THE Trip - Day 24 (Power)

POWER.  This is something that the Columbia River Gorge has plenty of.  What was surprising is that it comes in two forms – both supplied by nature, but influenced by man.

The Bonneville Lock and Dam was the first stop for the day.  We knew that they had a Facility Center for Visitors from the brochures; but we certainly didn’t realize how extensive and open the Dam and Power Plant would be for viewing.  After going through a security gate and having the car checked, we drove through the grounds - passed the transmission towers, the Power Plant, the river lock, the spillway, and the huge fish ladder system.  In the Visitors Center, we had options for 6 different documentary videos on a range of subjects related to the site, power, salmon, and Lewis & Clark’s trip through the Gorge.   Dennis was thrilled when a tour guide actually conducted a 45 minute trip into the original Power Plant #1 with 10 turbines going.   We had guessed that an hour would be sufficient for this visit, but ended up spending an educational 2.5 hours learning about the power of the Columbia River.

Our objective for the rest of the day was to finish driving the historic U.S. Highway Route 30 and view a series of waterfalls with a hike or two thrown in for good measure.  This highway has special significance to me since I lived about 1 mile from Route 30 in Canton, Ohio.  It was a major part of my life until I moved away at age 18.   The drive was lovely.  The waterfalls were impressive.  But, the real surprise was in the waterfalls’ power to draw in crowds of visitors.

At the largest of seven - Multnomah Falls, we learned that it is the second highest year-round flowing waterfall with a total falls drop of 620 feet.  I can certify that figure as my GPS recorded our hike being an elevation gain of 725 feet to the observation deck at the very top.  But the amazing statistic was that 2 million visitors come to the Falls each year.  This represents a huge number of people who come to the Falls just to see and enjoy nature at its most powerful.