Rainy Morning in the Labyrinth

Spring is the time to hike the Eastern Columbia River Gorge.  The trails here are snow-free by early spring, wildflowers are blooming, and the sunny, dry skies offer a great escape from the gloomy, wet Portland area.  

Well....it usually doesn't rain out here.

Labyrinth Falls

In late March, hiking friends Debbie and Barry were able to tear me away from skiing once again with the promise of visiting one of my favorite Gorge trails - the mysterious Labyrinth.  This path winds uphill through pillars of columnar basalt, past wildflower meadows, and twisted oak groves.  It boasts sweeping views of the Columbia River and Oregon side of the Gorge.

Raindrop-spangled grass widow

Sunny, dry weather was forecast for our chosen hike day.  So imagine my friends and I's surprise when raindrops greeted our arrival at the trailhead.  What the what?

The rain made the wildflower blooms pretty!

Good thing my friends and I are prepared hikers.  Living in the PNW, we know to always bring our rain jackets and pack covers, even when precip isn't in the forecast.  So no big deal, we suited up for the wet stuff and soldiered on down the trail.

More water-kissed foliage

The trail began on an old road that used to be the main highway on the Washington side of the Gorge.  We passed a lovely waterfall, flowing mightily thanks to the current rainfall.

Looking across a foggy Columbia River

After a half mile on the old road, we left the asphalt for a dirt trail the led us uphill through rocky passages.  Purple grass widows were still blooming, and I discovered an unexpected benefit to the day's precip - the raindrops on their petals were most striking.  Made for some excellent photo ops!

Our trail wound through an oak grove

As my friends and I climbed higher, the gentle rain gave way to a light mist.  We passed through the first of many oak forests, this one below a large basalt formation popular with local rock climbers.

Climbing through the rocks

Cloudy skies and fog hugging the Columbia River didn't allow for many great views.  But I was happy for the cool temperatures that made our climb much more tolerable.  The mist eventually stopped, and although still cloudy, at least things were starting to dry up.

Gnarly oak branches

From the Labyrinth, we took a connector trail that led us across a ridge towards Catherine Creek's towering stone cliffs.  We'd have to traverse a talus slope to reach the top.  Just before beginning this climb, I spotted the first balsamroot flower of the season.  Yeah!  That meant it wouldn't be long before the Gorge meadows were filled with their cheery yellow blossoms (and more camera fodder for me!)

First balsamroot bloom of the season!

From the cliff rim, it was a mile-long uphill slog through an open, grassy meadow to our next junction with abandoned Atwood Road.  From previous trips, I remembered lots of huffing and puffing to reach the top.  But today I discovered all the skiing I've been doing this winter really strengthened my legs, and I powered up to the road no problem.

Lots of desert parsley 

Atwood Road contoured along a high ridge, providing nice views of the Gorge and Columbia River, far below.  The clouds were beginning to clear, and we could see much further distances now.  After a mile of generally easy hiking, my friends and I returned to the Upper Labyrinth Trail.  From here it was all downhill.

Huge field of grass widows

Heading downhill to dry conditions and partly cloudy skies, our return loop felt like a totally different hike from the morning's wet, foggy trip.  No more raindrops on the flowers, but with better light I had fun photographing some of the larger fields of grass widow blooms.

Heading back down to dry skies

Speaking of wildflowers, spiky, yellow desert parsley bloomed profusely at several points along the trail.  It was especially thick right before one of the tall basalt formations.

Nice river views

About a mile before our junction with the old highway, I spied a bit of blue sky starting to peek out from the clouds.  It was actually warm enough to finally remove a layer of clothing.  I took advantage of these great conditions to capture a few panoramic Gorge views from one of the lower viewpoints.

Finally some clearing skies

Despite the unexpected rain, it was still great to revisit a favorite trail and enjoy the spring wildflowers.  Remember, there's no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear!

Gnat Creek Trail Moss-O-Rama

This winter has been such a great snow year in the mountains, I've been concentrating more on skiing than hiking.  However, in early March my friends Debbie and Barry managed to lure me back into the woods to check out a favorite trail.

Interesting moss

Nestled deep in the Oregon Coast Range is a wonderful path called the Gnat Creek Trail.  Paralleling lovely Gnat Creek, it wanders through thick forests covered in moss, lichen and ferns.  I'd hiked this trail in January 2022 with another friend (see post here) and was so impressed, I knew it wouldn't be a "one and done."  However, I didn't think it would take three years to return!

The forest floor was carpeted with moss

Bright and early on March 1st, my friends and I drove winding Highway 30, following the mighty Columbia River, to reach our chosen trail for the day.  After traveling nearly to the highway's end at the town of Astoria, we reached the trailhead, merely a wide spot in a gravel road.

Admiring all the greenery

Although the day began a bit chilly, the skies were thankfully dry.  From the parking area, my friends and I climbed steeply uphill smack dab into a mossy wonderland.  We spotted fuzzy moss carpeting the forest floor, and larger specimens that looked a bit like miniature ferns.  Long strands of lichen hung from tree branches like gauzy draperies.  In an otherwise leafless winter landscape, this explosion of green was much welcome.

Big tree and stump

My friends and I wound through a thick forest, oohing and aahing over all the greenery.  We spotted Gnat Creek far below our path.  Surrounded by numerous trees, the creek only offered occasional glimpses of its rushing waters.

Small creek crossing

As we continued the trail began to gradually wind downhill, bringing my friends and I closer to Gnat Creek's banks.  Although I'd spotted lots of fisherman on my previous visit, today we didn't see any (must've been off-season.)

Fern-lined Gnat Creek

A mile of wandering through this lush, green-hued wonderland brought us to an intersection with a very busy Highway 30.  The trail continued on the road's opposite side.  After a bit of a wait for a gap in the traffic, we all three quickly scrambled across.

Hall of mosses

From the last time I'd hiked this trail, I remembered a continuation through more lush coastal forest.  However, I was disappointed to find the trail was now leading through a bleak clear cut.  What had happened here?

Rapids on Gnat Creek

The trail had been rebuilt through this clearing.  Signboards spaced along its length informed visitors of the trees and shrubs one could find in the Coast Range.  (Yeah, all the trees that used to be here!)  Then we came upon a display that explained the trees in this area had succumbed to some sort of disease, and had to be taken down.  Understandable, but still very sad to see.  (And although I took pictures of the devastation, I just couldn't bring myself to post one of them here.)

 

Smile everyone!

Past the clear cut area, my friends and I emerged onto the grounds of the Gnat Creek Fish Hatchery.  Two cozy homes sat on the outskirts, one surrounded by the neatest woodpiles I've ever seen.  We continued past large concrete holding tanks full of tiny salmon.  From my past visit, I remembered the trail split into two separate paths, looping around the hatchery grounds, before combining again at the Upper Gnat Creek Trail.

Old nature trail marker

My friends and I randomly chose the first trail we came across, and it went uphill through a boring stand of second growth before finally descending to a viewpoint of Gnat Creek.  A bit of confusion ensued, as I tried to remember the location of Upper Gnat Creek Trail.  After a short wander, we came out on a road to signs pointing the way.  Whew!

Debbie found Sasquatch!

Not far into the Upper Gnat Creek trail, we spotted something in the trees.  Someone, probably a fish hatchery employee with a sense of humor, had affixed a huge cutout of Sasquatch to a nearby tree.  It was a fun photo op, and Debbie graciously volunteered to be my Sasquatch model.  (Who says Bigfoot doesn't exist?)

Gorgeous forest

The Upper Gnat Creek trail featured more of the same luscious, green coastal forest.  We climbed uphill, and then descended to cross several tiny creeks.

 

Spooky looking trees

One section of the trail was full of trees absolutely dripping with long lichen strands.  They kind of looked spooky - reminded me of wispy ghosts with bony arms waiting to grab someone.

More moss-draped trees

Last time I'd hiked the Gnat Creek Trail, I had to turn around short of trail's terminus.  A landslide had rendered the last half mile or so impassible.  However, the trail now repaired, today I was able to follow it to the very end.

Small bench at trail turn-around point

The Gnat Creek Trail dead-ended in a lovely grove of fir and cedar trees with nice views of the creek.  Someone had thoughtfully placed a log bench at the small viewpoint.  

This old stump looks like a face!

Now it was time for us to retrace our steps back to the trailhead.  Which is what my friends and I did.  The nice thing about an out-and-back hike - you get to see the same beautiful scenery twice.

World of green

My favorite part of the entire trail was the half mile before the fish hatchery grounds.  It meandered through another mossy forest, past huge old growth trees, and Gnat Creek was visible down below the tread.  Benches and a few informational signs had been erected for visitors.

Return along Gnat Creek

Back through the fish hatchery, past the horrid clear-cut area, to a second successful dash across the highway.  The final mile my friends and I again admired the ultra-green mossy, fern-y forest as we headed to the parking area.

Another view of Gnat Creek

Dense forest path

My friends enjoyed this trail as much as I did the first time.  The large quantities of ferns, moss and lichen, as well as the huge fir and cedar trees, made this a beautiful place for a forest walk.  It appeared to have few hikers - we didn't see anyone else except at the fish hatchery.  I'm sure we'll be back again - maybe on another dry, late winter day!

Wildflower Season Has Begun

Prepare yourselves for a lot of purple!  It's wildflower season once again.

Grass widows are back

Blooming grass widow flowers herald the arrival of spring in the Eastern Columbia River Gorge.  The first wildflower to boom, these tiny, purple beauties begin to cover slopes adjacent to the river.

The riversides are covered in purple dots

In early March, reports of the wildflowers getting started began to circulate on social media.  Time to take a break from skiing and check things out!

Grass widow frenzy

I picked a sunny day for my visit, and drove nearly two hours to the Catherine Creek area on the Washington side of the Gorge.

These little flowers herald the arrival of spring

Being on the eastern side of the Cascades, this area is much warmer and drier than the Western Gorge, and has much earlier wildflower blooms.  It has the reputation of being the first place to see spring wildflowers.  In milder winters, I've seen flowers sprout as early as mid-February.  However, they usually hold off until March rolls around.

Nice cluster

The Catherine Creek area boasts many trails for hikers and wildflower lovers to explore.  Its steep, mostly treeless slopes rise steeply above the Columbia River, offering spectacular views for those hardy enough to tackle the uphill climb.

Blooming amongst the rocks

After parking, instead of heading straight uphill, I decided to first check out the 1-mile paved loop trail on the opposite side of the road that wandered through the grasslands adjacent to the river.  This turned out to be a great choice, as these slopes were colored with thousands of tiny purple dots.  I'd hit the bloom at it's peak!

A lighter shade of purple

After slowly sauntering along this path, taking in spectacular river views as well as taking copious photos, it was time to cross the road and explore one of the higher trails.

Looking back towards the river

The grass widow bloom on this side of the road didn't disappoint either!  From the very beginning I was treated to a wonderful display of tiny, purple blooms, coloring the open slopes.

Twins

I picked a familiar trail that took me towards a sturdy bridge crossing Catherine Creek.  From there, I climbed steeply up the creek's opposite canyon to a great viewpoint of the Columbia River, the Oregon side of the Gorge, and Mt. Hood's very tip.

Mt Hood anchors the horizon

Although I was enjoying the sunny skies and great light, the only downside was the wind.  The Columbia River Gorge has a breezy reputation that it lived up to today!  The wind made taking close up images of the individual blooms difficult.  However, with a bit of patience I was able to capture a few that turned out.

Growing in the shadow of a downed tree

Following a user path further uphill, I came to the top of a tall canyon.  By now it was well past noon, so I found a sunny spot to sit and enjoy my PB & J sandwich amongst the wildflowers.

So dainty and colorful!

After wandering uphill for more than a mile, it was time to return to the parking area.  I followed another path through a grove of oak trees, all the time keeping an eye out for the Lewis woodpeckers that make their home here.  (I heard one but was never able to spot it.)

Catherine Creek rock arch

Further downhill, the path led me through the heart of the canyon created by Catherine Creek.  I  passed by an old fence and corral area, part of a bygone ranch.  Looking uphill to the east, I was treated to views of a spectacular basalt cliff and a well-known arch formed by erosion.

In the spotlight

A wildflower hike in the sunny eastern Gorge was a good use of this beautiful spring day.  I came home with a memory card full of cheerful purple flower images.  

May all these grass widow photos brighten your day!

Frozen Falls

As I've posted many, many times before, Oregon's Columbia River Gorge is home to a great number of lovely waterfalls.  They are wonderful to visit any time of the year (and I do!) but when a winter cold snap hits, these frozen cascades are especially stunning.

Latourell Falls

Many times the waterfalls freeze during winter storms, which also bring terribly icy roads that make visiting difficult, if not risky.  In mid-February, a gusty east wind began to blow through the gorge.  East winds in winter are particularly brutal, as they carry frigid temperatures from the colder interior of Oregon to the temperate west side.  But one positive result - these chilly gales caused the waterfalls in the gorge to freeze but didn't affect the roads.  Taking advantage of the good driving conditions, I packed up my camera one blustery morning and headed over to check things out.

Latourell Fall's icy base area

The first cascade on my winter tour was the always scenic Latourell Falls.  Access to the base area's splash pool required a quarter mile walk down a paved path.  With the high winds blowing the waterfall's spray everywhere, the last hundred feet of this path had a thick layer of ice covering everything.  Luckily, from past experience, I'd brought traction for my feet in the form of a pair of microspikes.  These devices acted as chains on my shoes, keeping me safe from slips and falls.

Frozen creek below the falls

Most people visiting the falls wore street shoes and wisely stopped short of the icy path.  But my microspikes enabled me to walk down to Latourell Fall's base area for some great shots of the ice-covered splash pool.  I encountered one man without any type of traction who had gingerly slipped down to this same area.  (I have no idea how he managed to get there without falling and injuring himself!)  However, when the time came for the man to walk back uphill, the path was so slippery he couldn't ascend.  Lucky for him, the trail was a loop, so he was able to return to the parking lot via a longer route in the opposite direction.

Ice coats everything in the splash pool

Although the water cascading down Latourell Falls wasn't freezing, the spray blowing off it was.  It coated everything around it in a thick layer of ice.  Some of the features created by these wind-borne water droplets were quite beautiful.

But the spray caused problems for me.  It formed a fine layer of frost on my camera lens that required continuous wiping to keep clear.  Although I was wearing gloves, my hands became quite cold.  Standing in the strong wind that was blowing icy water all around, it didn't take long before my entire body was chilled.  Time to head back to the car and warm up!

Mother Nature's ice sculptures over Wahkeena Creek

After sitting in my car with heater running for a bit (and firing up my heated seats - the best!) I headed over to visit Sheppard's Dell Falls and then Bridal Veil Falls.  Although I took photos at both places, they didn't have the interesting ice features that Latourell did.  After warming up a bit after each waterfall, I then headed down the road to Wahkeena Falls.  And here I struck gold!

More fancy icicles

To reach Wahkeena Falls required a half mile uphill hike.  However, I first found icy beauty right next to the parking area.  Wahkeena Creek flowed downhill past the roadway and the bushes dangling above the water sported numerous delicate icicles.  This fun photography session delayed my trip to the waterfall by several minutes.

Large icy branch at the base of Wahkeena Falls

But the best was yet to come!  Finally reaching Wahkeena Fall's base area I was blown away by the amazing ice sculptures surrounding this cascade.

Icicles coat the waterfall's sides

Huge icicles had formed on a large branch sticking out of the splash pool.  Rounded ice features littered the walls surrounding the creek.  And many more icicles dangled from the cliffs on either side of Wahkeena Falls.  The entire area around this waterfall was coated in a thick layer of white ice.  It was a thing of beauty to behold!

The entire area is coated in white!

Although I'd planned to end my trip at Multnomah Falls, the grand dame of the gorge waterfalls, by the time I had finished photographing Wahkeena Falls, my body was chilled to the bone.  Time to head home and warm up for good.  

Another view of Wahkeena Falls

The following day the entire Portland metro area was hit with a snowstorm.  Although only receiving an inch or two of snow, it was enough to mess up the roads everywhere.  In the gorge, a large amount of accidents on the freeway near Multnomah Falls ended up stranding over 100 vehicles.  I was doubly glad I'd ventured out to see the frozen waterfalls before the storm hit.

Slippery paths, icy spray coating camera lenses, cold hands and feet, and frigid wind chilling a body to the bone.  These are things we photographers endure to capture these stunning creations of Mother Nature.  Hope you enjoyed the photos!