All photos are of the Columbia River Gorge area, which stretches 80 miles as the
Columbia River winds westward through the Cascade range, forming the boundary
between the state of Washington to the north and Oregon to the south.
Day twenty seven. All is well. Southwest Oregon.
I have begun my return home.
It was the Missouri River that Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery navigated from St. Louis, Missouri to Great Falls, Montana, and back again.
It was the Columbia River that Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery navigated from the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean, and back again. Going west the current made the men joyous, and they marveled at the swiftness as they recalled the struggles they had with a strong current going up the Missouri River.
My travels last month and today took me over land for large sections of the same countryside, while often overlooking the one of mighty rivers.
The Columbia is now dammed. I saw two dams today. But in many ways, the river and the surrounding terrain look the same as it did over two hundred years ago.
The Columbia River and the 80 miles of the Columbia Gorge are wondrous natural phenomena.
The countryside surrounding the Columbia for the first 75 miles from the west is a temperate rain forest, with 75-100 inches of rain per year. After 75 miles the landscape becomes stark and arid, with barren lands, and mountains as high as 4,000 feet on both sides, and rainfall of 10-15 inches per year.
The ride was great, with my eyes taking in the expansive countryside all around me.
Another good day.
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