Beacon Rock

Yesterday, I had the day off. This can mean any number of things depending on the weather, what sort of chores I've got to take care of, etc. But yesterday, I wanted to get out of Portland and go somewhere I had never been. So I drove all of 40 miles to the Bridge of the Gods, an amazing old toll bridge spanning the Columbia River, connecting Oregon and Washington. It essentially serves to transfer the intrepid explorer from the relatively large I-84 to the two lane Highway 14. I had originally intended to immerse myself in a wilderness area and hike around, but not having a proper map opted instead to explore what I found easily. I love Highway 14. It's like hanging upside down from the monkey bars as a child and seeing the world make an immediate shift in interestingness. It's the view of the gorge from the other side of the river. It's the rolling elevation of the road and the cozy proximity of the old growth trees to your whirring vehicle. It's the double yellow line weaving its beautiful crazed path through the forest. And it led me straight to Beacon Rock. It's a monument and a testament to volcanic activity of yore. In the early 1900s, a few men began to build a trail that traversed the western face of the rock, finishing several years later. And it has been maintained to this day, allowing hikers the opportunity to see the breathtaking view of the Columbia River Gorge in three hundred and sixty degrees while chipmunks scamper about their feet. And it's the best place I've explored recently. This photo is looking east through the decorative guardrail which adorns each hairpin corner in the trail.