Heading Down River
Doing the morning bike run in the opposite direction
heading south along the Klickitat
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We decided to go for another bike run along the Klickitat to pick the last of the blackberries, but when we arrived at the gate to the old logging road, we were saddened to find a notice saying that because of the extreme fire danger, the old logging road was temporarily closed. Okay, we said, we'll just take the logging road in the other direction and check out how that portion is standing up to the tests of time.
a good view of the scenic Klickitat taken from the logging road
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The route we usually take involves biking eight miles north to where the river washed out a major section of the logging road back in the flood of '96, so major a washout that we haven't yet found a good way to hike around it and rejoin the road on the north side of the washout. Since the road was temporarily closed (Washington is very serious about fire danger these days), we decided to head the other direction and check out the stretch of old logging road that runs from Wahkiacus Heights Rd (which is the road that leads up the grade 1,200' to Windward) to the old sawmill site, about three miles to the south.
stopping to admire the basalt columns overlooking the river
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There was only one notable washout, easily gotten past, between where we started and the entrance to the old mill site, so we made that in easy time, turned around and headed back. Along the way we stopped to pick the last of the blackberries we'd scouted out on the way in, along with a few gallons of elderberries and some wild apples.
Kerry and Katie picking apples from a tree gone wild
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After we'd filled up the carrying basket with freshly gleaned wild fruit, we headed back up the grade to Windward and a fine lunch of soup, pasta and chicken with homemade bread. All in all it was a fun outing, and we're looking forward to the gathering in of the summer's bounty as fall gets underway in earnest.
the morning's gleanings from along the river and some cherry tomatoes from our garden
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After lunch, Kerry took some of the wild apples we'd just gathered and made the most tasty apple crisp as a treat for the three o'clock get together (we generally all meet in the kitchen at three for a snack before we tackle the afternoon work projects), and in no time the apple crisp was gone :-)
Notes From Windward - Index - Vol. 66
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