One of the things I like about Portland is the fact that you can immerse yourself in intense scenery with only an hour’s or so drive. To the West there is the stark Pacific, to the East there is the spectacular landscape of the Gorge. Somehow the wild mood swings of these fraught days can be absorbed into the drama of the vistas, the ever changing clouds, as mine did yesterday when driving along the Columbia River. It was intensely windy out there to the point where I had to hold on to the guard rails at the bluffs overlooking the river.

 

 

It also rained on and off in the morning, which meant I had to whip the camera out of my pocket and back in again during my hike. And hike I did, with physical exhaustion providing the desired peacefulness by the end of the day.

I chose the Klickitat trail, a 31 mile trail along Klickitat river in an old railroad corridor that used to link the towns of Lyle and Goldendale in the state of Washington. It starts at the confluence of the Klickitat and the Columbia, then goes for 13 miles through oaks and Pondarosa Pine woodlands, winds into the old town of Klickitat and eventually turns up into the remote Swale canyon, ending on the Goldendale plateau. I have never made it this far – my limit is at about 7-8 miles these days, for which I pay the next day….but it is fairly level and usually (not yesterday) fairly travelled, which means it’s safe when I do a solo hike.

But, man, was it worth it. The trail along the river was a symphony in rust,

 

Percy Manser In the Klickitats (1960)

 

sheltered from the wind, the only noises coming from the rushing water.

 

 

Some tribal members could be seen at their fishing spots. The traditional platforms seem to have been abandoned, I saw only salmon fishing from the banks and moored boats.

 

 

 

 

The best thing is, for me, the light.  With the large cloud banks driven over, the landscape often has homogenous shade punctuated by just one brilliant spot. I took it as a pointer to our times: let’s find that spot and ignore the rest.