

The trail cut through tall grasses

 

 

Despite the long drive and relative isolation of the area I was surprised to see many groups hiking the trail.  Due to the drier climate, this area is a popular place to backpack in the winter and spring seasons. I ran into a large group of backpackers who had started at Macks Canyon, 23 miles upriver.  One of the ladies, who looked extremely weary asked hopefully "are we close to the state park?"

 

Puddle on the road

 

After 3.5 scenic river miles I came upon a wide path leading hikers uphill to the gravel road.  My crude map, a page from Sullivan's hiking book, seemed to indicate the river trail ended at nearby Gordon Canyon so I had no choice but to climb this trail to it's junction with the road.

Deschutes River below

 

Although I debated following the road further south, in the end I decided I'd traveled far enough for the day.  Instead of retracing my steps along the river trail, I opted to explore the gravel road for my return trip.

 

Road walk views

 

Oh what fabulous views awaited!  The road, perched high above the canyon, offered birds-eye panoramas of the river and canyon.  Following a long-abandoned railroad grade, it was delightfully flat and I was able to walk easily while taking in the surrounding scenery.

 

 

River rapids

 

Sometime in the 90's my family had camped at the Deschutes State park and my son and I had hiked a portion of this road.  Although I didn't remember much from that hike, I did recall that we'd spotted two rattlesnakes that day, the only ones I've ever seen in Oregon.

 

Sweeping views to the south

 

 

 

However, on this chilly fall day there were thankfully no snakes to be found, only wonderful river views and blue skies.

 

Looking down from the Ferry Springs trail

 

I came upon a side trail leading to a rocky outcrop overlooking the river.  A couple ahead of me had climbed up there, and so when they left, I scrambled up to check things out.  As I was admiring the views,  I noticed a faint track winding uphill on the bluff across the road.  The only sign was a tiny "no bikes" placard.  Was this the Ferry Springs Trail?

 

Descent back to the road

 

My original plan was to intercept the Ferry Springs Trail - I incorrectly through it crossed paths with the riverside trail.  But having hiked a good portion of the riverside and not finding it I'd resigned myself to saving this trail for another trip.  But now......was this the trail I sought?  My crude map seemed to indicate it was.  Deciding I couldn't really get lost in this wide-open canyon country, I crossed the road and headed uphill to check things out.

 

Train heading into the sun

 

As I climbed the grassy bluff the surrounding canyon opened up to tremendous views.  I watched a freight train rumble through the canyon's opposite side.  Stretched along the canyon wall, sunlight glinted off the rail cars and I couldn't resist capturing the scene.  It turned out to be one of my favorite images of the day.

 

Lunch spot

 

The Ferry Springs trail (which I now assumed I was following) climbed to the top of the bluffs, then contoured around a tiny creek (the origin of Ferry Springs?) before diving back downhill to meet the gravel road.  Up here on the wind-swept prairie I noticed the only signs of the 2018 wildfire I'd seen thus far - charred fence posts and melted interpretive signs.

Upper trail

 

Intersecting once again with the gravel road I noticed another trail heading downhill towards the river.  Was this the middle trail?  Again, no signage existed so I had to guess.  It looked more interesting than the road, so I opted to follow it instead.  Not far down this path I came across a bench situated atop a flat area with commanding river views.  Having yet to take a lunch break, this enticing perch provided the perfect excuse to pause and refuel.

 

Colorful bushes line the river

 

 

Then, refreshed, I followed this middle trail as it wound downhill towards the river, back to the trailhead in a grassy field.

 

More great views as the river gets closer

 

Along the way I was treated to some lovely displays of fall color in the surviving trees and bushes lining the river's bank.

 

Back at the state park campground

 

Upon completion of my hike I lingered in the state park's campground and picnic area.  The weather had been so nice, I was reluctant to return to the wetter side of the mountains.

 

Picnic area

 

 

On the drive back home I took a detour up Rowena Crest to capture a few images of the Columbia River.  Although fall colors had now faded, the views were fantastic as always.

 

View from Rowena Crest

Although I'd escaped the rain all day, I paid dearly with another white-knuckle drive through a torrential downpour in the Gorge.  It got so bad I tucked behind another vehicle and slowed down considerably, while cranking my windshield wipers to their highest possible level.  I started thinking "Was this all really worth it?"

 

 

Iconic highway loop with fall colors

Of course the answer is yes.  Despite any difficulties, making the effort to escape outdoors and hike is always worth it!

 

To all my readers and followers - Merry Christmas!