Day 131: Cascade Locks, OR to Three Corner Ridge, WA

After a relaxing morning in town, we returned to the trail. Our first task? To cross the Bridge of the Gods (200 ft) over the Columbia River, taking us from Oregon to Washington.  The Bridge of the Gods is narrow, with no shoulder or sidewalk.  The handful of cars, trucks, and semis on the bridge gave us a wide berth, keeping us safe on what might otherwise have been one of the most dangerous sections of "trail."

Climbing out of the Columbia Gorge the trail passed through a jungle of ferns, vines, and other green leafy plants (including poison oak) under a canopy of tall trees. Plump, juicy blackberries hung on vines next to the trail, begging us to sample them. Sweet, ripe perfection!

We spent most of the day climbing on the trees, leaving the tree cover for occasional views back to Mount Hood and ahead to Mount Adams, both now towering into clear, blue skies. We reached the ridge (3,400 ft) in time for a colorful sunset, enjoying more views of the mountains and back to the Columbia Gorge before dipping back into the forest once more. Once there, we made a hasty cowgirl camp under a canopy of trees.