I hiked the trails in the Columbia River Gorge in
April. Aside from the beautiful waterfalls, a couple of things were noteworthy.
First, I was impressed by how green everything is. Almost all of the rocks
and trees are covered with moss, giving the area the appearance of a true
rainforest. The variety of wildflowers was also a pleasant surprise. But I
also have to go into a rant. Apparently, Oregon is populated with more dogs
than people and the trails are open to all of them. This not only spoils the
opportunity to experience the nature there, but means also that hikers not only
have to watch where they walk (do people ever clean up after their dogs?), but
it also means that people have to be careful of the animals themselves. While
hiking Eagle Creek (not a creek at all in the springtime, but a roaring river),
I was walking the trail and saw 4 people ahead - all with their back to me.
Unfortunately, they did not hear me over the roar of the river. Apparently, their
dog, which I also did not see until it was almost too late, did not hear me
either. As I approached, one of the group heard me and turned quickly. The
dog lunged at me between the people, growling and threatening to attack me.
Fortunately, it only resulted in a scare and not an injury. But there really
is no reason why anyone should be faced with that risk while hiking.
