cape horn of the northwest

Hello everyone!

I had a great weekend. Friday night I stayed in, happy to be home after many evenings out. I caught up on my netflix and read my book before going to bed early.

Saturday was beautiful. I woke up to blue skies and sun streaming in the living room windows. I left the house and smiled to see my dutch irises had begun blooming along with my crocuses. The primroses and narcissus have been blooming for some time but I’m excited for each new flower that opens up. Everything was soaking up the warm sun. I picked up Gina and we headed out to the Gorge for a hike on the Cape Horn Trail. This is a relatively new trail. The land was going to be developed when the Columbia Land Trust stepped in and began purchasing plots to conserve the area. The trail begins by launching you up a steep hill. Damn was it steep. There was 1300 feet of elevation gain on this hike and it was almost entirely all in the first mile. Phew! Once at the top we found ourselves on the sheer basalt cliffs overlooking the massive Columbia River. It was a gorgeous day out: sunny, warm (in the 60s!) and calm winds. The views both up and down the river were incredible. Straight across the river we could see waterfalls on the Oregon side of the gorge. The trail would meander through the woods then pop back out along another cliff viewpoint. We stopped at one of these and ate our lunches, basking in the sun, warm outside and so happy.

After lunch we continued on the trail. At one point there was a confusing juncture that was not addressed in the hiking book. We got off the trail (walking down country roads, not like we were genuinely lost in the wilderness). We quickly figured out our way and were back on track. We walked along the cliff edge a while longer and saw a waterfall plunging down the sheer walls to the Columbia River below. The railroad tracks vanished into the massive rock below us but no train came by at that moment. We walked across a huge old rock slide, the rocks now encased in moss. The sun was beating down on us and we actually said, “Wow, it’s hot!” Just then we turned the corner and found the trail leading us behind a waterfall. The water was very cold and refreshing and we dashed behind it and ran up the hill on the far side. The hike ended along Cape Horn Road, where we walked along the quiet street with the huge cliffs looming above us. It was a nice cool down after the long hike. The 7 mile loop became 8 with our little countryside detour. It really was a fantastic hike, one of the best I’ve done in the Gorge. I’m so glad this amazing place has been saved from cliffside homes and subdivisions.

We drove back to Portland and I showered before heading over to Gina’s house for dinner. Gina had bought fresh pasta which she cooked up with some sausage, steamed broccoli and alfredo sauce. We spent the evening playing cards and watching tv. I went home very tired from our long hike and slept very well.

Sunday was back to normal with rain and gray skies. In the morning I watched The Departed which was excellent. I watched a documentary about cocaine smuggling (wow) and read my book for a while. Later in the evening I drove Gina to her parents’ house to pick up Elaine’s car. I stopped at Mt Tabor to watch an approaching rainstorm then caught a beautiful rainbow on the other side of the park. Gina & I ate some leftovers and watched Oregon Field Guide and some other tv before calling it a night.
So that was my weekend. Please let me know how you are and what you’re up to! I hope all is well!

xoxoxo,
carolyn