Columbia River Gorge with Matt & the Twins
Today was our day to explore the Columbia River Gorge with Matt, Kira, and Jayden. We had gotten permits for Multnomah Falls for 10:00 and the Columbia Gorge Corridor for 11:00. Just as we reached the parking area for Multnomah Falls, the overcast sky burned off and only wisps of cirrus clouds remained high on the gorge rim. Kira and Jayden were very excited about Multnomah Falls. It was the first waterfall they've seen. Multnomah Falls is one of the more impressive waterfalls in the West, so it was a good introduction for them. We took group pictures from the main viewing area near the base of the falls. Being the adventurous ones in our group, Kira and Jayden wanted to walk up to the bridge that goes over the waterfall. You can see the bridge over the waterfall in the image to the left. Matt, Kira, and Jayden hiked up to the bridge while Carol and I stayed in the main viewing area to take the pictures.
From Multnomah Falls, we drove upriver to Horsetail Falls. We had a few minutes of sunshine, which lit the tree leaves and framed the falls. Jayden and Kira liked Horsetail Falls because it was easy to get down to the plunge pool where they could throw rocks. There's something special about throwing rocks into water for kids of all ages.
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Our final stop of the day was Latourell Falls at the east end of the Columbia Gorge. The sun was directly above the falls, so there was no chance for good photographs. The girls didn't seem to notice. They were having a good time playing with their dad.
Because of the new permit system, traffic was relatively light today, and the only parking area that was nearing capacity was at Latourell Falls. And that's because Latourell Falls is outside the permit area.
The preference to shoot the Columbia River Gorge in the late afternoon and early evening was reinforced today--especially for Latourell Falls. You definitely want the sun farther to the west so it lights the waterfalls from the front.
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