HOOD RIVER, Oregon — We were planning a river trip down the Owyhee River last week, but the winter like weather here in Idaho forced us to make alternative plans.
Idaho features so many recreational opportunities and unique geological features, but another advantage of living in the Treasure Valley is the proximity to the other regions in the west.
In our Idaho Backroads series we have taken you to Utah, Montana and now we explore the Columbia River Gorge that borders Washington and Oregon in the Pacific Northwest.
Eagle Creek Trail is one of the most popular hikes in the gorge we made it about three miles up the trail to High Bridge passing numerous waterfalls along the way.
This area was closed for three years after a teenager threw a firecracker into the gorge igniting a wildfire, it re-opened in July of last year and you can still see evidence from the fire.
The most popular destination in the gorge is Multnomah Falls with more than two million visitors stopping to see this magnificent 620 foot waterfall, the largest in the state of Oregon.
A trip to the Pacific Northwest is worth it just for the change of scenery with the lush green forests, vistas and so much water, but it also features some charming towns like Hood River and White Salmon, if you are more into larger cities Portland is about an hour west of the gorge.
This area also produces a lot of professional kayakers with classic runs like the Little White Salmon, the White Salmon, Canyon Creek, the Wind River, and the East Fork of the Lewis.
Most of these rivers are above my comfort level, but my brother Scott and I tried out Canyon Creek, a class IV plus run with dangerous ledges through a a three-mile gorge.
As an Idaho paddler I'm used to big water rivers where I have to punch waves and dodge holes, but our wide rivers give paddlers plenty of lines to choose from, it is a different story in the Pacific Northwest.
Canyon Creek pushed my limits in this short gorge where the only reasonable way out was down the river in our kayaks, but to get through it we needed to navigate ledge drops, we portaged a rapid and passed our equipment to each other at Big Kahuna.
To see more on our kayaking adventure check out the video in this story, remember to be safe and stay within your comfort level while navigating the river with people you trust.
