Catherine Creek Universal Access Trail

Author's Comments

The eastern end of the Columbia River Gorge feels like a different country than the western end. The rainforest gives way to grass and oak, the basalt comes forward, and the light gets harder and clearer. Catherine Creek sits in that drier country, and in early April it does something I have not quite found anywhere else in the Pacific Northwest. The balsamroot comes up in waves of yellow across the south-facing slopes, the lupine threads purple through it, and the whole hillside reads like a painting that has not yet dried. The lower trail loops gently and is accessible to anyone. That alone is worth saying. Most of the places I photograph require some negotiation with the body, and Catherine Creek does not. You can wheel a chair onto this path and find yourself in front of a hundred wildflower species and a view down into the gorge that opens wider as you walk. The arch is up the other trail, the rougher one, and it is worth the scramble if your knees allow it. Morning light comes across it from the east and the basalt goes warm against the cooler shadow beneath. I like to frame the gorge through the opening, the river a flat ribbon below, the Oregon hills layering into haze on the far side. Come on a weekday in mid-March if you can. The crowds are almost nothing, the wind is usually manageable before noon, and the flowers are still fresh from the cool nights. Bring a macro lens for the small things and a wide one for the slopes. Both will earn their place in the bag.

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