Cape Horn — Saturday, Jun. 4, 2011

Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA

It was a fantastic day for a fantastic hike. We parked at the gated area at the end of Strunk Road. We wanted to hike to the Nancy Russell overlook which is under construction to check out the progress. When we first arrived all was pretty quiet. We came to the overlook and with the clear day we had you could truly absorb the majesty that is the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Though this overlook is still under construction, you can still see what an amazing feature this addition will be to the Cape Horn Trail. We continued our hike on the trail which zig zagged through the forest. We slowly made our way, conditions were perfect. We took lunch under a large Doug Fir and enjoyed the warm weather. On our way out we encountered a WTA work party. They were cutting a brand new trail that leads from the gravel road to the future sight for the overlook. After some investigation we found out that this trail was to be wheel chair accessible when completed. It was amazing to see the path that they had cut through the meadow and forest. One can easily begin to picture the vision of the people of the Gorge, the Forest Service, and every agency who is involved. This is a remarkable place to hike and it seems it will only continue to become better and better. I would suggest this hike to anyone who wants to squeeze in a quick hike or to those who want to impress visitors with the grandeur of the Gorge. It will unveil itself to you as the unique and dynamic gem of a trail that it is.