Columbia river

  Yesterday I drove down the Columbia river gorge from Kenniwick Washington to Portland Oregon. As I was driving I took pause and noticed the beauty around.

  The drive is spectacular. It begins in a dry, high desert, environment and proceeds down into a luscious, rain foresty, environment.

  My memories of the area go back into my earliest memories. One of the memories was, as a small child we hiked a large rock on the north side of the river. It was terrific. The trail up clung onto the side of the rock and sometimes had breathtaking drops. My mom was so nervous. My uncle Aaron had plenty too laugh about. I haven't been back on the rock again. It stands there patiently awaiting my return.

  On the south side of the river is the renowned Multnomah falls. This magestic waterfall has many fellow falls that neighbor it. The hiking in the area is some of the best in the country. There are many waterfalls that can only be seen by hiking. The area is noted as being the largest concentration of high waterfalls in the world.

  My first visit seeing Multomah falls was quite memorable, only I didn't see it that way. We went near the bottom of the falls. There is a large pool of water that the upper falls drops into. We walked around the pool and right up to the roaring falls. It was frightening but exhilirating all at the same time.

  Many years went by before I returned to the falls of my youth. I visited there once as a teenager after going on "survival camp". That wasn't a great time at the falls but it was still lovely.

  About ten years ago I brought my wife and daughters there. We hiked around in awe of the beautiful falls. Before going there, I had told my wife about the pool and how you could walk right up and touch Multnomah. It was not so anymore.

  Sometime in those years they had fenced off the falls. They say its because a huge rock had fallen and it could be unsafe. Really, it was a conspiracy set up to rob me of that one experience. Jerks! Oh sure, they have a photo of a wedding party getting knocked around on the bridge by the huge wave created by the boulder. Still, someones pulling something funny.

  My family and I have been back many times. I have attended a family reunion there. I tried catching salmon in the streams with my brother in law (at the horror of the granola crunching fish lovers looking on). I have hiked into and seen many waterfalls. We even invented a way of saying hello in native treehugger. "Granola". Used the same way as "Aloha" is in Hawaii, "Granola" is the proper way of addressing the hiking tourist on the Multnomah trails. Well, maybe it won't catch on, but it is a fun thing too try!

  I love this area. The whole world is a beautiful creation of Gods. The waterfalls of the Columbia river gorge are a signature event of the creation. I highly suggest visiting there. Create some memories. Relive some older memories. Bask in the radiance of Gods majesty.