We had only been driving in the car about 20 minutes when I went to pull my phone out of my purse to check something. Rummaging around, I realized it wasn’t there. I didn’t have my phone and I was going away for the weekend.
My friend Elle and I signed up for a talk by Erin Saver of Walking with Wired fame to hear about her hike on the Haute Route in Switzerland at a venue in Portland. It was on the awkward Monday night but Elle and I decided to make a weekend of it anyway and go the day before to make the most of the drive.
A Hiking Weekend Getaway
Instead of staying in Portland, we opted to spend time up the Columbia River Gorge and get in some hiking. I had always wanted to return to the area and the small town of Carson with its Carson Hot Springs Resort after hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and hearing what an interesting place it was to visit.
I met Elle at her home east of Seattle and we carpooled down. It was soon after that realized I did not have my phone in my purse. I had hoped it was in the back of the car with my bag but I knew that was probably wishful thinking.
Have you ever had that moment? When you realize you have left the house on a trip without your phone? You mind races through the decision process as you continue to drive away. Do I stop and turn around? Can I go two days without my phone? What do I really need it for?
Could you go two days without your phone?
My camera, of course, was my first thought. Then the connectivity, social media and my family (probably in that order). Then the actual, phone (with phone numbers). I was meeting my other friend Elizabeth while we were down there, how would I connect with her to meet up?
Elle said she would turn around but I shook my head and made the choice to continue on without it. Mostly because I wanted to be the kind of person who could go a weekend (an overnight, really) without her phone. It is one thing to go backpacking in the wilderness for a week where no one expects to hear from you. But two days in civilization? Is it possible?
The Scenic Columbia River Gorge
It was about a two-hour drive down towards Portland on Interstate 5. A short connection on Interstate 205 and we were soon driving east along on State Route 14. The scenic byway runs along the Columbia River Gorge and we found ourselves talking about how we had not been back to the area since the devastating wildfire the year before that had burned 48,000 acres of forest.
The weather was not the best for our getaway weekend and we were debating which hike we were going to do before we checked into our room at the resort. Neither one of us were particularly feeling the pull to hike in the cold, wet weather (it was January after all). The windshield wipers were serenading us at this point.
Beacon Rock
A short jaunt up the Beacon Rock Trail that is a part of the Beacon Rock State Park campground area seemed smart. I wrote about hiking near here on the Hadley-Little Beacon Rock Loop Trail when I was in the area for a trail work skills college in Cascade Locks.
This trail is a short but steep route up an 850 foot high volcano cinder cone with lovely views of the river gorge. Elle and I navigated the icy and narrow path made of wooden planks built out from the sides of the formation as it climbed to the summit on 53 switchbacks.
We only lasted long enough at the top to remark on the scars of the wildfire we could see on the other side of the river through the clouds. Blackened pines exposed the white frozen fingers of waterfalls draping over the angular ebony basalt walls characteristic of the cliffs in the area formed during ice age floods.
Stevenson, Washington
Soon back in the car drying out and warming up, we continued on east towards Stevenson, the closest town in Washington to where the Bridge of The Gods spans the Columbia from Oregon. This is the link for all Pacific Crest Trail hikers crossing between the two states while on their journey. I commented that they had to close the bridge each time a hiker needed to cross as there is no walkway.
We arrived in Stevenson after lunch but too soon for dinner. There was a debate about what to do, so we ventured into the grocery store with the idea to tide ourselves over until a more proper meal time. The small A&J Market surprised us with kombucha on tap and organic produce despite its humble exterior.
As the cashier was ringing us up, she chatted with us about how the store had been closed the night before for their annual employee holiday party. She smiled as she recounted the shenanigans had happened. Elle and I remarked as we left that you don’t see that much anymore where businesses close for get togethers and employees bring potluck. Together with not having my phone, I was starting to have the feeling of traveling back in time to the days of old.
I was starting to have the feeling of traveling back in time to the days of old.
Carson Hot Springs Resort
Carson sits just three miles further east. We arrived with enough daylight despite the grey skies to see the grounds of the resort nestled in the mouth of the Wind River valley. Surrounded by more modern buildings, the early 1900’s three-story Hotel St. Martin beckoned to us from right out of an old Western movie scene.
Inside the charming lobby decorated with eclectic velour chairs and upholstery worn from years of welcoming visitors, we checked in and requested a room with a TV and DVD player. It took a little rearranging of rooms for us as not all have these modern devices but the staff were accommodating (I imagine a Sunday night in January makes that a bit easier, too). The rustic resort strives to take its guests away from modern distractions and allow for one to be immersed in nature.
Having a television in my hotel room is rarely a concern, it is usually nothing more than a decoration. But on the way down Elle had shared that she had brought a movie that she thought would be fun to watch and she hoped I would love it as much as she does.
It turned out to be Continental Divide with John Belushi and Blair Brown from 1981. Would I love it? I laughed out loud, it was one of my favorite movies! Back when VHS became a thing, my uncle had sent us recorded movies for my family’s first player and Continental Divide was one of them (along with Splash and Stars Wars: The Empire Strikes Back).
We had to watch it.
Our room at the down-to-earth resort turned out to be simple but cozy with plush bedding and even more luxurious white spa robes. If you haven’t been to the Carson Hot Springs Resort before, each evening will most likely find guests walking the grounds in these fluffy cloaks like wandering spirits as they move between the pool, hot tub, spa and their rooms.
…the evening will most likely find guests strolling the grounds in these fluffy cloaks like wandering spirits as they move between the pool, hot tub, spa and their rooms.
Elle and I discussed when we would be doing the same and I suggested we wait until after dinner. Once relaxing in the warm water, I was going to be less inclined to venture anywhere else for the evening. She agreed.
Walking Man Brewery
After relaxing a bit in our room, we decided it was time for dinner and drove back the short distance into Stevenson because I wanted to try out the Walking Man Brewery in town. I had heard good things about it when researching where to eat while we were here for the weekend.
It did not disappoint! Tucked back in a high-backed wooden booth, we sampled their cajun gumbo (a weekend special) and salmon tacos. I had cherry cider on tap and Elle sipped an ale. The small warm space had a soft hum as locals chatted about their week and families huddles over pizza slices.
We talked about where we might hike tomorrow in Oregon and acknowledged that our options would be limited due to the trail closures from the wildfire. Research online would be necessary.
Soaking Away The World
Back at the resort, we quickly changed into our swimsuits and floated over to the humid pool house in the crisp evening air for a soak. There are spa sessions you can sign up for in the actual mineral waters over in the bathhouse but the jacuzzi jets in the pool turned out to be just what we were looking for. Most of our soak was without company and I could literally feel stress flow out from my pores and away into the water.
I used Elle’s phone to message my husband that I did not have my phone and look up Elizabeth’s phone number. Thankfully, she is one of the few people left with a landline so I was able to leave a message with Elle’s phone number.
We ended the evening lounging in our cozy robes and watching Continental Divide as its scenes switched from downtown Chicago and the Rocky Mountain high country. John Belushi alternated his normal comedic self with a more serious persona and confident Blair was the perfect protagonist to balance him.
Not only was it fun to watch this movie again with someone who loves it as much as I do, it was interesting to think about how the theme of the movie asks several questions of the viewer. Where would you find yourself most comfortable, moving along with the busyness of city life or breathing slower in the wilderness? And more importantly, would finding someone you love change your answer?
Where would you find yourself most comfortable, moving along with the busyness of city life or breathing slower in the wilderness? And more importantly, would finding someone you love change your answer?
Off To Oregon
Sleep came easy and the sun was soon shining through the front window in the morning. We slowly got ready for the day and snacked on breakfast foods we had brought in a cooler in the car. Clouds muddled the sky but rain held off.
Leaving Carson and driving over the Bridge of the Gods to the Oregon side of the Gorge, I shared with Elle some of the hikes I had done near here, like Dry Creek Falls that is part of the Pacific Crest Trail southbound. Unfortunately, a lot of the hikes we both knew would be closed due to the fire just months before.
We had looked up on Oregon Hikers forum and the forest service about which trails might still be accessible so we knew there would at least be something to hike. But as we continued west towards Portland, the damage was depressing. Bulldozers clearing stacks of burnt trees and debris off the Historic Columbia River Highway next to Interstate 84 were real life reminders of what we had only seen on the news.
Most of the exit signs declared their trail heads were closed, including the extremely popular Multnomah Falls. The danger was serious enough that they had DOT personnel staged to turn eager hikers around. Trail heads had caution tape strung across them and fliers warning that search and rescue would not come to anyone’s aid who continued up the trails.
A Loop At Latourell Falls
Eventually, we found ourselves at exit 28 and we were able to do a short loop hike on a trail that had been spared from the wildfire. You can read more about this hike on my Latourell Falls page. It was about 2.5 miles and just right for what we had time for.
Historic Columbia River Highway
From here we stayed on the narrow historic byway, with its moss-covered bridges and stone walls for a few more miles. We got out of the car at the Vista House viewpoint at Crown Point to look along the length of the Columbia River once more as it flowed to the sea. We both agreed that our choice to stay in Carson and relax on the Gorge was far better than having been in the city.
Capping It All With A Little Time In Portland
Visiting with Elizabeth at our favorite paleo restaurant, Cultured Caveman, and a wonderful evening with both her and Elle listening to Erin share her tales from the trail was the perfect ending to our weekend. Both Elle and I have followed Erin since she began hiking long distance trails and it always fun to meet people in real life that you feel you already have a connection to. Especially since she is a local out of Portland herself.
As we drove our way back up I-5 for home, my mind once again turned to my phone with the hope that is was just in my car. For all I know I dropped it in Elle’s yard or who-knows-where-else. I had survived two days without it but for life moving forward it was a tool I relied on.
But apart from not having more pictures of our weekend, I had managed to do just fine for two days in its absence. And I imagine for the most part, that vacancy helped to make our hiking weekend getaway all that more true to its name.
These pictures are from the area and were taken on two trips I’ve taken since then. They can give you an idea of the beauty to be experienced in this part of Washington State and why I have fallen in love with it. So much of the Puget Sound has grown up and become congested, the Columbia River Gorge reminds us of a time when things were a more relaxed pace. Look for future posts about those adventures!
Editor’s note: all photos in the post itself are credited to Elle McClees unless otherwise noted. I wrote an shorter and more poetic article about our weekend for Washington Trails Association as a travel piece called, Unplugged. You can read it here and find out more information about hikes, restaurants and places to stay if you want to visit this area yourself. It starts on page 40. You will also find a fun article I wrote on the Avalanche Lily on page 50!
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