Frying Pan, Part Deux

 After a record temperature setting day yesterday, the band played the same song again today, only with more vigor! We took off at about 10 this morning for a day trip to the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge, and by 2:15, the temp was toasty.

The evening news out of Portland, Oregon, tells of even hotter temps tomorrow. Yesterday set all-time heat records. Today was even hotter, and the forecast is for even warmer temps tomorrow! I'm glad we'll be going to Salem, Oregon, because it's only going to be 113 tomorrow!

We left Cascade Locks and traveled over the Bridge of the Gods to the north side of the Columbia River. So named because legend has it that a stone bridge crossed the river millennia ago, but collapsed, forming rapids in the river. Evidently indigenous peoples named that stone arch Bridge of the Gods, so....

The bridge is problematic for larger vehicles, both for weight and size. We paid the $2 toll and slid across in the car. From the viewpoint on the Washington side, we got a great view of Cascade Locks and the Columbia River.

As we drove east on Highway 14, the terrain changed dramatically. Soon we were in layers of molten rock that poured from cracks in the earth about 15 million years ago, coating 65,000 square miles two miles thick! As the Ice Age ended, huge amounts of water poured through the Gorge, scouring the rock and leaving giant gravel bars.

We turned north on US 97 toward the town of Goldendale, passing huge wind farms.

Goldendale lies in the Klickitat Valley, which advertises itself as the home of famous Goldendale Hay, with 35,000 acres of Alfalfa and 25,000 acres of wheat. A scenic turnout pointed out the extraordinary dormant volcanoes in this part of the world.

Mt. Ranier is readily seen in the distance.

But Mt Hood is a bit harder to see, just below the corner of the sign.

From Goldendale, we took WA 142 back to the west, passing abandoned farms along the way.

We stopped in the town of Klickitat for a picnic lunch. We sat in the car with the engine running and the ac going and in the shade of a tree in a city park!

Highway 142 follows the Klickitat River, which appears to be one of the muddiest rivers in the west!

Despite the thick water, dozens of people were cooling off with a raft, tube, paddle board, blow up mattress kinda trip!

We became a little concerned when we saw an empty kayak drifting down river....

But we quickly saw the passenger. He/She is the green hat bobbing in the center of the photo with the paddle in hand!

Returning to US 14, we were amazed at the confluence of the Klickitat and the Columbia! The muddy stuff is on the near side, but the Columbia soon assimilates the dirt, and it disappears.

The evening news has said that at about 9,000 feet on Mt Hood, the temperature was 96 degrees today. It's HOT!