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!

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!

Peak Bloom at Tom McCall Point

Who doesn't love fields of colorful wildflowers?  I'm definitely a fan - and if you've followed my blog for any length of time you know that come April I spend a lot of my time in the eastern Columbia River Gorge, chasing the annual wildflower bloom.

Wildflower bonanza!

In early April, the eastern reaches of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area begin erupting into acres of brilliant blooms.  The predominate wildflower is the Arrowleaf balsamroot, whose cheery blossoms look like small sunflowers.  These prolific flowers seem to be everywhere, carpeting slopes and meadows yellow.  Thanks to social media, throngs of people now flock to the Gorge to experience this yearly event. 

Lovely flower field

By late April I'd already visited many of the well-known spring Gorge wildflower spots - Memaloose Hills, Rowena Plateau, the Dalles Mountain Ranch, and even hiked the Lyle Cherry Orchard Trail.  But last year I'd missed my annual trek up Tom McCall Point.  Rising 1,722 feet over the Oregon side of the Columbia River, it's slopes come alive with colorful blooms in the spring.  Sweeping views of the river and adjacent foothills can be seen from the summit.  One of the best places (in my opinion) for scenery and wildflowers, I wasn't going to let another year creep by.  

This colorful meadow made me whoop with joy

Now that I'm retired, I try to avoid hiking popular trails on the weekends.  However, the weather and my schedule dictated that if I was going to get up Tom McCall Point in time to experience this year's peak bloom I had to go the last Saturday of April.  It was now or never!

From on top I could see the rain clouds approaching

So in an effort to avoid some of the Saturday crowd, I rose early and hit the trail by 7 am.  From the parking area, I first meandered through a flower-filled meadow, bright with technicolor blooms.  It wasn't long before I was stopped in my tracks with camera out.  A young man, the only other hiker here at this hour, passed me by and agreed it was hard to make much forward progress with so many lovely wildflowers in bloom (we'd end up leapfrogging each other the entire way).

Sensational Gorge views

I did finally tear myself away from the meadow and begin to climb.  Balsamroot blooms lined the trail practically every step of the way.  I loved how the Columbia River slowly revealed itself the higher I ascended.  There was no shortage of spectacular scenery here!

Lupine blooms

Despite the many, many photo stops I did manage to make forward progress.  About 2/3 of the way to the summit, I passed by a sharp bend in the trail.  Off to the side was a huge mass of color.  I recognized three types of wildflowers here - yellow balsamroot, purple lupine, and orange Indian paintbrush.  This meadow was so stunning, I couldn't help but whoop for joy.  And I'd hit peak bloom!

Lots of orange Indian Paintbrush joined the flower show

Another reason for my early start - rain was forecast to begin by afternoon.  The wind was already blowing quite strongly, making close-up flower photography nearly impossible.  The sky, partly cloudy when I had first arrived this morning, quickly became overcast.  Trudging uphill, nearly to the top, I noticed dark, threatening clouds to the west, hanging over the Columbia River.  The predicted rain was on its way! 

Gnarled oak trees brightened by wildflowers

I was greeted at the summit by cold gusts.  After donning jacket and knit hat, I snapped a few wide-angle scenery images and then decided to head back down out of the wind.  Besides, the rain clouds looked like they were coming fast.

Flower-lined trail

The return trip didn't take quite as long, but I still stopped at all the extra lovely spots again and snapped more images.  Things always look different from the opposite direction, and sometimes the shots I like best are from a different perspective.  (And yes, I often get duplicate photos from both directions of travel!)

A big happy bunch of wildflowers

The overcast skies gave even light and I thought it really made the colors pop.  I got so many images I really liked (it was hard to chose a few for this blog post!)

Yellow everywhere!

The abundance of so many yellow flowers was astounding.  I think it was one of the largest blooms I'd seen here recently.  Certainly won the prize for best Gorge wildflower display this year!  It made my heart sing to be walking amongst so much beauty.

Some purple larkspur blooms in the mix

My downhill trip was much different from the ascent.  I'd been passed by a handful of other people on the way up but coming down, I was constantly stepping aside for uphill hikers.  At one point I could see quite a ways down the trail and the switchbacks were lined with people, all heading to the summit.  It was practically a conga-line of hikers!  Now I was doubly happy for the early morning start.

Columbia River, looking east towards Washington

When I finally reached my car, the parking area was overflowing with vehicles lining both the entrance road and intersecting highway.  Time to get outta dodge!  I stopped at the nearby town of Mosier for a latte and bagel, and by the time I'd finished this second breakfast, raindrops were beginning to dot the windshield.  Good timing on my part.

The happy photographer

Another wonderful spring morning spent amongst the wildflowers of the Columbia River Gorge.  I hope you've enjoyed reading this recap as much as I did capturing it in photographs.

The Labyrinth

I can't get enough of the eastern Columbia River Gorge in springtime.  The first place where wildflowers bloom in spring, it's a welcome relief from the winter gray.  After hiking the Catherine Creek area two weeks prior, I was ready for a return trip.

Bright green new leaves at the trailhead

So on April 1st (April Fools day!) I hatched a plan with friends Debbie and Barry to hike the nearby Labyrinth Trail.  Hands down my favorite trail in the area, it's beautiful any time of year.  But in spring, with plentiful wildflowers and bright green new foliage, the scenery is stunning.

Beautiful waterfall

The weather looked great for our chosen day - sunny and dry.  But what I hadn't paid attention to was the wind forecast.  Stepping out from my friend's car, it blasted my face, threatening to blow the ball cap from my head.  Ok, I wasn't expecting that!  But the Gorge had a reputation for strong winds, and although annoying, it wasn't a deal breaker.  My friends and I simply tightened down our hats and carried on.

Larkspur in bloom

Our hike today started out following an abandoned road for a half mile.  Along with sweeping views of the Columbia River, the old road also passed by a beautiful waterfall.  Surrounded by green moss and yellow desert parsley, the cascade made worthy camera fodder.  The morning light even hit the water at the right angle to produce a rainbow.

Prairie stars in bloom

Leaving the abandoned road, my friends and I began winding uphill through an area of rocky promontories.  Wildflowers lined our trail from the very beginning, a mixture of desert parsley, purple larkspur, and frilly white prairie stars.

Interesting cloud

Scruffy oak trees were the predominant vegetation here.  While I admired the wildflowers, Debbie and Barry scoured the tree branches for birds.  Although we'd seen several Lewis woodpeckers in the vicinity a couple of years ago, today the rascals were nowhere to be found.

Debbie and Barry are all smiles!

Our trail led us past a small creek, complete with a gurgling waterfall.  Then we climbed higher, past a tall monolithic rock of columnar basalt, surrounded by a dense patch of desert parsley.

More lovely larkspur

The wildflowers continued to impress, with more larkspur lining the trail - and even a few patches of bright yellow balsamroot - the first blooms of this flower I'd seen for the season.

I've always liked this oak tree perched in a scenic spot

We came to a trail junction and opted to head away from the Labyrinth Trail, eastward towards the Catherine Creek area.  A path I've traveled many times before, I was looking forward to seeing more stunning scenery along this leg.

Mt. Hood sighting

We contoured across a hill, our views of the Columbia River continuing to impress.  Climbing above the trees, this area was one large open grassland with views for miles.  The Columbia River flowed below in a shining blue ribbon.  At one point, I glimpsed Mt. Hood's white pinnacle rising over the opposite shore.  Now totally exposed, we felt the entire brunt of the wind's wrath.  I pulled my neck gaiter over my hat to keep it from blowing away.  

Pacific hound's tongue

This open ridge was occasionally interrupted by small copses of oak trees.  Passing through one wooded area, I spotted some tiny bright-blue flowers.  Thanks to Barry and his iNaturalist app, they were identified as Pacific hound's tongue.

Lots of yellow desert parsley blooming

My friends and I passed through an area thick with blooming desert parsley.  The flowers, coupled with views of the Columbia River made for some nice lens candy.

Debbie stops to take in the scenery

Mt. Hood also made another appearance!  Looking towards its snow-capped peak made me wonder what the skiing conditions were that day.  Judging from all the clouds swirling around its summit, I guessed it might be windy there too.

Interesting clouds on Mt. Hood

After a quick lunch break where my friends and I opted to sit on the trail instead of the grass (this area has a reputation for plentiful ticks!) we were off again, heading towards some tall, rocky cliffs.

First balsamroot of the season!

Weaving our way through a narrow opening in the rock walls, we navigated a talus slope that led my friends and I to the cliff's rim.

Cliffs near Catherine Creek

If we kept heading eastward, we'd end up at the Catherine Creek trailhead.  But today our goal was to hike along the clifftop uphill to a junction with Atwood Road.

Oodles of shooting star flowers!

I was delighted to see a bumper crop of purple shooting star blooms brightening the nearby grasslands.

Shooting star close-up

My friends and I began our climb along the exposed cliff rim.  The winds gusted mightily, and we all had to secure our hats and anything else that happened to be loose.  The day was warming up and I was actually glad for the wind during this uphill trek, as it kept me from overheating.

Our route took us along the cliff's rim

One of the good things about this otherwise grueling climb, the views were mighty fine.  More vistas of the mighty Columbia and nice panoramas of the river's opposite shore.

Nice views of the blue Columbia River

Finally we all reached the Atwood Road junction.  A relatively level mile along the top of the bluffs took us back to the Labyrinth Trail, the final leg of today's trek.

Downhill through the desert parsley 

Back down through the huge desert parsley patch, with the lone pillar of columnar basalt in the background.

The desert parsley was thick!

When I'd hiked here a couple years ago, my friends and I had spotted two climbers attempting to ascend this large basalt block.  But not today.

Columnar basalt rock

The late afternoon light was illuminating the trail quite nicely.  Although tiring from the hike, I still couldn't resist snapping just a few more images.

Amazing springtime views!

The wildflowers were definitely the star of today's show.  I'm not sure how many varieties I photographed that day (and if I included photos of them all, this post would be twice as long!)  But that's why I hike here in the spring.

Another great day in the Gorge!

A great day to be out in the Columbia River Gorge!