Back to the River

 When you leave Seaside Oregon on Hwy 101 you leave the Pacific Ocean as the road is further inland. In about 18 miles you come into Warrington Oregon which is separated from Astoria by Youngs bay. When I crossed that low bridge there was a bald eagle just standing out on the flats eating a fish. It was a gray day so his white head really stood out.
     I was in the rain suit because it was raining in Seaside as I left and for the rest of the day I rode in and out of "heavy mist" that at times had water running off the windshield. The way this motorcycle is faired directs the water away from you, even your feet, so I stayed relatively dry for the whole ride to Skamania Landing on the Washington State side of the Columbia River Gorge.

      Leaving behind the Pacific Ocean beaches I headed into the woods after I crossed the Columbia River in Astoria Oregon on Hwy 101.
I was along the river for a while on State Hwy 401 but then  into the hills and mist for a while. After I turned on State Hwy 4 it was back down to the Columbia River all the way into Longview Washington, where the river turns south toward Portland, and I jumped on I-5 for some higher speeds for a while.
     The Columbia River Gorge is quite the avenue of commerce. With dams and locks you can push a barge all the way to Lewiston Idaho. There are trains traveling both sides of the river, with Burlington Northern on the Washington side and Union Pacific on the Oregon side. and then Interstate 84 runs east out of Portland through Hood River and The Dalles, while on the Washington side a delightful curvy State Hwy 14 runs from Vancouver and Camas along the river to McNary Dam. It was along this Hwy 14 I got on after a fun run on Hwy 500 into Camas and some gas. Hwy 14 climbs up to a Cape that looks out over the gorge that is beginning of some fun twisting roads up and back down along this big river.

Up River toward the Narrows.

      Skamania landing is a huge eddy by our Arkansas River standards, with a big spit of land above the landing pushing out into the river creating a narrows and the resultant increase in current that slows the barges down as they pass going upriver.  The Columbia River Gorge is the only break in the Cascades all the way down to California. This makes for some interesting weather when big Pacific storms push in, including winds that blow hard from east to west, a relief flow from the oncoming pressure changes. But it is lovely most of the year and this will be a nice pause till Sunday when I move on east probably five hours to the last stop in Oregon, Baker City. There is a heritage center for the Oregon Trail I have heard about and I thought I would stop there for awhile. I was looking at going into Joseph Oregon in the Wallowa Mtns but it is a little early in the season. In the meantime I will hang here in this lovely spot with cousin Angus, clean the road grime off the Mothership and check the tires and watch the boats go by on the River. This weather promises to move on east by Friday so I can even pack my rain suit up again for the sunny days ahead.
Will by a bigger River