On the way there we spot this...it is not every day you are graced with a good view of Mt Rainier.
Cloaked by clouds more days than not, we got very lucky on this day see the majestic Mt Rainier...even if were 70 miles away.
We headed for Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge just north of Vancouver, which advertised two great hiking trails.
Forty minutes later we entered the refuge only to find out that the trails were closed, and only the auto loop was open. Well, why can't I just walk the auto loop instead...even though there were signs to stay in your car. We walked about a mile in, with the sounds of shotguns going off on both sides of the road...you can hunt the refuge at this time of the year.
At about the mile mark a car with a refuge volunteer stopped us and said that only cars should be on the road...because people walking disrupt the wildlife. WTF? And hunter shooting the birds do little to bother them? Well, I knew we were breaking the rules and walked back the car and joined the other "lemmings" circling the marshes.
Carla and I did stop and watch this Great Heron stalk something in the grass for at least ten minutes before failing at the strike.
With careful observations, we did see a heron eating a grass snake along a dike.
On the the way to our next hiking opportunity we spotted this store right off the freeway...how can I pass up a chance to see some Berks, in a German setting?
On the Internet, Kelley Point seemed like a good bet...and so be it! We just had to drive across the Columbia into Oregon to get there.
They did have the rules posted in every language, but I think "Yiddish" was missing.
What an outstanding hike this was...walking on the sands of the Columbia River and watching barges and big ships just offshore.
Mount Hood is also uncovered this day, much to our surprise.
The landscape is so serene and beautiful along the water.
Old docks or log ties line the shore on Kelley's Point.
The author of the blog insisted on one selfie type photo to prove he here!
Some very big ships were loading in sloughs of the Columbia.
Another day gone and I'm just trying to catch up with my portfolio.
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