Heidi's Hotspots: Columbia River Gorge: Cape Horn Trail

When people think of The Gorge they think of two places - the amphitheater near George, Washington or the waterfalls along the Oregon side of the Columbia River. Ask a photographer about the Columbia River gorge they'll think of the latter, with wildflowers and expansive views. Hardly anyone thinks about the photographic or adventure potential of the other side - the Washington side.

But there are lots. Where Oregon shows off her stunning beauty at every possibility, Washington is just a bit more demure. You really have to look at her to appreciate the beauty she has to offer. The nooks and crannies, the hidden paths.

I do love the Oregon side of the gorge, and who wouldn't with her dramatic waterfalls and expansive flower-filled views. I could spend days photographing there. But I have also been able to spend days photographing the Washington side too.

One of my favorite places to hike and photograph is the Cape Horn Trail just east of Washougal, WA. Managed by the Cape Horn Conservancy, this trail meanders through forests to panoramic views of the Columbia River. Starting off from the trailhead along State Route 14, hike through forests alive with color. Forest wildflowers bloom in abundance here in the spring, but in early to mid May, the rich blues of Delphinium create a stark contrast against the light yellow greens of alder groves and ferns.

Along the way you'll catch views of the river and gorge and it's hard not to be distracted by the views. But keep your eye out for the flowers along the trail.

The loop trail is closed for Falcon nesting from January to July, but the 7 mile round trip hike from the parking lot to the Nancy Russell Overlook will fill your memory card with color, texture and patterns.

For more information contact the Cape Horn Conservancy.

Vision in Delirium

When my boss called in with the flu at the beginning of the year, I should have gone immediately for my flu shot. But I put it off. I knew it was going around. And I knew it was a nasty one.

So this past week I spent my time either in bed or on the couch. Cancelled my great weekend plans. And daydreamed about all the wonderful places I had been and places to go.

I smiled at the memories of shared adventures with friends, knowing they are the adventure buddies I can count on for future travels.

The weekend prior to my bedridden week, 3 of my buddies & I decided to snowshoe to the Big Four Ice Caves along the Mountain Loop Highway. A popular destination in the summer as it's an easy day hike for families becomes a stunning snowshoe in the winter. The cliff area of the ice caves can be very dangerous - in recent years there have been several accidents and at least one death from avalanches falling even in the later summer months. But it's the avalanches that create the ice caves. And the popularity of area has not diminished even with the dangers.

Our plan was to snowshoe from where the road is closed to just beyond the bridge over the Stillaquamish River. The snow pack for the day was pretty stable, but this area can be highly unpredictable so we decided to stay in the trees and not head up into the plateau at the base of the cliff.

The day was gorgeous. Blue skies and freezing temps. We were bundled up against the cold but wearing sun screen & sunglasses - always a great combination on a winter day. I love seeing the bright white of ice and snow against the blue Washington skies.

The road travels along the river in the trees with glimpses of the mountain peaks around the valley. We stopped often for pictures and to chat and then started again as the cold seeped through our many layers of clothing. And it was COLD! The moisture in the air had frozen along the river and coated everything in a feathery layer of hoar frost. At times it looked fantastical.

After we stopped briefly at the picnic shelter for lunch, we started out for the river through a marsh area. If we thought the hoar frost along the river was fantastical, the hoar frost here was other-worldy. It spread out like fern fronds inches from the snow & branches. It was a vision worth remembering.

The open air and views, the snow and sky, the walk and friends all worthy of reminiscing and thinking forward

Issaquah Alps

De Leo Wall, 2/23/08, 6 miles

Simply said, a bright sunny winter day needs to be hiked. I joined with the Mountaineers for a hike in the Issaquah Alps to DeLeo Wall on Cougar Mountain. The sun shone brightly and warmed the air slightly of the deepest of winter chills. Spring proved to be close as we passed shrubs with buds creating a golden green aura in the sunlight.

The Issaquah Alps encircle Issaquah on the southside of town. So close to Seattle and generally snowfree during the winter, they are a wonderful destination for early season hikes. There are 100's of miles of trails in the Alps that contain 3 mountains: Tiger, Squawk, and Cougar.

The trail starts at the Red Town Trailhead and follows through the rolling forest to climb up to a viewpoint overlooking the valley below from Mt Rainier to Seattle. On this day the view was stunning - Mt Rainier shone brightly in the distance and our group pointed out landmarks and details of the valley below.

We had a leisurely lunch in the sun-dappled woods before turning back along the lollipop loop to our cars.