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A celebration of spring awaits at the Rowena Plateau and Tom McCall Point areas of the eastern Columbia River Gorge. The month of May is prime show time for this yearly extravaganza of wildflowers and mesmerizing vistas. It shouldn't be missed.
For casual strollers, the lower 2.2 round-trip lower trail visits two beautiful ponds, each an independent ecosystem displaying lily pads, puffy cattails, nesting red-winged blackbirds and meadowlarks who fill the air with melodious sounds of rebirth. Each pond is encircled by its own artfully evolved native trees and thick, fragrantly blooming bushes to create miniature oases of serious beauty.
Earlier this week, several varieties of the immensely pungent desert parsley appeared in great profusion. Arrow-leaf balsamroot, that dazzlingly yellow, show-stealing member of the sunflower family, was displaying it's stuff by carpeting the surrounding plateaus and slopes as far as one could see. Just starting to emerge were the luminous purple lupines and, a surprise, fire-engine red paint brushes were clumped together in several areas on the early stretch of the upper trail.
We thought the poison oak seemed rather subdued this year compared to previous years, much to our delight. Although spring is prime time for ticks, we luckily encountered none this year.
The upper trail was steeper than I remembered from last year, but, at least, the length stayed the same at 3.4 miles round trip. Dramatic views of the valley and deep, flower-dotted canyons sloping into the sparkling blue Columbia River were evident with each step. Truly a natural marvel, the gorge is the place to be this spring.
Suggested jumping off point: Traveling from Portland on I-84 east, exit at the town of Moiser (the next town east of Hood River) and take Highway 30 (a bucolic trip in itself) through flower- strewn hills for about 7 miles to the Rowena parking lot and trails. Be sure to take your own lunch, water and snacks, since no tourist facilities mar this wonder of the world.
For casual strollers, the lower 2.2 round-trip lower trail visits two beautiful ponds, each an independent ecosystem displaying lily pads, puffy cattails, nesting red-winged blackbirds and meadowlarks who fill the air with melodious sounds of rebirth. Each pond is encircled by its own artfully evolved native trees and thick, fragrantly blooming bushes to create miniature oases of serious beauty.
Earlier this week, several varieties of the immensely pungent desert parsley appeared in great profusion. Arrow-leaf balsamroot, that dazzlingly yellow, show-stealing member of the sunflower family, was displaying it's stuff by carpeting the surrounding plateaus and slopes as far as one could see. Just starting to emerge were the luminous purple lupines and, a surprise, fire-engine red paint brushes were clumped together in several areas on the early stretch of the upper trail.
We thought the poison oak seemed rather subdued this year compared to previous years, much to our delight. Although spring is prime time for ticks, we luckily encountered none this year.
The upper trail was steeper than I remembered from last year, but, at least, the length stayed the same at 3.4 miles round trip. Dramatic views of the valley and deep, flower-dotted canyons sloping into the sparkling blue Columbia River were evident with each step. Truly a natural marvel, the gorge is the place to be this spring.
Suggested jumping off point: Traveling from Portland on I-84 east, exit at the town of Moiser (the next town east of Hood River) and take Highway 30 (a bucolic trip in itself) through flower- strewn hills for about 7 miles to the Rowena parking lot and trails. Be sure to take your own lunch, water and snacks, since no tourist facilities mar this wonder of the world.
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