Summer School ~ Angel’s Rest, Columbia Gorge

After our beautiful hike at Silver Creek Falls, I was hoping our next adventure wouldn’t be a major letdown. Today’s hike in the Columbia Gorge was anything but.

We were a bit worried about the long drive up through the Portland area, but the six boys in my truck were well-behaved, traffic was light, we found our destination easily, and everyone arrived at the same time: Alicen and her two kids, Alicia and her three girls, Char and her two kids, Holly and Ivy and friend, Christina and Jake, Sarah and her four kids, and I and my four kids. Did I miss anyone?

Angel’s Rest is a picturesque hike, and my pictures don’t do it justice. It’s 2.3 miles up.

Up. Up. Up. A very long 2.3+ miles, past two waterfalls. According the the trail guide, the elevation gain is 1450 feet. If you consider a flight of stairs to be a 10’ elevation gain, that’s equal to 145 flights of stairs.

Can you see the bitty person on the rock below? We had hiked for what seemed like forever before getting to this point, and we were headed all the way up to that rock (where several of our kids were already waiting).

The hike was gorgeous, but the spectacular view was rewarding after all that work. This is the Columbia Gorge, which separates Oregon from Washington (we’re on the Oregon side, looking across to Washington). I wish my pictures could give a better sense of perspective and magnitude.

After the strenuous hike up, we picnicked and explored at the summit for quite a while in the glorious sunshine and 70 degrees. Hiking weather doesn’t get more perfect than that.

This is the western view, out toward the Pacific Ocean.

The 2.3+ miles back down were more difficult than previous descents due to the rocks and tree roots in the path. By the time we returned to the trailhead, we felt we had earned our stripes today.

Some of us drove on to see Latourell Falls after the hike.

And then up to the Vista House to again view the Gorge.

Eastern view:

Vista House:

Western view:

There were several more waterfalls we could have viewed, including the famed Multnomah Falls, but we were dead tired and had a long drive back through Portland traffic so we headed home.