Over the rivers and through the woods...Columbia River Gorge

There are some pretty awesome National Forest lands in southern Washington along the Columbia corridor. I hiked out to Falls Creek Falls in the wind river area, did a little exploring of ice caves, unsuccessfully hunted huckleberries and checked out lava beds in the Gifford Pinchot NF and had a real funny encounter while pursuing a geocache :).

The cache was hidden near a shelter and info kiosk out in the forest near a campgrounds. I had the whole place to myself (I thought), so I searched without regard to being muggled (caught in the search by a non-geocacher). As I entered the shelter, I heard the most unusual animal call ever! It took me by surprise and stopped me in my tracks. I started peering under benches and over walls for the source, while my brain slowly analyzed the sounds I had heard. Where had I heard this noise before. Ahah...Teenage girl giggles? What the hey! Just then, there it was again. Looking up, sure enough. They broke up at this point, having succeeded in scaring the dickens out of a stranger by hanging out in the rafters of the shelter and awaiting prey :). I guess you had to have been there, but it was immensely funny, and drusged up memories of some of the rotten things I had done during my teenage years. Mom showed up and was apologizing for the actions of her kids. I told her she had to be kidding, that was the funniest thing that had happened to me in days...

The absolute best part of exporing on the Washington side of the Columbia was rafting the White Salmon river. A nine mile run of perpetual 3's and 4's (rapids), culminating in a 8-10 foot plunge over Husum falls! The river is spring fed, so even a late season (late august) run is full of thrills. No pictures on the river (you gotta be kidding!), but some pics of others going over the falls. This was actually my first white water rafting, and I could not have picked a more exciting ride. The outfitters were trying to convince me I could do the run in my kayak, but I have no death wish...

I also scaled Beacon Rock, which stands 850' above the river and offers some pretty great views of the gorge. Crossing into Oregon, I decided to head up to Mt Hood first, but all I got there was two days of rain, and never even a glance of the mountain. Oh well, maybe next time around...