# Columbia Gorge Advice



## jeanluc (Jan 29, 2015)

Planning to spend a few days in the Gorge first third or so of May. Just wondering if anybody here has any good advice on if this is a good time to go or not, good locations to stay, etc. Any specific location advice (ie when to be where etc), or gear advice appreciated! . Thanks for any/all help!


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Jan 30, 2015)

Wind and Rain, Rain and Wind. Of course, I've seen it Snow too, even in June! I've also seen beautiful weather, so its always a unknown.

Are you taking one of the tour boats, driving, or what? I've only driven it several times, I did not think there was much to see from the highway, its so big that it overwhelms me. I usually drive the Oregon side.


There are lots of tourist attractions, and some very fine wineries by the hundreds near the Tri Cities, and Near Walla Walla. Lots of Wind Surfers in the Hood River, but May can be spotty. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/118623-windsurfing-the-columbia-river-gorge 

http://www.portlandspirit.com/sternwheeler.php

There are some wonder waterfalls on the Oregon side

http://www.clippervacations.com/portland-activities/columbia-gorge-waterfall-tour/

Palouse Falls on the Washington side. The wheat will be coming up in The Palouse Country too, miles and miles of green rolling hills.


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## jeanluc (Jan 30, 2015)

Driving, main focus would be to shoot some of the waterfalls, creeks etc in the area.


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## Orangutan (Jan 30, 2015)

jeanluc said:


> Driving, main focus would be to shoot some of the waterfalls, creeks etc in the area.



Be flexible. As previously suggested, be prepared for wind, rain and glorious sunshine -- you never know which you'll get. You may need to hike a bit for better photo ops. If you hike, be VERY VERY careful: the trails can be steep and slippery. Hikers and their dogs fall to their deaths every year. If you have a dog keep it on leash. Research a few photo ops just outside the gorge in case weather is too harsh.

I don't know if there are any salmon runs around that time to photograph.

https://www.google.com/search?q=hikes+near+columbia+gorge
https://www.google.com/search?q=photogenic+columbia+gorge


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## eats (Jan 30, 2015)

It's always a gamble as to what the weather will be. But if you're going, take exit 22 off of I-84 to get onto HWY 30 (Columbia Scenic Highway) to see more waterfalls etc. If you want to (and if it's dry) Larch Mountain is a ways off the main route, but a nice view.


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## drmikeinpdx (Jan 30, 2015)

I basically taught myself photography by shooting waterfalls in the Gorge when I was growing up there. May is really a great time to shoot the waterfalls if you know the tricks. To start with, cloudy weather is your friend, it reduces the overwhelming contrast that sunlight creates between the dark rocks and the white water. It may be rainy, but it doesn't rain all the time, there will be breaks as well as completely dry days in May.

May is the time when the water flow is at its maximum, which is usually, but not always a good thing.

Be sure to stop at Latourelle Falls, walk up the short path and take a shot at the little viewpoint. You will see a big patch of colorful lichen on the cliff next to the falls.

Wahkeena falls has a nice trail that goes up the path of the stream and there are several spots where you can get closeups of the flowing water.

Oneonta Gorge is impressive, but in May the water will be too high to walk into it for photos.

Multnomah Falls is the big one, but there are usually so many tourists swarming around in May that you can't get a nice shot.

If you don't mind driving about a half hour North of the Gorge, look up Panther Creek Falls. It's a little tricky to find, but I think with GPS, you should be able to drive right to it. Don't expect to see a sign, it keeps disappearing. Follow the link to a video I shot there in May of 2013 when I was testing my 5D3. This was using a 28mm 1.8 lens. 

http://www.beyondboudoirphoto.com/blog/2014/9/rainy-season-in-the-pacific-northwest-video 

Oh, and don't worry about snow in May, Mt. Spokane has probably been sampling too much of that Walla Walla wine tonight.


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## JustMeOregon (Jan 30, 2015)

I've always found that the single greatest problematic variable at-play whenever I'm at "The Gorge" is the visibility, or lack of it... The haze (caused by Portland, The Tri-Cities, agricultural-dust, & a very large coal-fired power plant) make it hard to get those iconic shots that look 20-miles up the canyon. So if you luck into a clear day, change any other plans that you might have and get up on one of the famous high over-looks and go for the "long-shot"! But don't let the haze discourage you. The Gorge is a great photo destination with a ton of nooks-&-crannies to explore. Just as in most all popular areas, you can always leave 95% of the tourists behind simply enough with just a little extra effort.

You may want to check-out the book "Curious Gorge (Hiking and Exploring the Columbia River Gorge Area)" by Scott Cook. You'll see this great guide book for sale most everywhere in The Gorge, but it's cheaper (and you're sure to get the current updated edition) if you buy it online. You can then of course use it to help plan your itinerary ahead of time. 

Here are a couple of links from Amazon. I don't have a clue why the first (main) link list the price as $70 (that's insane!), but the second link lists the price of $17 from powells_books (where I got my copy).

http://www.amazon.com/Curious-Gorge-Hiking-Exploring-Columbia/dp/0979923247/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422654061&sr=8-1&keywords=Curious+Gorge

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0979923247/ref=tmm_pap_new_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=new&sr=8-1&qid=1422654061


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Jan 31, 2015)

drmikeinpdx said:


> Oh, and don't worry about snow in May, Mt. Spokane has probably been sampling too much of that Walla Walla wine tonight.


 
While is does not frequently snow late in the season, it can.

This shot was taken one morning, June 2, if I recall on my front doorstep in Pullman. Of course, it was gone in a day.


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## Valvebounce (Jan 31, 2015)

Hi Mt Spokane. 
My misses asked if that is a Triumph Tiger Cub under the snow?
Interesting shot for June, we have had snow on the Isle of Wight (Southern England) in April or May. 

Cheers, Graham. 



Mt Spokane Photography said:


> While is does not frequently snow late in the season, it can.
> 
> This shot was taken one morning, June 2, if I recall on my front doorstep in Pullman. Of course, it was gone in a day.


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## Cali_PH (Feb 2, 2015)

I'll add some falls not mentioned yet (although I'm watching the Super Bowl and distracted...)

I'd hike up the trail to Metlako and Punchbowl. I didn't go further up to Tunnel and Twister Falls. Elowah falls is very nice, but parts of the path were a bit sketchy and washed out when I went in October; I think the best shots probably involve getting your feet wet. Fairy Falls was one of my favs with a lot of opportunities shooting the creek along the trail up. 

Wish we could have done the Gorge, but the log jam was pretty nasty at the time and we got talked out of attempting the slippery logs.

You can get a cool view up the gorge near/at the Portland Woman's Forum. 

I've read if you're a light sleeper, you may not want to stay in Cascade Locks, due to train noise. We rented a condo in Hood River


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