Let me rewind back to the time where my obsession with Oregon started. Okay, the title also says Washington, but hold onto that for a little while, whilst I tell my love-at-first-sight story for Oregon. This is not going to be revelation of a ground truth about life or anything, rather it is confirming the result of a personality test on Facebook—yes, you heard it right! According to this test, I was supposed to live in Oregon as it happened to accurately pick up my love for nature. Then, of course, I started to follow a few Instagram accounts, and shortly after that, we decided to pick the Memorial Weekend to book a flight to Portland.
We visited Portland as well, but let’s only focus on nature-made miracles as there are no such things called human-made miracles—that is nature talking, don’t blame me, blame her!
We did not make any precise travel plans—you will confirm this later— but jotted down a few places we would like to visit. Let’s just call it a consequence of PhD life because even traveling itself is a miracle in academia. I knew I definitely wanted to see the gorgeous Mt Hood and we aimed for that on our first day. Spoiler alert: no success. Please continue to read though, because not the end point but the adventure itself is what makes a journey worth all the trouble. Warning: some deep thoughts before entering the deep forest of Mt Hood National Park. Wild plant life in the park is like nothing else I had seen in my life. The mosses on the trees were spectacular. Without a further ado, let’s walk through the specifics of our trip:
FIRST DAY: MT HOOD NATIONAL PARK
Our first day around the area had the usual Oregon air: cloudy and intermittent showers. Normally, I would be disappointed in such weather when I visit a new place; but not this time, because we owe this wild green scenery to this particular weather. So I embrace this weather with my arms open but also with full of remorse for not bringing an Oregon weather-proof jacket.
Trillium Lake: Our first stop. When you park in the parking lot, Trillium Lake is right around the corner. It was pretty misty but it added another edge to this scenery. We could not see Mt Hood because of the misty air though, but it was alright. There are a good number of fishermen along the lake; interestingly, we spotted a lot of dead fish in the lake. I couldn’t find any information about it online tough. Anyways, we did a short tour around the lake. Since this did not involve any hiking nor the views of Mt Hood, I was not taken aback by Trillium Lake. Nevertheless, if you are around this area on a sunny day, I think chances are high that you’d enjoy it more.
Mirror Lake: At first, we thought Mirror Lake was just another name for Trillium Lake.—don’t ask why. Finding a spot in the small parking lot along the road asks for patience, but patience pays back at the end of the hike. The trail starts with some excitement—a narrow wooden bridge, and it is then uphills until you reach Mirror Lake. Once you are near to the end, you can sense the strong presence of this magnificent lake. Even without a view of Mt Hood on that day, I truly respected the spirit of the lake.
SECOND DAY: COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE
Remember that I told you we did not make specific plans? Now you will see why it was a bad idea. We initially reserved the second day for visiting waterfalls along the Columbia River Gorge on the Oregon side, but that plan went south. Apparently, we were oblivious to what was happening in the west coast last year. Last year, a very destructive fire—known as Eagle Creek Fire—had engulfed the Columbia River Gorge in states of Oregon and Washington. By the way, I’ve just searched what initiated the fire: a 15-year old teenage boy igniting fireworks during a burn ban! I told you—pardon me, the mother nature told you—that there are no human-made miracles. Putting this saddening news aside—indeed, news for me, we were told that the trails for waterfalls were closed on the Oregon side—except for one waterfall: Multnomah Falls. Then, we moved to the Washington side. Here are some highlights of the second day:
Multnomah Falls: Multnomah Falls is the only waterfall we were able to see on the Oregon side, and apparently, the most famous one. We were only able to enjoy the second highest waterfall in the US from the lower balcony. So, we couldn’t hike the trail and cross the famous bridge. In spite of all that, Multnomah falls was free-falling with all its glory. It was encaptivating. I could have sat and watched it all day. But we got a call from the mother nature on the Washington side, and headed over to Washington through the Bridge of Gods. ($2 charge for crossing it on each side)
Panther Creek Falls: We later learned from the owner of the lodge that Panther Creek Fall was kept as a secret by locals in the past. Still today, it did not have as many guests as other waterfalls did, which is good news for us as we enjoyed the view without being bothered by photo-enthusiastic tourists. Unfortunately, there is not much hiking to do there since the waterfall is very close to the parking lot. Panther Creek Falls is truly unique, stunning, and naive but also strong. I have gotten into habit of memorizing waterfalls, not just the views but also the sounds. Because it helps having a vivid memory of that moment in stressful times. Panther Fall instantly became my yet another happy place.
Fall Creek Falls: Visiting Multnomah and Panther Falls led to higher expectations out of a waterfall. Despite that, Fall Creek Falls quickly made its way into my favorite-waterfalls list. Maybe I should start a list? The trail is an easy-to-medium hike; it might be a good idea to bring water-proof hiking shoes as you cross a small creek (no wooden bridge). We of course hiked in training shoes, because we usually show up unprepared to trails, even though we know that we are definitely going to hike on any given trip. While hiking, I dreamed about Native Americans living in this area, watching the waterfall, and walking along the river. It is pure beauty, and you should not miss it!
One warning though: the dirt road to Fall Creek is full of cracks.
Aniche Cellars Winery: I am not a wine connoisseur at all; in fact, my most sophisticated choice regarding wine could be a wine book that I bought for a very close friend. I encouraged him to read the book and tell me all about it later, because we should all help each other become more sophisticated human-beings. Despite of my lack of knowledge, I am always interested in going to wineries because it is always a good idea to sip your wine in front of a vineyard. When we heard that the Columbia River Gorge is home to a handful of wineries, that was our cue to look for a winery with a view. We found one: Aniche Cellars Winery. This winery sits on the top of a valley overlooking the Columbia River. I freaking loved their wines. Now I do understand why people go on winery tours. It is definitely much better than your average wine at your local store. Shocking, huh? We also ordered a cheese plate, rested our backs on the comfortable chairs, and enjoyed our wine across the spectacular views of the Gorge. I highly recommend this experience. Some facts about this winery: They have an all female winemaking team; the names of wines are literary references (we got a bottle of Orlando by Virgina Woolf :); they practice sustainable winemaking; they give back to a variety of charities and social justice programs—more reasons to love this family-owned winery. On your way out, turn left instead of right and drive up the hill for a while until you see Mt Hood.
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