Columbia River Gorge

[Crash Davis]

So, woy, et al: please educate me on the Columbia River Gorge. I was watching the "Top 10 Wonders of the West" on the Travel Channel, and this one looked absolutely spectacular. It was also the one about which I am most ignorant.

Somehow, they sandwiched it between a barren desert (Death Valley) at #10 and a few rocks (Arches in Utah) at #8. I'm saying Columbia River Gorge should have been at least #5 on the list:

This was Travel Channel's list:

10] Death Valley - barren wasteland...exciting, eh?
9] Columbia River Gorge - one of the most beautiful places on Earth
8] Arches in Utah - um, rocks...
7] Carlsbad Caverns - caves...with a cafeteria and lots of bats
6] Channel Islands, CA - America's Galapogos
5] Mt. Hood - molehill compared to Denali...but looks pretty in background of awesome Columbia River Gorge
4] Redwood Forest, CA - trees older than Caesar, 20 ft around & 35 stories high
3] Yosemite Park - Sierra Nevada mountains, meadows, forests, waterfalls, El Capitan, Half-Dome
2] Yellowstone, WY - 1st nat'l park, 2.2M acres, 10,000 geysers, Old Faithful, buffalo, elk, grizzlies, moose
1] Grand Canyon - the one natural wonder you compare everything else to

I think I'd move Columbia River Gorge up to #5 on this list. Oregonians: please tell me if I'm wrong here.

[westofyou]

I like the Gorge, it is lovely to look at that's for sure, can be damp and a wind tunnel, and alot of the hiking in of the uphill variety, but it's a hemmed in space, if you're a river person that includes the water, I like the run of the gorge to Hood River and the Valley leading up to the top of Mt Hood. Great hiking/biking etc.. up there.... in fact I'm pondering it tomorrow.

I've been to 6 of the listed (my wife 8), never made Death Valley, nor Carlsbad or the Grand Canyon, or the Channel Islands.

I love Arches, love it to death, Moab is one of my favorite places, The Sierra's and the Cascades are alot alike, therefore red rock desert has a draw to me.

[MWM]

Ditto on Moab. Been there several times and it's one of my favorite places. It's fantastic for 4-wheeling and biking (although I never did any biking there myself).

[SunDeck]

Ever been to Palouse Falls?
It's downright weird, you drive way out into the middle of the high desert, past where the cattle are ranging and suddenly there's this giant waterfall.
http://www.spokaneoutdoors.com/images/pfalls02.jpg

[deltachi8]

I know of independent george....

Seriously, sounds wonderful

[westofyou]

Not mentioned on that list is Sequia Park, I like that are ajust as much if not more then Yosemite.

Especially Mineral King

http://www.calwild.org/photos/content/ss/mineralking4b.jpg

[MWM]

This thread is really making me miss the west.....the scenery at least.

[pedro]

This thread is really making me miss the west.....the scenery at least.

Being in Houston for the last week is too.

I can't wait to get back to Portland.

[MWM]

Sorry about that, Pedro. No one should have to spend a week in Houston.

[NoCalRed]

Make that 3 on the Moab, I took my wife there for the first time this year and now she loves it too. How about Havasu falls, anyone ever been there?


http://www.uoflife.com/hac/images/havafalls.jpg