The city of Hood River serves as the natural bridge between the Gorge at Mt. Hood. The town of 6,000 people welcomes travelers from around the world every year and offers several scenic viewpoints from which to view the two natural wonders simultaneously.
The Columbia River Gorge Recently listed as a National Scenic Area the Gorge is recognized throughout the world as one of the finest boardsailing areas. It is a mecca of high-performance board sailing activity. The winds consistently blow above 25 knots and regularly "Nuke" with gusts above 40 knots, generating large swells. A boardsailors dream, small sails, small boards, current that carries you back up wind and no Sharks! Not only is the Gorge renowned for its sailing, the surrounding topography of the Cascade mountains creates a recreational paradise. Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams hold their snow year round luring skiers and climbers to their slopes. Mt. Hood is a 45 minute drive with lift serviced skiing year round. The Mt. Adams wilderness areas are easily accessible from the Gorge. Mt. St. Helens is a day trip away where you can observe the devastation of the 1980 eruption. The hiking in the gorge is unsurpassed for its variety of water falls and climate zones that you can experience in a day of trekking. 26 miles from the school the Pacific Crest Trail crosses the Gorge at the Bridge of the Gods. The timber industry has developed hundreds of miles of old access roads, lacing the forests and hills. These roads have created some fantastic trails and paths challenging cyclists of all ability levels. Mountain bike rentals are available right at the school with several trails starting right from the grounds climbing 2200 ft to the rim. The glacier fed tributaries of the Columbia provide the angler with excellent fishing and maintain runoff for exciting white water rafting most of the summer. Professionally guided trips on the Deschutes, White Salmon and Klickitat rivers offer an exciting day that will not be forgotten. The Columbia River Gorge It's all here, fun for everyone. Built in 1938, the Bingen Grade School served Bingen & White Salmon into the late 70's. John Newman purchased the school in 1988 and remodeled the school into a Hostel like Inn. Built from wood the school takes on a warm comfortable feel. With Private, Semi-Private and Hostel like Group Rooms, his intent was to find space for every one while maintaining a comfortable, affordable, relaxed atmosphere. "A place where outdoor oriented people come from all over the world to meet and exchange ideas, relax in the large den sharing the days adventures with others, or get in on a quick ball game in the Gymnasium". A fun relaxed atmosphere exists here with out the restrictions of typical Hostels. The accommodations offer maid service, individual stall showers and refrigerator space. The Inn is centrally located in the Gorge just minutes to all the hottest sailing spots and other features of the Gorge. Several restaurants and a movie theater are all within a 5 minute walk from the school. The Amtrak and bus terminals are right here in town and an easy six block walk from the school. Portland International Airport is 60 scenic miles away on 1-84.
Starting in 1843, a steady progression of emigrants began traveling the Oregon Trail from the Independence, Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon. The entire route of that trail was determined by the location of an easily-traveled pass through the Rocky Mountains - South Pass. In many places along the trail which faced those pioneers can still be seen today with traces of the wagon ruts still imbedded in the rough trail.
Hood River Lavender Farms - 3801 Straight Hill Road Hood River, OR 97031 (541) 386-9100 Certified Organic farm (OR-OTCO-CO-05-01179) that not only grows acres of lavender, but we also steam distill our lavender to produce pure essential oil of lavender. The Dalles sits in the John Day formation, which is home to the John Day fossil beds. There is wood right outside of town, and some neat calcite crystals in town. I haven't explored but one day around here so if anyone can help out with some more locations, I'd really appreciate it! To get there take I-84 to town. It's easy. Petrified Wood and Calcite There is lots of opalized wood in a road rock quarry up on Seventeenmile Hill. The road goes west up the hill from The Dalles. Ask locally for directions, it takes off from the SW corner of town. It's behind (south) of the old Columbia River Highway, which has some pretty spectacular views of the river. The quarry is just on the east side of the crest of Seventeenmile Hill, about 1/2 mile from the top. There's a gate and a cattle guard. Walk back the road for about 200 yards. The wood is alternately exposed and covered as they work the quarry. Last time I was there, a huge boulder weighing about a ton was exposed. It had branches of cedar embedded in it. Most was opalized but there was some jasper and one branch that was replaced by an asbestos mineral. There are lots of good tumbling pieces laying around. The deposit is near the bottom of the quarry on the left. If it's exposed you can probably dig into it; last time I was there it was covered with basalt from above. The calcite is easier. It's all through the rotten pillow basalt at the intersection of I-84 and OR 197. Pull over at the wide spot as soon as you get off the freeway (eastbound) and look up. There is pretty pineapple calcite all through the rock, and I have broken open a nice vug or two way way up there. There are lots of crystals in the talus at the bottom of the cliff. We found a few doubly terminated crystals about a cm long in the talus. Wascoite On the grade up 97 south from Biggs there are some places where you can find Wascoite. You'll see them - they've been well-worked by rockhounds. This is basically picture jasper but it's in concentric, irregular circles of shades of lavender, yellow, pink, and red. There are some pretty famous slabs that have been cut from Wascoite; there's a picture of one at Ed's House of Gems on Sandy Blvd and 77th in Portland. That slab came from a farmer just off 97 who had a quarry open for a while; it's dozed over and closed now. If anyone knows who bought the farm, let me know, and we'll try to talk him into letting local clubs in for a weekend or two.
The Snake River tantalized travelers. Sparingly clear and filled with fish, it cut through a deep canyon hundreds of feet below the trail. At fords, its swirling waters took a terrible toll. drowning hapless emigrants. Northeastern Oregon, however, hinted at the promises luring emigrants westward. The majestic Blue Mountains, stands of pines, and the well-watered bottom lands along the Powder River confirmed the value of the trip. And some stayed. The discovery of gold in the Blues in 1862 sparked a major rush and widespread settlement. A new frontier grew in the mountainous interior of the West. Those who pushed on crossed the Blues, the Columbia Plateau, and finally the Cascades. Those ,who could afford it or were willing to risk it descended the Columbia Gorge by water. Beyond lay the fertile valleys of western Oregon and Washington.
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