Heather sent me this cool email narrative yesterday.
I’ve been out in the wild! I explored the northern side of the Columbia River Gorge loop Douglas Loraine explains with some of my own modifications. I was out for 4 days with the intention of hiking the entire 39 mile loop but got stopped by deep snow on a high elevation Ridge about 17 miles in. I had my boyfriend Rob and our pooch Dakini with me this time and it turned out to be a very challenging and exciting trip.
On the first day we got so hammered by pouring rain that we both ended up sick with the common cold and had to fight congestion the rest of the trip. We pushed ourselves up and down intense elevation changes for about 13 miles on the first day and completely wore out our bodies from the waist down. The soreness in our joints made it extremely hard to move and slowed us down a lot (even the dog was hurting from abrasions under her “arm pits” from her pack strap). On the second day, we pushed through our pain but it took us most of the day to move just over 4 miles. That day we also ran into the snow, lost the trail and went on for .5 mile by compass bearings alone. After trudging through deepening snow in soggy sneakers for awhile, we decided to turn back and retrace our steps back to the last seen trail. We were struggling too much and didn’t want to risk getting ourselves lost of stuck due to the increasing elevation on the map towards our intended destination; Rainy Lake. We decided to seize the last few hours of day light and camp close by, just down a few switchbacks to Ridge Camp. We dropped our packs in camp and took all of our wet gear (which was pretty much everything fabric) and went on a side trip to a beautiful rock field where we could sit in the sun and dry out a bit. It was what we needed at the time. We were grateful for a spot of sunshine and a relaxing evening in a wooded camp.
On morning 3, we looked at the map and chose a camp we had noticed on the way in 8.2 miles away. We knew it would probably be a huge day for us and our stiff legs, but we needed to get there to make it out on the 4th day. From Ridge Camp, we plunged down a steep hillside. Dropping 2,500 feet, we had to take frequent breaks for our knees and hips that felt as if they would buckle under each step. We had one more problem, we had very little water and there would be no water sources for 5 miles or so. As we made our way down to the bottom of the ravine, we had to ration our water to a small swig per hour, becoming extremely dehydrated towards the end of the trek. Finally, the grade began to even out and water would soon be attainable. We decided to drop our packs and take our lunch and water bottles down a side trail that led to Herman Creek, which is really more of a raging river with the late season snow melt. I was so exhausted mentally and physically that I was becoming lethargic and almost angry in frustration as this “short path” to water plunged down hundreds of feet, extra feet that I would have to struggle back up. I felt like giving up but my cheerful companion Dakini never let me, waiting just up ahead for me to start moving again before she’d take another step.
When I finally caught up to Rob, who is usually a little faster than I am and is therefore ahead, I found him perched on a mossy rock in the middle of the creek where 3 streams poured together into a churning pool of white water. It was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen with my own eyes. The sun came out just as I finished filling the water bottles and showered us in warmth. Suddenly all the sweat and pain was worth it. We had found our own secluded paradise in the wild. Lush green flora surrounded the little shelf of moss we sat on and little lavender butterflies flocked to our drying socks. The pooch passed out and we lounged in the sunshine without a care in the world, watching as little spiders hanging above us climbed amazingly up tiny invisible lines of silk that must have been connected to the trees high high above. I’ve never felt so relieved and connected with the earth. I laid down in mossy dirt and was amazed by all of the life I saw. Red and black beetles skittered around, hunting for little bits of food, crawling in and out of my shoes. The sun shined through the leaves of inch-high flowers, showing every crystal-like cell from beneath. When the water was ready to drink, we each guzzled a liter and it was time to go.
Feeling refreshed and optimistic, we pushed on. The trail followed along Herman Creek for several miles. Although we couldn’t see the water, the sound of it was ambient throughout the forest. We passed 4 gorgeous cascading waterfalls in a relatively short distance and were awestruck by each one. This would make an excellent day hike or overnight backpacking trip for those who only have 1-2 days. One could park a car at Herman Camp and take this easy 5 mile trail to the falls and camp at the paradise spot.
After we got to Herman Creek bridge, we still had 2.3 miles to go and some elevation to climb. The last hour or so was truly grueling and we were very relieved when our final camp came into view. Ancient looking spires of rock covered in moss loomed above our tent that night. It was a very uncomfortable rocky surface with no real level ground to sleep on, but we were so tired it didn’t matter. It poured again that night and we woke up early the next morning to get a head start, treating massive blisters and taping up our feet for the final day.
On Wednesday, day 4, we slowly made our way out of the wilderness, wanting to make the last 5 miles last before we’d come back to the grind of the city. We were very lucky to witness 2 young black bears moving along the top of a ridge directly across from us over a steep ravine. We saw them but they didn’t see us as they worked their way quickly down the embankment towards us. This was the first time I’d ever seen a real live bear in nature. They are magnificent, strong animals, moving so easily up and down gnarly terrain. When the dog finally noticed them too and started to growl and bark, we decided it was time to go. As we came to the edge of the forest, the sound of the interstate grew louder and louder. A helicopter flew overhead and traffic noises seemed so much more overbearing than they did on the way in. We had traveled on foot from quiet places in the wild back to the chaotic land of man. We took one last look around a deep breath and our wilderness experience was suddenly over. It’s always hard to come back.
No, we didn’t complete the 39 mile loop in the guide book, but we did see some beautiful parts of the Columbia River Gorge and had a great adventure in the wild. We saw views from high on mountains and wildflowers blooming in rock fields, we heard waterfalls powerfully cascading and rain pouring through the forest, we challenged ourselves and were rewarded with rich wilderness experience. With each step I take with my weary legs, I become stronger and more ready to take on bigger trips and more miles. I can’t wait to get back out into the wilderness and to tell the stories of my journeys.
So, if that’s a brief overview of my trip, you can only imagine what my experience was really like! I had such a great time and worked so hard. I am still going over the maps and logging all of the actual mileage and hours, routes and all that with Rob. I have photos and some video of the trip. I don’t really have a website or blog set up yet but I plan on doing that in the next couple of days and I’ll include some of this story on it. I definitely need a couple rest days to recover now. Hope you enjoyed reading this.
