Oregon, Washington - Cruising the Columbia River

A cruise up the mighty Columbia River yields scenic vistas and occasional surprises around every bend. Shortly after leaving the Bridge of the Gods, for example, the river grows in width by a factor of four. Now about a mile wide, the river almost seems more like a lake.

The cliffs on both sides of the river grow higher, as do the mountains beyond. This is because the Columbia here is bisecting the very spine of the Cascade Mountain Range.

One thing that becomes noticeable here is the difference between the north and south sides of the river. Steep, nearly vertical cliffs continue on the south side, but the north side seems to have been plagued by one landslide after another.

This is due to the geological makeup of the north side cliffs, which consist of heavy volcanic rock resting atop a softer soil made of volcanic ash, native soils and--interestingly--petrified wood. The result is steeply slopped, constantly moving terrain that may well slide into the Columbia and block it again one day, as it did many hundreds of years ago.

The stretch of river from Cascade Locks to Hood River includes views of a few nice state parks and campgrounds on both sides of the river. Among these are Herman Creek, Wyeth, Starvation Creek and Viento Park, all on the Oregon side; and Home Valley Waterfront Park on the Washington shore.

Another interesting sight from the deck of your cruise ship is the green roofed Skamania Lodge resort, just west of quaint Stevenson, Washington. A popular destination for vacationers, conference attendees, and golf enthusiasts, the lodge fits snugly into its lush, forested setting.

Approaching Hood River, you should prepare yourself for two incredible sights on the Oregon side of the river. First is the collection of windsurfers you will encounter as you draw nearer to Hood River. Second is the first dramatic view of Mt. Hood towering to the south of the town and its snow-covered 11,000 foot peak glistening in the sun on clear days.

Windsurfers on the Columbia near Hood River rely on wind, of course, and it is available due to a summertime phenomena brought on by the sun's heat hitting the dry, bare slopes of the Gorge's eastern end. The difference in temperature and pressure between the western and eastern stretches of the Columbia River causes winds to gust pretty regularly in the hood River area, something that was discovered by windsurfers in the 1980s and has grown in popularity every year since.

Cruise ship crew members enjoy the colorful surfers as much as anybody, but worry about the near misses as they speed by the ships passing through the stretch of river in which they play.

Hood River has changed from a small fruit packing and shipping town to a mecca for water sports enthusiasts. Orchards just outside the city limits are not only an attractive part of the scenery viewed as you pass by, but also provide great fruit--apples, pears, cherries and peaches--for buying as is, or in the form of pies, jams and jellies.

As you leave Hood River behind, and begin to pass into the eastern rain shadow of the Cascades, you will see that the terrain is already beginning to change from lush and green to drier and browner. The transition has begun and the ship will soon pass into a whole new ecosystem and way of life.