More Gorge-ous Pictures

It has taken me a while to get these pictures up because I had to make room for them on my computer--which meant transferring lots of files to my external harddrive (which can be a very tedious process when things aren't organized!). All of these pictures are from the hike to Wind Mountain that we took on our 3-year anniversary (5/14) at the Columbia River Gorge.
We came across some very cool wildflowers and I probably spent 10 minutes shooting them. I think the time was well-spent!

Click "Read More >>" below for the rest :)

We hiked approximately 1100 feet in 2 miles. I am so glad I finally remembered to bring my new Camelbak waterpack--I'm not sure if we would have made the trek without it.

The forest was dense and lush almost the entire way. Not a lot of people hike this trail, which made it even more secluded and peaceful. 

Once we reached the peak of the mountain, the climate changed drastically. It was so cold and windy! 

Despite the freezing wind, we had lunch overlooking the Gorge--and it was well worth it.

The view was incredible. On the right of the river is Washington; on the left is Oregon. There were a few Native American ruins dating back between 200 and 1000 years that dotted the top of the mountain. They were small shelters made out of rocks, most likely as protection from the constant wind. 

On our way back down the mountain Nick decided to make a rock tower. 

He was very sad when it tumbled over. He also found a gun-shaped rock... and had a lot of fun with it!

Toby was such a trooper on the hike! He was also a big help in pulling me up the steep mountain. 

I am proud to say that I had no problems with my breathing/chest during the hike! Had I done that hike a year ago, it probably would have taken us twice as long. In fact, I was ahead of Nick most of the time! And guess who asked for more breaks? ;)