Catherine Creek.

Catherine Creek is only a two mile loop, but it's two miles that packs a punch. It's also in the arid, central Northwest high desert, and on this trip we saw a rattlesnake and one of our doggos got a nasty tick stuck in her ear, so be vigilant. The high desert, even if it's in the Gorge, ain't no joke!

On the Washington side of the Gorge slightly beyond White Salmon, Catherine Creek is part of the outstanding complex that also includes Coyote Wall and the Labyrinth. I consider Catherine Creek to be the most hiker friendly of them all, since Coyote Wall is also quite popular with mountain bikers. The whole area encompasses some of my favorite hiking and landscapes I've experienced in my ten years of living here. They are relatively quiet trails compared to the packed trails on the wetter Oregon side, and they are full of views, crazy rock formations, and wildflowers every way you look.

I've now done this hike twice, once in February a few years ago and once earlier this summer, and it was interesting seeing the different flowers in bloom at different times of the year. It's a great hike for all seasons, and doing it in the cooler months might even be preferred--a lot of this hike is exposed, so if it's a hot day, make sure you start early and wear lots of sun screen! 

At the trailhead, there are a couple rocky paths leading up a sunny slope. If you're doing the Arch Loop, which I recommend, you actually want to take the one to the RIGHT, the one marked FR 020. Even though this path is clearly marked, and your trail guide says it's the one you want to take, your instincts MIGHT tell you, "This is a loop hike so let's just start walking up the one on the left because that seems to make sense," not that that happened to me! Your instincts are wrong!

After walking up this pretty field, the trail flattens out for a hot minute and you'll enter a stand of trees and see little Catherine Creek to your right. You'll soon cross the creek on a small plank bridge. This is where we saw our special snake friend, so keep an eye out. Here, the rocky plateau suddenly rises to your right, and this is where you can actually see the arch the loop is named for through the trees. 

Weird arch/monster mouth.

And it's like, fine? It's cool, and I feel like it shouldn't be able to exist like any arch made of rocks that I've witnessed, but it's not overly exciting. The real treasure of the hike is still ahead. On your left during this stretch, there are also some overgrown corrals and wooden structures, which are neat looking but supposedly favorites of rattlesnakes, so if you want to explore them, cool, but that's your own stupid idea. I know I've mentioned rattlesnakes a few times now, but I feel like it's important.

Shortly after this stretch is where the Hill of Doom rises in front of you. This hill is short(ish) but steep, and I refuse to believe that even experienced hikers aren't winded by it. Take some time to catch your breath at the top of it, and then walk into an actual forested patch of trail. It's nice to get a short reprieve from the sun in this peaceful section, but during our most recent summer visit, this was also where we were (unsurprisingly) viciously attacked by bugs and mosquitoes, so I high tailed it out of there.

You'll now see some power lines and a trail junction ahead of you, and you'll want to veer to your right on a narrow track that winds up a small hill. I think of this hill as being the "Haha, You Thought You Were Done Climbing After That Last Bigass Hill You Just Did" Hill. But this one is briefer and less painful than the last. Promise.

And once you finish this climb, you are suddenly on top of the plateau that you were just recently below, and it feels like you are on the top of the world. This is my favorite part of the hike, what I think Catherine Creek is all about. You have expansive views to the Columbia River and Mt. Hood beyond it, and more wildflowers all around. When you see a fence to your right, that is the top of the arch. The fence is there to encourage you to not try to peer into it and die. Listen to fences.

After this, the trail winds down the plateau, crossing a few gullies along the way, until it then plops you back onto the road and you have to walk a few yards back to your car. I am always perplexed when trails end like this, but even this road walk is pretty. And luckily this isn't a very busy road so even though there's not much of a shoulder, you should be just fine.

Lesson learned: Rattlesnakes, they really do rattle!

Highlight: The first hike of the year Kathy, Manda, and I were able to do together.

Catherine Creek in February.

And in June.

Info: From Portland, you can cross the river and take 14 in Washington the whole way, or for a quicker route, take I-84 until Hood River. After crossing the Hood River Bridge--a slightly harrowing affair--turn right, pass through White Salmon and Bingen, and then look for Old Highway 8 on your left. This winds around Rowland Lake, and then you'll see the trailhead on your left. No fees, although it does cost $1 each way to cross the Hood River Bridge.

Post-hike chowdown: Since this is such a short hike only an hour or so away from home, we've just headed back to Portland each time. BUT if I had the time and money to do it right, I would definitely stop by Everybody's Brewing in White Salmon after a good hike in the area.

Strawberry Island.

One of my favorite things about living in the Pacific Northwest is how even after almost ten years of living here and what feels like countless hikes, there are still new gems to find and explore. Strawberry Island, in the middle of the Columbia right at the foot of the Bonneville Dam, feels like one of those places. Before finding it online the night before, I had never even heard of it; the only other souls I saw while I was there were some fishermen on its perimeter; and goddamn was it lovely.

Finding these kinds of little-known treasures is especially joyful these days when so many of the popular areas and hikes are getting overrun as our population booms. I realize I'm part of that population boom, but I am all for trying to limit parking at Dog Mountain, or new rules trying to curb crowds at Opal Creek and Detroit Lake. Too many people is not only irritating, but often dangerous, and almost certainly harmful to the land and wildlife. There are definitely reasons why the areas that are so popular are so popular, but there is so much else to explore! Seriously. Didn't see a single other hiker here.

The trailhead for Strawberry Island is located behind a baseball field in the tiny town of North Bonneville, off of Highway 14 on the Washington side of the Gorge. (Pro tip: If you just type Strawberry Island into your Google Maps--which is technically called Hamilton Island, but Strawberry Island is way more fun to say--it will take you to a parking area near the dam that appears to be primarily for fishermen. While this is also close to the trail, the actual trailhead is most easily accessed in the town.) As soon as you take a few steps, you get the feeling of this hike: wide open fields surrounded by views of the Gorge on either side of you. And it is just utterly pleasant.

This is a nice, peaceful 2.8 mile stroll, almost entirely flat, which made it the perfect walk for my rusty hiking muscles. No crazy drop-offs or rocky terrain also made it easy to walk with two energetic puppers. But it was still a decent enough walk to make you feel like you had accomplished something by the end.

Other pluses of this trail: even in mid-June, there were a ton of wildflowers, and quite a variety, too. And I am a sucker for wildflowers.

Last big plus: The trail is extremely well marked. I started by trying to closely follow the directions on Oregon Hikers Guide, as I often do, but then realized I could just put my phone away and follow the markers, which immediately made the stroll much more relaxing. Even signs for the trailhead are well-marked in town once you get off the highway. Well done, North Bonneville!

Once you complete the first long straight stretch, you can keep going straight through some forestation for a viewpoint of Beacon Rock through some trees. While the viewpoint itself was fine, I mostly enjoyed it for some shade, and for the feeling of being at the very tippy point of the island! There are some benches scattered along the trail, although a few of them are very overgrown. 

Halfway through the loop, there is a slight incline where the trail also gets wider and more gravelly, and here at a higher elevation is where you really get lovely views of both Beacon Rock and Hamilton Mountain on the Washington side.

Here you're walking right alongside the Columbia, and straight ahead you'll see the Bonneville Dam and the parking for fishermen. The trail starts to curve around at this big rock that looks like it's smiling at you, and after that the trail gets slightly more boring, but you're in the final stretch. Once you pass the backyards of a few houses, you'll know you're close to the ball field and the trailhead.

Lesson learned: Bring sunscreen!

Highlight: Feeling like this was exactly the right kind of hike I was looking for for my first hike of the season. Also, getting to take lots of great selfies with the dogs.

Info: From Portland, you can take I-84 to the Bridge of the Gods in Cascade Locks and then turn left towards Vancouver. Drive just a few miles until you see the sign for North Bonneville, by a gas station. Since crossing the Bridge of the Gods will cost you $2, though, you can also just take Highway 14 on the Washington side, which is what I did. Slightly curvier and slower, but still a lovely drive. Once you turn into North Bonneville, turn right onto the main road, following signs for the ball fields. No fees.

Post-hike chowdown: This hike was close enough to Portland--around an hour's drive--that I didn't need to stop anywhere to eat, but since this is close to Cascade Locks if you do take the Oregon route, I will once again mention the Eastwind Drive-In, a must stop. Cheesy potato rounds, man. Do it.