Where: Munra Point, OR & Table Mountain, WA :: Columbia River Gorge
I learned a lot on these two hikes. It was here that I began to realize my old adventure companion Kino was winding down on his extreme hiking days. I won't lie and say that I completely accepted this as fact at the time, but it was around here where I began to notice the change.
These are incredible hikes. They're strenuous, challenging, and offer a variety of terrain to cover. And the views...those alone are worth the price of admission. Munra Point starts off easy. For the first 2 miles, it's fairly level, and you pass by the magnificent Elawah Falls. Soon after, the climb intensifies and before long the view opens up and you find yourself rising above the trees and scaling along the rock faces. We didn't climb much higher than this as the dogs were struggling here as it was. So after a short rest, we headed back down.
Table Mountain however, was a completely different animal. After climbing hand over foot, nearly straight up for about 800 feet, you're met with a rock fall that would challenge even the most sure-footed hiker. It was here that Kino about had it, as the rocks were too uneven for him to climb. Determined to get him to the top, I hoisted him on my shoulders and slowly carried him up the scramble. It was an eye-opener, and out of respect for him and Beth, I will never put him through that again.
The summit of Table Mountain was completely worth the effort, and we were lucky enough to enjoy it on a crystal clear day in the Gorge. I can't wait to do this hike again and explore it more thoroughly. Even though Kino's climbing days seem to be behind him, he's got a lot of walking in him still. Maybe now however, we'll just keep him to ascents of 500 ft or less.
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| Approaching Elawah Falls, Munra Point Trail |
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| Kino and I on Munra Point |
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| Carrying Kino up the Rockfall. |
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| The views and vistas of Table Mountain |
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| My girlfriend is a rockstar. She climbs mountains for breakfast. |
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| Looking over the edge of Table Mountain, the Columbia River and Oregon in the background |
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