With a mixture of anticipation and concern, Rick, Poppy, and I headed out last Saturday in our pickup and camper for an overnight stay at Mt. Adams Horse Camp. We planned to be there for the informal worship service . . . but did make it in time for the potluck lunch. (My honey is not a morning person. 😏)
The traffic wasn't horrible, but it is definitely getting heavier. The parking lot at Multnomah Falls was full; good thing we didn't want to stop there. Crossing the Columbia River on the narrow steel grate bridge at Hood River was much less hair-raising without the horse trailer in tow. Once over the river, we began my favorite part of this drive – onward and upward towards Mt. Adams. The first glimpses as you near Trout Lake, WA are always impressive; I waited until I had an unobstructed view to get a good shot:
It was sad to see so much ground showing on the mountain this early, but the lack of snow cover is not surprising given our dry late spring. Still, the wildflowers were out in force, and we made the most of them with two long walks accompanied by Rick's office manager and her two dogs. I think I have photos of every wildflower I saw except for the wild rose; I flubbed its portrait.
Other scenes from our walks:
There were lots of dogs in our group that I didn't get photos of; I was busy managing Poppy's leash so she could play as much as possible. Most of our group also brought horses (and there were many more campers with horses not in our group); I missed getting to ride but it was nice to be able to set up and break down camp so quickly without them, and not have to worry about escapees in the night or highline accidents.
We left on Sunday around 1:00, stopping in Trout Lake for our annual treat of huckleberry milkshakes. They were tasty but very dear; I don't think we'll be indulging in them again. On the way down to the gorge, Rick pulled over so we could take pictures of the beautiful 'blue'-flowering bushes along the road, and captured a couple other lower-elevation wildflowers as well.
And then, there was "our" mountain – Mt. Hood – beckoning from across the river:
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| crossing back into Oregon |
So that was our little get-away, short and sweet. What we found when we got home soured things a little; our boy seems to delight in flaunting all the rules. And that's all I'm going to say about that.
7 comments:
That looks like a lovely outing. I am glad you had a nice break.
Wow! You got some beautiful pictures! I'm glad you had such a good little getaway, with all that beautiful scenery! I haven't been to Mt. Adams for over 40 years. I miss our camping/huckleberry picking trips!
More later...
Donna, it is one of our favorite places to go. I wouldn't mind living near Trout Lake!
Sounds like you have quite the history with the area, Jeanne!
What lovely photos! We've never gone all the way up that you did, but now you've inspired me to do so. I loved seeing all the wildflowers and everything else you took photos of!
Your phots never disappoint, Michelle! All those wildflowers sure make me homesick for the Wyoming Big Horn Mountains! Your scenic views are very stunning! We want to plan a trip out to your neck of the woods, and hoping to do that within the next two years. In your opinion, is there a exceptional month to visit that area? Have a perfect weekend, and great sabbath!
Mokihana, I think Trout Lake is a great jumping off place for lots of wonderful excursions; I hope you go!
Thank you for your kind words, wyomingheart! "Our neck of the woods" encompasses a LOT of territory, so it really depends on where, exactly, you plan to go. From east of the Cascades to the Pacific Ocean there is so much to see and do; unless you plan to come for six months you'll have narrow down your focus. Let me know what appeals to you most and I can give you better advice!
What a beautiful trip :-)
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