Looking over the falls Thursday, April 16, 2009

On Monday, Stuart and I went for a drive into the Columbia River Gorge. Again, the weather was not particularly cooperative. It was dry some of the time and we could even see a couple of small sunny patches for a few minutes, but mostly it drizzled, rained, and hailed.

We drove along the historic highway from Troutdale out to Multnomah Falls, stopping at a couple of the other cascades along the way. Those are pretty impressive in their own right, but they pale in comparison with Multnomah's 620-foot drop (seen at left from the top).


[above] Water begins its descent over the main, 542-foot cascade at Multnomah Falls. With the drops before and after, the fall totals 620 feet. [right] Camera in hand, Stuart gazes in wonder at the majesty of Multnomah Falls.

The path to the top of the falls is only about a mile long, but the average grade is more than 10%. Most visitors stop at the Benson Bridge at the bottom of the main cascade.

I also brought my parents to the falls when they visited last September. You can see photos from that trip here.

[right] Bridal Veil Falls, east of Portland, is one of the most popular waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.