Painting is just another way of keeping a diary ~Pablo Picasso

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Columbia River Gorge

It's a beautiful drive east along the Columbia River, and an easy way through the Cascade Mountains.  As the Ice Age ended and glaciers melted, the Columbia River cut through the Cascades, so driving along this river gorge doesn't have the same challenges as crossing one of the mountain passes.  It's a pleasant sea-level route through the mountains. Along this stretch the river forms the boundary line between Washington and Oregon.  I realize now that I didn't take any photos of the river itself, so I'll have to put that on my list for future photos.  One of the things that kept catching my eye as we drove along was the way the hills wrinkled toward the river on the Washington side.  We crossed back over into Washington to visit a museum in Maryhill; these wrinkled hills and wind turbines were just beyond the museum.  The gorge is usually a very windy place, so it's a good spot for these wind turbines, although I think they must collect a fraction of the energy harnessed at the dams along this stretch of the Columbia.

3 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

other-worldly terrain! beautiful and stark at the same time!

Gail Dixon said...

I've been there! The Columbia River is so beautiful. You captured these hills so well. Can't say I'm a fan of the wind turbines, but it's still a beautiful photo.

Raining Iguanas said...

I arrived at your blog via Woodswalker. I was grazing your wonderful photos and stopped here because I have mixed emotions on windmills. As much as you hate to see technology and progress invade our landscape I can't help but be mesomorized by the ominous beauty of these structures every time I see them. Lovely Blog you have.