Mt. Hood Scenic Byway

I had been getting glimpses of Mt Hood from afar for a few days now, and I was somewhat anxious to get to Portland, but the thought occurred “I’m right here, why not go closer – I may never be near here again”.  Only a few miles south of Hood River, I got my first clear view of the mountain, breathtaking!

Walking back to the truck I get somewhat of a surprise.  Wait a minute, there’s Mt Hood again, behind the truck, how can it be?  Getting the Delorme map book out for Washington confirms my suspicion, it IS indeed Mt. Adams back there!

Hey, I’m in wine country, why not stop and have a taste or two?  after all, this is a vacation!  So, next stop appropriately named “Mt Hood Vineyard”.  Not wanting to have too much alcohol, I opted for the “signature wine” from “the regions signature grape” – a Pinot Noir.  Very disappointing, our own St Clair Vineyards in Deming produces a much better one.

But they sure do have one hell of a view from their front yard!

At the top of the pass on the south side of the Mountain, I stop to do a bit of hiking on the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail).  Crossing at the same spot is the Barlow Road, one of the first roads built in America!  Nit easy traveling today judging from the pile of snow.

And just around the corner is the battered sign for the PCT.  Had to go back to the truck for my hiking pole, as I didn’t expect slippery snow and ice on the trail.  OH well, at least I can say I’ve done a short segment on the PCT – very short.

From this side (south) the mountain appears more majestic, with some of it’s “rough” character showing.  With my binoculars, I could see one of the ski lifts running, but not many folks up there today. What a nice drive!

 

Hood River, OR

I arrived in Hood River late afternoon of the 20th, hoping to find out from the local fly shop what fishing action was in the area.  I went down to where the Hood River dumps into the Columbia to find lots of sport activity on the water.  Those folks out there sure looked like they were having fun, especially the kite boarders, as the wind was blowing a good 20mph!

Hopefully this short movie clip will publish ok, it sure adds a lot to the realism of the story.
The local fly shop pointed out that fishing off of the walking trail near the mouth of the Hood R was “a good spot” for steelhead.  So, both evenings and one morning I was there I wet a few flies, but without so much as a bump from an interested fish.

I must say it was a very beautiful & enjoyable spot!
So, the full day I was there I decided to check out a couple of the local breweries.  The biggie is Full Sail, whose operation spans a full wedge-shaped two city blocks!


Once inside, I tasted four of their most popular beers, and based on my likings, the bar tender suggested a bottle of their special whiskey barrel aged stout, which seemed like an excellent choice!

Here’s to good sailing at Full Sail!

Columbia River–Old Hwy 30

After leaving the Deschutes, I drove some beautiful back roads to The Dalles, where I got my first glimpse of the mighty Columbia River!

Just west of The Dalles  I discovered the old Hwy 30 Visitor’s Center, and was amazed to find the wildflowers growing outside, along with very nice views of the River.

Flowers were everywhere!

The staff member inside suggested going the “back way” and stopping at Rowena Crest to take the 2.2mile hike out to the point overlooking the River

.  As she mentioned I found many nice wildflowers on the trail.

To my surprise there were a couple of small freshwater ponds way up here on the plateau.

It was a beautiful afternoon with temps in the upper 60’s, what a delightful hike out to the end of the point, some 600 feet above the River!

Where highway 30 ended there was a neat little community that had landmarked the square with a carved totem!

N5FO/Deschutes River Canyon!

Finally managed to find a location to set up & do a little Ham Radio operating, on the Deschutes River at South Junction.  The hamming was better than the fishing for sure, but read more about that when I get the fishing post up.

Fishing the Lower Deschutes!

While in Bend, the folks at the fly shops were raving about the “salmonfly hatch” on the Lower Deschutes River.  Supposedly a fly fishing event that’s known by serious fishermen al over the US, this usually occurs around May 20th of each year.  These massive bugs come out and breed in massive quantities to produce a week or so of “spectacular” fishing.

So, off I go to Maupin, OR in search of this great experience.  The River was certainly beautiful, and seems to be a terrific rafting venue for those just wanting some fun, as well as a great float for fishing.  I caught this unlucky group “trapped” in a reverse eddy.  After watching them struggle for about 10 minutes to break free, they quit paddling, I guess waiting for another boat to come along and pull them out with a rope.

The areas I fished were from just down below (north, remember) the town and mostly about 3 miles up river from the town.  I stayed at a beautiful BLM Harpham campground right on the River, which was supposedly one of the better fishing spots on the River.

Well, after “pounding water” for 2-1/2 days in this area, and coming up with only a couple of tiny fish landed, I began to wonder what the heck happened???  So, after talking to several “experienced” fishermen who had grown up fishing this river, they were just as perplexed as I.  In fact the largest number of trout I heard anyone catch over the 2-3 days was three – and they were unusually small!

Discussing the situation with a couple of guides in town, I learned that the “hatch” had taken place here a couple of weeks earlier than normal.  They recommended moving “up river” (follow the bugs) to an area known as South Junction.

Cresting the high ridge above the South Junction, I can see the mighty Deschutes way below – a pretty sight, indeed!

Anxiously, I get on the water that afternoon, excited because here I’m actually seeing hundreds of the very critters that are supposedly responsible for the “big bite”.  

But, to my surprise, same story here – another couple of days produced a couple of “hookups” which resulted in a “pull-off” and a broken leader.  At least the two fish I had on did feel like good ones, so I got a bit of fun battling each for a few seconds.

So, after fishing hard – and I mean that, between the steep banks overgrown with thick vegetation, and the dangerously strong current to fight once down in the water, my knees & legs were pretty shot at the end of each day.

I did have enough time (and space) to set up a good ham antenna and get on the radio, but that’s another posts for my ham friends…

Just being out there surrounded by all this beauty was a wonderful experience!