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Feeling Columbia River Gorge-ous

So many waterfalls I'm sure they can solve California's drought

By: Andrew Hoang + Save to a List

One of my best friends who goes to UC Santa Cruz called me saying he'll be up in Oregon for a weekend and that my friends and I should drive down to visit him. But with the drive being 4 hours to Salem and a plan to go on a hike that same weekend, we came to a dilemma...

Drew? Or Big Four Ice Caves?

Obviously we chose the first, and I'm so glad we did.

The drive down wasn't too eventful except for our stop at McDanks (McDonald's) for some nugs. The next day we enjoyed having a real breakfast (dorm food gets tiring trust me) and spending time with Drew and his family.

The next morning we said our goodbyes and headed onto the historic 84 for some waterfall action and we were not disappointed. Multnomah was kind of crowded and the lighting was just this weird smoky haze so I made a call to go up to Government Cove to get some good shots of the Columbia River and avoid the Sunday crowds.

I love how quiet this spot is. It's so interesting with different rock structures, so naturally we had to have some fun messing with ledges.

(You can't see it but Em is laughing)

We continued on to hit Bridal Veil Falls which for some reason was across the street from the parking lot and not below it. We continued on to Crown Point Vista House which literally blew us away (it was so windy we almost lost a hat). The lighting was still weird and hazy but still a very cool spot!

We finished off our trip at Voodoo Donuts because when you stop in Portland I guess its just something you have to do (warning: guilt will ensue after consuming said donuts). 

Overall, so glad we decided to drive down to Oregon and spend time with our buddy Drew and see the Columbia River Gorge. Just driving with my friends and blasting Bethel, Phil Wickham and the occasional Pentatonix/Christmas music was the best.

Here's a picture of Boogie bringing the water back home for us! :)

We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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