The gorge is a spectacular place with scenery that is always beautiful but changes with the weather, season, or time of day. On this trip in the spring with partly cloudy skys there is lots of green and some spring flowers and the waterfalls are full of energy with high volumes of spring runoff. The yellow tint in the distance of the photo below is a prolific wildflower that grows in open spaces.
The flowers below are samples of the ones that paint the hillsides in the distance.
These hills are golden or brown much of the year when dry weather and sun bake the grass.
There is a new vista around every curve of the highway. Open spaces, rock outcroppings forests,and occasional wildlife are seen throughout the area.
This island was an Indian Burial Ground before the backwater from the Bonneville Dam covered much of it. Louis and Clark called it "Sepulchar Island". The Indian remains were relocated when the dam was built. The granite obelisk on the island is the grave of Victor Trevitt, a pioneer who wished to be buried with his Indian friends. It turns out that Victor is the only known person still buried on the island.
The river is about a mile wide at Hood River where this photo was made,looking east; up river.
Hood River is roughly located between Mt. Adams to the north and Mt. Hood to the south. Both are spectacular on a clear day but were not visible due to clouds on this morning.
The complex below is a portion of the old SDS Lumber Company of Bingen, Washington as viewed from the Oregon side of the river with a telephoto lens. The large building with the red roof is the power house. I hired on in the late 70s and helped complete construction of the building and the equipment inside. After completion of construction, I hired on as an operator of the plant. The power house contains a large boiler that provided steam heat to the plywood dryers and excess steam was used through a turbo-generator that created electricity that was sold to the power company. The boiler was fueled with "hog fuel"; That is bark and waste wood products generated by the sawmill and plywood mill. The mills were housed in adjacent buildings.
The Hood River Bridge crosses the Columbia River between Hood River, Oregon and Bingen Washington. It was built in 1926 as a toll bridge and the lift section was added in 1940. The first toll I paid in 1968 was two bits. It costs three times as much today. The bridge is unique because it is narrow and has no walkways. I have walked it a few times in the winter when snow made vehicular travel impossible, and I had to go to work. Currently signs posted on the bridge prohibit pedestrians. The deck is made of steel grating that feels like it is pulling your car around as you travel. However if you hold your steering wheel steady, your car stays in your lane pretty good. The grating makes a humming sound as you travel over it and each car or truck sounds a little different, depending on size weight and perhaps type of tires.
There are barges and fishermen and tour boats on the river. Tour boats will take you from Astoria, on the coast, to Lewiston Idaho.
The clouds drifting among the hills and valleys enhanced the views.
The basalt rock outcroppings also add variety to the scenery.
You can drive through the area at freeway speeds and miss much of it, or drive slower on the portions of the historic old highway that have been preserved and see some of the gorge up close.
The Dogwood trees were in bloom.
Snow was visible in the high places in Washington.
Before the dam was built there was a swift rocky rapids on the Columbia that were not safely navigable. Eventually there was a locks built to accommodate shipping and travel. After the Dam came in the locks were not needed. Remnants of the old lock system is still apparent at Cascade Locks, Oregon. The river crossing bridge is called "the Bridge of the Gods" from an Indian legend that said the cascade rapids were formed when a huge natural bridge fell in. The Indians called the natural bridge "the Bridge of the Gods".
The area formerly called the cascades is very smooth and serene today. Look closely for geese and a fishing boat.
This boat was built in the early 80s in Hood River, Oregon at Nichols boat works. I was acquainted with the primary builder, Johnny, and got a close look at the boat while it was under construction.
Herman is about 10 feet long and lives in the Sturgeon pond with several of his smaller buddies near the dam.
Sometimes he moves around a lot and sometimes he lays pretty still. He was restless the day I was there.
There are a lot of Rainbow Trout around if you know where to look.
It is everywhere you look in this area.
The historic highway was created under the influence of Sam Hill. I wondered where in the Sam Hill Sam Hill went, but I eventually found his grave at the east end of the gorge on the Washington side. There is a lot of beauty in the bridges and guard rails on the old highway.
The first waterfalls I came to, from the east end was Horsetail Falls. The photo doesn't convey the energy you feel when standing near this roaring falls and feel the wind and spray kicked up by the falling water.
The old road went through a tunnel in the rock. The tunnel was closed and filled with rubble in the 1940s. I was delighted to see that they have reopened it for pedestrian travel since I was here last.
The Oneonta Gorge is a narrow crack in the rock cliff that runs south from the Columbia River. I went upstream with a youth group years ago. The stream covers the bottom of the gorge. Some of the hikers walked or waded upstream a long ways. Some of us did a spiderman thing on the rocky wall to avoid getting wet. Not all were successful web slingers. At the far end of the "hike" we were rewarded with a view of a beautiful secluded waterfall. Then, how do we get back out without getting our shoes wet?
I noticed lots of logs that were not there when I was here last.
The long lens revealed a sizable log jam.
The sign on the railroad bridge at Multnomah Falls caught my attention. It probably was always there but I never noticed it before.
Some of the old craftmanship.
Old highway bridge.
Multnomah Falls
Some were complaining about the sun shining directly through the top of the falls and spoiling the photos. I thought it was cool. I never had this effect on my photo at this location before.
I stood on this bridge before with my dad. He thought we were darn fools to walk that far uphill to get to a bridge to nowhere. Actually the trail continues all the way to the top of the falls but I have never taken time to go all the way to the top. Maybe it should be on my bucket list.
Multnomah Falls. Pretty cool.
There were several of these little varmits hanging around for a snack. They were almost tame and would take food out of your hand or if you were sitting they would climb on your lap. I have a rule about feeding wildlife. There were many others that don't.
There was a legend that when a white buffalo was found the young braves would wait until the temperature fell below freezing and test their bravery and maturity by stripping down to their loincloth and sitting on the back of the white buffalo long enough to have photographic evidence of their couragous act. The more braves on the buffalo per picture, the more style points. If the white buffalo was located adjacent to a freeway where startled motorists could catch a glimpse of the image as they passed at 10 miles an hour above freeway speed, so much better the sport.
The complex below is a portion of the old SDS Lumber Company of Bingen, Washington as viewed from the Oregon side of the river with a telephoto lens. The large building with the red roof is the power house. I hired on in the late 70s and helped complete construction of the building and the equipment inside. After completion of construction, I hired on as an operator of the plant. The power house contains a large boiler that provided steam heat to the plywood dryers and excess steam was used through a turbo-generator that created electricity that was sold to the power company. The boiler was fueled with "hog fuel"; That is bark and waste wood products generated by the sawmill and plywood mill. The mills were housed in adjacent buildings.
The Hood River Bridge crosses the Columbia River between Hood River, Oregon and Bingen Washington. It was built in 1926 as a toll bridge and the lift section was added in 1940. The first toll I paid in 1968 was two bits. It costs three times as much today. The bridge is unique because it is narrow and has no walkways. I have walked it a few times in the winter when snow made vehicular travel impossible, and I had to go to work. Currently signs posted on the bridge prohibit pedestrians. The deck is made of steel grating that feels like it is pulling your car around as you travel. However if you hold your steering wheel steady, your car stays in your lane pretty good. The grating makes a humming sound as you travel over it and each car or truck sounds a little different, depending on size weight and perhaps type of tires.
There are barges and fishermen and tour boats on the river. Tour boats will take you from Astoria, on the coast, to Lewiston Idaho. 
The clouds drifting among the hills and valleys enhanced the views.
The basalt rock outcroppings also add variety to the scenery.
You can drive through the area at freeway speeds and miss much of it, or drive slower on the portions of the historic old highway that have been preserved and see some of the gorge up close.
The Dogwood trees were in bloom.
Snow was visible in the high places in Washington.
Before the dam was built there was a swift rocky rapids on the Columbia that were not safely navigable. Eventually there was a locks built to accommodate shipping and travel. After the Dam came in the locks were not needed. Remnants of the old lock system is still apparent at Cascade Locks, Oregon. The river crossing bridge is called "the Bridge of the Gods" from an Indian legend that said the cascade rapids were formed when a huge natural bridge fell in. The Indians called the natural bridge "the Bridge of the Gods".
The area formerly called the cascades is very smooth and serene today. Look closely for geese and a fishing boat.
This boat was built in the early 80s in Hood River, Oregon at Nichols boat works. I was acquainted with the primary builder, Johnny, and got a close look at the boat while it was under construction.
Herman is about 10 feet long and lives in the Sturgeon pond with several of his smaller buddies near the dam.
Sometimes he moves around a lot and sometimes he lays pretty still. He was restless the day I was there.
There are a lot of Rainbow Trout around if you know where to look. 
It is everywhere you look in this area.
The historic highway was created under the influence of Sam Hill. I wondered where in the Sam Hill Sam Hill went, but I eventually found his grave at the east end of the gorge on the Washington side. There is a lot of beauty in the bridges and guard rails on the old highway. 
The first waterfalls I came to, from the east end was Horsetail Falls. The photo doesn't convey the energy you feel when standing near this roaring falls and feel the wind and spray kicked up by the falling water.
The old road went through a tunnel in the rock. The tunnel was closed and filled with rubble in the 1940s. I was delighted to see that they have reopened it for pedestrian travel since I was here last.
The Oneonta Gorge is a narrow crack in the rock cliff that runs south from the Columbia River. I went upstream with a youth group years ago. The stream covers the bottom of the gorge. Some of the hikers walked or waded upstream a long ways. Some of us did a spiderman thing on the rocky wall to avoid getting wet. Not all were successful web slingers. At the far end of the "hike" we were rewarded with a view of a beautiful secluded waterfall. Then, how do we get back out without getting our shoes wet?
I noticed lots of logs that were not there when I was here last.
The long lens revealed a sizable log jam.
The sign on the railroad bridge at Multnomah Falls caught my attention. It probably was always there but I never noticed it before.
Some of the old craftmanship.
Old highway bridge.
Multnomah Falls
Some were complaining about the sun shining directly through the top of the falls and spoiling the photos. I thought it was cool. I never had this effect on my photo at this location before.
I stood on this bridge before with my dad. He thought we were darn fools to walk that far uphill to get to a bridge to nowhere. Actually the trail continues all the way to the top of the falls but I have never taken time to go all the way to the top. Maybe it should be on my bucket list.
Multnomah Falls. Pretty cool.
There were several of these little varmits hanging around for a snack. They were almost tame and would take food out of your hand or if you were sitting they would climb on your lap. I have a rule about feeding wildlife. There were many others that don't.
There was a legend that when a white buffalo was found the young braves would wait until the temperature fell below freezing and test their bravery and maturity by stripping down to their loincloth and sitting on the back of the white buffalo long enough to have photographic evidence of their couragous act. The more braves on the buffalo per picture, the more style points. If the white buffalo was located adjacent to a freeway where startled motorists could catch a glimpse of the image as they passed at 10 miles an hour above freeway speed, so much better the sport. It is hard to believe that anyone would actually try it.
