Multnomah Falls & Wahkeena Falls

This would be the last post about the beautiful Columbia gorge. Certainly saved the best for the last. I splitted a days visit into 5 posts, since the place is so beautiful and posting just a couple of pictures would have been rude on my part.

Other posts from Oregon

• Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Oregon (Part I)
• Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Oregon (Part II)
• Oregon Coast Drive
• Shepperd's Dell & Bridal Veil Falls (Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area - Part 3)

The second last in the waterfall was Wahkeena falls. This humble waterfall gets shadowed by the mightier Multnomah falls, but in itself its a beautiful cascade of water with very easy walk from the parking area.

Multnomah falls is indeed the most photographed waterfall in Oregon. The fall drops in two steps for a total height of 620 feet. The bridge in the middle gives an enchanting look to the waterfall.

It was foggy day and hard to capture, and the below picture is no where near to explain how beautiful this fall is.

September 1995, a 400-ton boulder, loosened by erosion, fell 225 feet. If you see that large boulder in the below pic, its almost the size of a school bus. There is a 2.6 miles round trip trail with an elevation gain of 700 feet. Its a moderate and beautiful hike, I liked the way they have put milestones on the hike, giving you a sense of how much is still left.

The below pictures have been taken from the top of Multnomah falls. In my words its a three step fall if you consider 4 feet fall too, you know what I mean.

The trip to Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area is still incomplete, as we left a lot of other waterfalls unexplored and hikes untouched. We are going back for sure.

Adieu
Divya

Oregon Coast Drive

We just had a day for the coast drive, which is not sufficient enough. At Least 4-5 days are required to travel through the Oregon coast and enjoy it fully. But we decided to do the Scenic Highway 30 and Reach Astoria and then drive back to Portland.

Portland to Astoria on highway 30 is a beautiful drive by the side of river columbia. You can't see the river from the road but its there at a nearby distance. The highway is beautiful during fall and has some amazing fall colors.



When about to reach Astoria, you get a beautiful glimpse of this bridge joining Oregon and Washington, the north end of the bridge takes you to a new state. The bridge is beautiful and fascinating.

The Megler Bridge outside of Astoria

We got on the bridge and drove to Ocean Park, and back from Long beach to Astoria via the same bridge.


Long beach was very quiet, just few fishermen looking out for crabs. You could just sit here whole day and look at waves.

Started back from astoria to Portland through  Seaside.

Spent couple of hours at Seaside with coffee and an excellent view of the sunset.

Drive from highway 16 back to portland was very beautiful in full moon light. For us it was more like a casual drive. But we plan to go back the same route with 4-5 days in hand, stay near side side inns and enjoy the beaches.

Adieu

Divya

Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Oregon (Part II)

Latourell Falls

As you enter the Columbia river gorge, Latourell falls is the first waterfall on the way. Barely visible from the parking area but a very short distance walk to the base of the waterfall.

Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Oregon (Part I) HERE

Latourell Falls view from the trail head

There is something different about these waterfalls, check the lower picture. Can you figure out anything unusual ?

See those rocks behind the water drop, those are columnar basalt formations. One can easily walk on the side and reach the rock cavity just behind the falls. 

These formations looked very similar to Devils Postpile National Monument near Mammoth Mountain, which I visited sometime back.

Latourell Falls, notice the background

More about other falls in later posts.

Adieu
Divya