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Klickitat Rail Trail - Klickitat River — Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020

Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA
Colorful Oregon white oaks along the Klickitat River at the Lyle trailhead. Photo by Susan Saul

We hiked from the Lyle trailhead upstream to the 3 milepost and back to enjoy the brilliant colors of the Oregon white oaks.

We would have started at the Fisher Hill Trestle access and hiked upstream from there, but all the parking was taken up by anglers after the run of fall chinook in the lower two miles of the Klickitat River. We watched several anglers with fish on their lines or in their nets.

Yakama Nation members also were fishing in the Narrows above Fisher Hill Trestle and one Yakama was offering freshly caught fish for sale to passersby on the Klickitat Trail. Since it was the Veterans Day holiday, the trail was busy with hikers, runners and mountain bikers.

Since the air temperature was brisk, we found a sunny spot for lunch overlooking the river. We birded as we hiked; we saw a lot of golden and bald eagles, both adults and juveniles, and watched a kettle of ravens form for some raven business unknown to us.

One Oregon white oak reached above the others towards the sky. Photo by Susan Saul
Fisher Hill Trestle on the Klickitat Trail. Photo by Susan Saul
More brilliantly colored oaks along the Klickitat Trail. Photo by Susan Saul
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