Category: Washington

The Oregon side of the Columbia Gorge gets all the attention when it comes to waterfalls, and that is understandable because the Oregon side of the Columbia Gorge has its 1,000-foot-tall sheer cliffs, while the Washington side is a long, gradual, slope from the Cascade Mountains to the Columbia River. The Lewis River begins at Mount Adams, one of the volcanic triads of Mount Hood, Mount Adams, and Mount Saint Helens that dominate the region. The river parallels the Columbia for many miles, turning south and joining big-brother Columbia near Saint Helens, Oregon. Near Mount Adams where the Lewis still runs wild, is sports three impressive falls within a three-mile segment, that may not challenge the Oregon falls for height but absolutely trounce them with their impressive width. I was fortunate to catch the upper falls on a cold February day with intermittent snow and graupel. The photography gods were smiling on me, as there was a pause in the weather for the hour that I spent photographing the falls. It was a fantastic time. I love hiking in the winter and usually I am the only one crazy enough to challenge the trails in adverse weather, but on my way back to the lower falls I did run into a family heading to the upper falls. I greeted them and wished them a good day, but silently I tipped my hat to my fellow crazy winter hikers.