The first view of the Columbia River is always a blow-away moment for me. The expanse of it is one aspect that is awe-inspiring, as well as the remarkable blue of its water. But in a larger sense, I always feel like I’m looking at a major artery of the magnificent river system of the West that has done so much to define its geography.

There was plenty of river traffic, and we saw all kinds, including many wind surfers closer to the coast.

The first glimpse of Mount Hood is also a breathtaking moment.

The Hood River Bridge is an intimidating structure. I’ve been over it in a motorcycle and an RV, and both times I was very grateful to reach the other side in one piece. That said, it’s impossible not to stare at the water moving rapidly below, and if you’re brave enough to look through the grating in the center of the bridgelift, it’s truly awesome. For a better sense of what I’m talking about, you can check out my essay, Finding Religion on the Road, at https://wordpress.com/page/caroltracycarr.com/49.

We spent the night on the John Day River, a tributary of the Columbia River, and that’s where we experienced the real forces of nature engendered by it. The winds surrounding the river are incredible, as evidenced by its high popularity among windsurfers, and this extends to the John Day as well. We set up our tent just a short ways up the road across from the site of the large white RV in the above photo and our camp was situated at the base of a hill that rose at a steep angle behind us. Shortly after the setting of the sun, the evening breezes began pouring down the hill, providing welcome relief from the 100 degree temperatures we’d endured for most of the day. But by the middle of the night, those breezes turned into a gale. As our tent was designed on the “umbrella” concept, it continually tried to close down on top of us for most of the night. By 4:30AM, as the sun began to rise, we gave up the fight. We folded our tent and took off, hoping to find a breakfast cafe where we could find enough coffee to make up for our lost sleep.