The Stargazer
Washington · USA
Nestled between two modest mountains in a lush vale whose relative obscurity has spared it from the ravages of human influence, Ashley and I found ourselves creekside in our own little secluded slice heaven--an all too rare gem these days in the overrun and often mistreated Columbia River Gorge. A soppy stretch of mud bogged us down right out of the gates but eventually gave way to a forest floor carpeted in sword ferns, while the raucous chorus of raven’s c-r-r-ruck’s near the trailhead was replaced by the spirited twitter of amusing male Pacific wrens mistaking my phone’s bird app for a territorial rival. And though ultimately we'd gotten started a bit too late to see the 70-foot falls that plummets downstream from here, the warm kiss of sunlight filtering through high clouds and forest canopy was just enough to top off our tanks for the grueling work week ahead.
