Oregon Interior: Mt Hood and Columbia River Gorge

Epic Road Trip Days 20-22 / June 17th-19th Oregon’s Mt Hood and Columbia Gorge tour

We are having a good internet day, so trying to crack out this post while I can upload a video.  I’m tired, it is late, but here goes.  It was an interesting drive from Idaho across most of Oregon.  Surprisingly, Oregon looks a lot like Scotland with the rolling bare hills and few trees to be seen across most of the east.  Once we were within a few hours of Portland the landscape changed to the large coniferous forest we all think of when we recall the imagines so iconic to the state.  I was able to capture a few of those sites over the last few days.

The 17th of June was a travel day.  We covered the vast majority of the state and spent the evening relaxing and letting the Poodle run in a nearby state park (shhhh, don’t tell anyone he was off leash!). With a limited amount of time set for the area, we had to pack a TON of fun into the 18th and 19th.

   

The first full day we decided to head to Mt Hood, tour the ‘fruit loop’ and grab some yummy goodness and attempt to locate a few of the hundreds of waterfalls this area is known for.  Keith broke out the drone and learned a vital lesson.  DO NOT FLY THE DRONE TO CLOSE TO A WATERFALL.  Watch the full video below for a laugh near the end.  No drones were harmed in the making of this video, though it was a close thing.  I give Keith props for managing a miracle and crashing in the grass instead of the water.

We don’t use the drone as much as we hoped due to severe drone restrictions in most areas.  No drones in National or State Parks.  This pretty much cuts out 90% of where we go.  Then when we are not in a park, we forget to bring the drone!!  Still, it is fun to break out and play with from time to time.  I really wish we had known how little we would be able to use it and saved that money for some other toy. Occationally it does come in handy for a cool photo like this one!

The first hike near Hood was just over 3 miles, but the second, right at the base of Mt Hood, was a quick 1 mile with a lot of meadow running fun by the kids and Cody.  I felt like they were in some sort of Disney movie, running among the wildflowers.

The 19th of June was spectacular.  We drove the historic 30 waterfall route and managed to hike the following waterfalls: Latourell, Bridal Veil, Waheena, Multnomah, and Horsetail Falls.  These were not ‘long’ hikes and most could be seen from the road, but my kids always want to see them up close, so we covered probably 6 miles of hiking with at least half up hill, and by up hill I mean switchback, asthma attack uphill.  It took us a full 5 hours to do them all justice, but I think we managed the task with honor.  My children were rock stars offering to suffer the cold mist for my photography goals.  If you find yourself in this area, these waterfalls really are a must see.  On a canine note, dogs were allowed on every single trail and by all the waterfalls.  Cody was so happy to get to go with us both hiking days!

Our next stop is the Oregon Coast.  We will be there for a few days before heading to Seattle to see some long time friends and possibly check off a visit to Mount Rainier.