We woke up on Sunday, opened the window, saw the sunshine, and knew that we would spend the day outside, being reckless. Living in Oregon we are beyond spoiled with nature – the Columbia Gorge is an easy thirty minutes away and the coast is only an hour and half to the west. Then there is Mt. Hood – just an hour and a half east. We got in the car and headed forty-five minutes east to the Columbia Gorge. The Columbia Gorge is absolutely breathtaking and the drive itself is amazing.The Columbia River serves as the border between Washington and Oregon and it cuts through the cliffs exposing beautiful waterfalls and views along the way. We drove past all the waterfalls as our destination was to climb one of those cliffs, Munra Point.
When we got to the trailhead we were eager to get going. The hike starts out being relatively flat, with a well-maintained path. After about a mile and a half the path veered off to the left heading straight up the mountain. For the next couple of miles we scrambled and bouldered our way to the summit. The views got better with each step – we could see the gorge peeking through the trees. This hike was tough, but definitely worth the reward at the top.
When we finally reached the summit we were unprepared for the views, as they were magnificent. We sat on the edge of the cliff and soaked in the beautiful weather and picturesque surroundings. Pictures do not do this place justice. After spending about an hour at the top we made the trek back down. We bouldered and scrambled all the way to the bottom, carefully putting one foot in front of the other – if you misstep you may find yourself off the cliff, so you need be careful.
We got back to car, full of sand and dirt, but so happy to have spent this beautiful day outdoors. There are so many more hikes we hope to accomplish, but this was one of the best so far!
Get out there and LIVE RECKLESS!
