Climbing Up

Today was an elevating experience. Quite literally. After starting out darn near sea level from our cozy loft in the Pearl District of Portland, we transited any number of passes above 4,000 feet, and a couple reaching to nearly 6,000 feet in our travels today. As far as those map links I sent, the first part is irrelevant, since I immediately deviated from plan. I took a look at ODOT.GOV, which is Oregon Department of Transportation. Foolishly, I clicked on the Scenic Byways link, and realized that the relatively efficient path I had chosen, which already had us off the Interstate for most of the way, was hopelessly lame compared to what ODOT had cooked up. So, tear up day one of the maps.


It was our fondest desire to get off to an early start, but alas - Mr Hertz does not open until 8AM on Sunday. So we hiked down to their office, picked up our car with a minimum of hassle (thank you, AAA, for the free Gold membership . . .) and drove back to the apartment, parking in the street. Loading up took far longer than one might think, plus we have a pretty complex wind-down ritual that includes such things as temporarily mothballing the automatic espresso machine, turning off the hot water heater, unplugging all voltage-sucking devices, and so on. So a crisp departure was not in the cards. In fact we felt lucky to pull away from the curb just before 9:30AM.


The journey commenced with the usual haul down I-84 through the Columbia River Gorge, eastward just past the Dalles. It seems funny to say, but living in Portland brings about a certain complacency about traversing the Gorge. Pretty much everyone who is not terminally jaundiced or sadly blind experiences an eye-opening epiphany when they first encounter the vertical tumbles and walls of rock, the multiplicity and variety of falls and the nearly incomprehensible volume of water running down the parallel Columbia River. But after a few dozen trips, it becomes, well, just - - the Gorge. So it is hard to look at it with fresh eyes, but we did our best, especially as we moved east into less familiar country past Hood River and the Dalles. As you leave the National Scenic Area there is a palpable change in the environment, which moves from relentlessly green to something a bit more California-like, with dry brown patches already showing after a near record-setting wet winter. 


A bit thereafter we turned south on US 97, a road we're more familiar with in its Klamath Falls and Bend sectors. This time we commenced a southward climb out of the Gorge that was unbroken for 13 straight miles, and actually continued upward with just a few dips for a full 20 miles. The day was clear and just a bit hazy thanks to prevailing high pressure, but that did not prevent a mind-boggling sequence of mountain views, starting with the often hidden and elusive Mount Adams popping up in the rear view mirror, and Mount Hood at our right side. As elevation continued to be put on, Mount Rainier poked up rather obviously behind Adams. Further along the way, Mount Jefferson asserted its pointy and substantial self, and as we continued to gain elevation and travel southward, the Sisters, Mount Bachelor and the rest of their companions showed their heads and shoulders. At best spots you could experience three, four, five or six mountain peaks, all in one panorama. The rise out of the Columbia River Valley was one of the most dramatic driving and travelling experiences I have ever had.

Pallisade formations, John Day Fossil Bed

The next twist and turn was on to a minimal two-lane highway dubbed Oregon 218. There are highways, and highways. OR 218 is one of those roads where they don't build any overpasses. Instead the road follows every twist and turn of a stream, or folds upon itself in tortuous switchbacks as it ascends and descends hills and mountains that interstate highways would blithely slash through. It's about as close as we are going to get to reliving the pioneer experience - - always better with at least 150 horsepower in front of you. OR 218 fed into OR 19, and then to US 26, and finally back into I-84 and down to Boise. The variety of landscapes and ecologies was satisfying; 218 was notable for following the John Day River, which was raging along at near-flood levels. The massive rock structures on both sides of the canyon looked like volcanic layer cakes, with exposed vertical basalt columns interspersed with layers of topsoil. At every turn there were new geological formations, and the rocks were imbued with many hues, including cupric oxide green, limestone, red-purple basalt and endless varieties and blends. The geology of the area is quite naked - - that is, the various layers show quite unabashedly. I am sure our friend Jim Jackson could explain it all, but that is a topic for another week. We made only cursory stops at the Fossil Beds, which were visually stunning and deserve a short hike, most likely in the spring when temperatures and sunshine are a bit abated.


Once we left the John Day River it was basically a game to see how fast we could get to Boise. US 26 obliged us by being singularly empty of cars and people. The little Versa (see Andrea's post) was more or less up to the task of passing, especially if you could see at least a mile down the road, and no risks were taken. A pleasant surprise was the 75 mph speed limit in Idaho on  I-84, which sadly deteriorated to 65 and then a mere 55 as we got closer to Boise and the road became enveloped in various lane expansion projects. Ah well. 


At last we crossed the Snake River as we snaked into Boise, and settled into our hotel room.


Here's the wrap-up: Day one. Car is surprisingly delightful. Oregon ODOT gets kudos for their Scenic Byway selection. Nine hours of driving is a bee-och, but did not kill us, so let's see if we can do that about ten more times. Scenery incomparable. Boise: fun city full of young people and many eating options, including quite a bit of sidewalk dining and more sophistication than one might easily expect. Why do they have so many bank buildings? And why are they so large?


And final lesson: the road less taken can be a damn good thing. How often do you get to visit a town named Fossil? or Spray?


Scenic Byway Link includes a PDF of the route we took:
http://egov.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/SCENICBYWAYS/docs/driving_guide/journey_time.pdf