Philip Knouf Photography

Gorge Stone Work

Rugged stone work shows the craftsmanship from the 1916 construction of the historic Columbia Gorge Highway. (Philip A. Knouf)

The historic Columbia River Gorge Scenic Highway has many popular attractions such as Multnomah Falls and Crown Point.  Lesser known and appreciated is the solid and rugged stone work representing the craftsmanship of the workers who constructed the highway.  This image represents that craftsmanship so evident throughout the Gorge.  This lovely scene is just east of Sheppard’s Dell Falls.  Thousands of people drive past this location every year but less than 1% have probably ever pulled over to sit on the bench or walk down the steps to the little stream.  I had this quiet place all to myself one morning recently and just stood here marveling at how beautiful the small things can be.  Too many of us seem to want only to experience the grand landscape but miss out on the special places that hold such serenity.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 30th, 2012 at 8:59 am. It is filed under Blog, Forests, Spring. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.