The Day the Snow Turned Blue

One of my favorite places to visit because of its beauty and serenity, is Multnomah Falls, Oregon. Most people that have visited the falls get there traveling on Interstate highway 84, but there is a much better way to get there.

One of the reasons for using the interstate is to move quickly from one place to another, but if you want to explore the real people of this great country, you need to travel the back roads. These roads take you into towns that are not on the main freeway. These roads offers the chance to meet and talk to people that add so much to the character of the location.

The people that you meet are often colorful, interesting and knowledgeable of the area. They add so much pleasure to any trip that I seek these people during my travels. A smile on your face and a wiliness to give a pleasant greeting is often the ticket to admittance into a highly informative peek into the true character of the local people.

I discovered highway 30, which runs parallel to I-84, while riding my motorcycle East from Portland, Oregon. I-84 is a beautiful road as it runs along the Columbia River in places offering a view of Mount Hood, snowcapped year round and rising over 12,000 feet. You are also treated to a beautiful view of the Columbia River George. However, when you are on highway 30, it is so different from I-84 that it is like being a world away.

Highway 30 is tree lined on both sides so you are granted access to the solitude and beauty of the area. The pace is much slower and there are several waterfalls that you don’t get to enjoy when traveling the interstate. So much different than the interstate that you want to stop many times and take pictures, walk along a waterfall, have a picnic, or just enjoy the scenic view.

With the trees the road is so much quieter than the interstate, the trees also make it much cooler in the summer. It makes such a serene setting that you want to take time to savor the peacefulness of the setting.

When riding the motorcycle, my mood is to explore and visit local places and enjoy myself. When in my car, the goal is to get from point A to point B and to do it without interruption and do it quickly.

Two of my favorite places to visit on highway 30, are Crown Point and Multnomah Falls.

Crown Point offers a magnificent view of the Columbia River and all of its splendor. Being over 700 feet above the Columbia River, it offers a magnificent view up and down the river as it flows to the Pacific Ocean. While the migration of salmon is significant, in earlier days before large dams were built the migrations were legendary. Those salmon runs supported the Native Americans that lived in the area, and provided a significant part of their diet. You can get lost in the grandeur that the area provided to those early inhabitants.

The building located atop Crown Point is known as Vista House and was dedicated in 1916. Crown Point was designates as a National Natural Landmark in 1971 and recognized for its historic significance in the National Register of Historic places in 1974.

Multnomah Falls offers a trail to the top of the falls which is over 600 feet in height. It is the highest waterfall in the state of Oregon and is reported as one of the tallest year around waterfalls in America. The source of water is the annual snow pack and underground springs on Larch Mountain.

I have made the trip up the trail several times. On this particular day, my transportation choice was my 4 wheel drive Blazer because it was the middle of the winter. There had been an ice storm in the area and the entire area was covered with what seemed like an inch of ice. Despite the recent ice storm, the day was bright and sunny. The contrast of the completely white surroundings, the clear blue sky and a full sun created a scene worthy of being a post card all by itself.

Being young and adventurous, I decided to walk up to the falls despite the ice and the fact that I was wearing regular shoes. I took care while walking and had made it over the bridge that you see in the pictures when suddenly the snow turned blue, sky blue.

It then became apparent that the snow had not turned blue at all, I was laying on my back looking at the sky. The fall had happened so quickly that I did not remember the trip. I was not hurt in the least, so it was funny and I spent a few seconds kind of laughing at myself, but got up before anyone saw me like that and thought some idiot was on the loose. Well, I was, but had not evil intent.

Where ever you go and in everything that you do, learn to enjoy the day and make the most of it. It may not seem like it at the time, but in due time, It will make an interesting story.