Solo Road Trip Photography Adventure Through the Columbia Gorge and Eastern Oregon
Sometimes, you just gotta go. And I’m not talking about the potty. lol
Sometimes you have to put aside your fears and go, as in getting AWAY, adios, get outta town, hasta la vista baby. In the not-so-distant past, I used to be afraid of just about everything ESPECIALLY afraid of solo travel, camping, hiking, and road trips. But a couple of years ago, I read something that stuck with me. It had to do with facing one’s fears and purposefully pursuing things that make us uncomfortable or scared and otherwise pushing ourselves past the point of comfort in order to grow and improve.
So that’s what I’ve been doing. And you know what? It works! Maybe a little TOO well in fact.
The past few years have been quite a struggle for me personally. However, that situation in itself has been a blessing as it has fostered personal growth and forced me to push past those self-limiting beliefs and become a bigger, stronger person on my own. Sure, certain things and situations can still make me nervous, but once you rip off that band-aid of false security and emotional dependence, knowing that you are powerful and good all by yourself is hugely empowering.
So last weekend I embarked on a solo road trip. I set up my Tahoe for a few days of car camping, packed up a thermal sleeping pad, sub-zero rated sleeping bag, a cooler of food, camp stove, my hiking and ski gear, and of course my photography pack and with a loose itinerary, I hit the road. Just in time for it to get dark. The campground I planned to stay at was closed but without missing a beat, I found a nearby RV park instead. On the way, I pulled off the highway to see the Columbia Gorge at sunset. Just because I wanted to and had the freedom to do as I pleased.
My plan the next day was to hike Spirit Falls, in Underwood, Washington, and then travel up the gorge. I’d never been to the falls, was the only person at the trailhead at sunrise that Sunday morning, and because of that, I almost talked myself out of it. In fact, I got back in my car a couple of times, drove back and forth along the road trying to leave, but I didn’t. And I am SO glad I didn’t.
The trail is a VERY steep 1.2 miles straight down the side of a slippery, muddy canyon but leads to THE most beautiful waterfall I have ever laid eyes on. It was just me, the forest, and the stream. It was peaceful, serene, and a huge confidence booster to navigate that by myself.
After I got a few photos, it was time to climb back up the canyon. My legs were still tired and loose from the way down but I found a walking stick for support and slowly hiked the mile back out, feeling quite proud of myself.
I then decided to head on up the gorge, on the Washington side so I could stop at the WWI Stonehenge Memorial at Maryhill Winery. Such a gorgeous spot!
So at about this point, (and right about the time I lost cell phone coverage) I realized that my “check engine” light had come on. Uh oh, this isn’t good. Now what?! And WHY in my new car was this happening!? After a quick consult with my owner’s manual, I realized that the emissions sensor wasn’t happy and this could either A) be a warranty-voiding issue if I keep driving with it on, or B) might be because I had filled up with a low-grade gas the night before. Wonderful. So I kept driving and hoped for the best. (It ended up being the gas; I filled with premium at my next stop and the light cleared).
My next planned stop was at Palouse Falls in Eastern Washington. This place is pretty cool; you drive through some wheat fields that along blue skies and fluffy clouds looks like a scene from the old Windows screensaver. Then, out of nowhere, is this massive canyon cut by 100’s of year old glacial floods. It wasn’t Spirit Falls, but it was still beautiful. I also made a little rodent friend.
I then headed towards Baker City in Eastern Oregon to see one of my good friends from high school and her family. It was really snowy that day so I couldn’t see the dramatic mountain peaks as I hoped and it kind of changed my planned route again as I needed to avoid that Eastern corridor and planned route through the center of the state. Instead, I stayed in Eastern Oregon, woke up to a gorgeous sunrise, had some nice time for quiet personal reflection, and headed back on the Oregon side of the Columba River Gorge. It was SO calm that day! The river was like glass, which is a change as that area is known for its high winds.
I had one more waterfall to stop at on my way home; White River Falls has been on my list for a while. Again, nestled in the middle of wheat fields on the Eastern slopes of Mt. Hood, this waterfall almost seems out of place but is so beautiful. It turns out I didn’t walk far enough down the right path (I was again, the only person there) so I missed out on the shot I was hoping for, but it was still quite pretty. Next time I’ll do better. I then finished my last photo of the trip with some adorable “baby cows!” Yes, I know they are called “calves.” But I’ve been squealing at baby cows and telling them how adorable they are for as long as I can remember so was happy to actually photograph some.
Until next time! Feel free to check out some of the prints I took on this trip, for sale in my shop.
