The Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood

A couple weeks ago I ventured out of the city again to check out the looming Mt. Hood up close and personal. I see it often peeking out on the Portland skyline, but it usually seems veiled in haze or fog which has somehow made it phantasmal to me. Although it’s only about 50 miles from downtown, it seems to hover ghost-like in the distance. To get a more tangible vivid look at its peak, I decided to take a scenic route and make a day of it.

I started by traveling along the Columbia River through the Gorge. The river borders the north side of Portland, across which you can see the state of Washington. As you wander out of town, there are several vistas where you can enjoy the view.



A little ways further, after cruising down a winding forested road, you come upon one of Portland’s most visited landmarks – Multnomah Falls. It’s the second-tallest year-round waterfall in the U.S. after Yosemite Falls.

Then I turned away from the Gorge and headed south toward Mt. Hood. I traversed farmlands and orchards and enjoyed the warm fall day, although the leaves weren't really changing color yet.

View of Mt. Hood in the clouds from Trillium Lake

Then my car climbed up the winding slopes to the top of the mountain. I knew that there would be some snow, but I was still kind of shocked by how cold it was. I took an invigorating stroll up the bluff to admire the amazing views.

Mt. Jefferson as seen from Mt. Hood