Columbia Plateau Trail - Snake River — Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2005

Central Washington > Tri-Cities

Continuing on with doing a few hikes from the new guidebook ""Best Desert Hikes Washington"" by Alan L Bauer and Dan A. Nelson during a short Tri-Cities area stay, I did hike #67 Snake River/Columbia Plateau Trail. This is NE of Pasco at a place alongside the mighty Snake R. called Snake River Junction, which you come to at road's end after driving thru delightful McCoy Cyn. From the parking area next to an old jeep track that parallels the old railroad grade alongside the Snake, I headed north on another boring clear sunny eastern WA morning. The vista is just breathtaking as the blue waters of the wide Snake flow thru yet another wide canyon enlarged by the many enormous floods from tens of thousands of years ago during the last ice age. The romance of walking along an abandoned railroad grade and seeing its many artifacts still thankfully left for others to enjoy adds immeasurably to the experience. Having a still-working railway along the opposite shore and its occasional rumbling trains echoing off the canyon walls is a nice treat too! After walking along the jeep track closer to the river I climbed up to the railroad grade where it was hacked out of the canyon basalt rock and where a long section of old electrical wires atop wood poles (with many insulators and even fuse holders intact) still stand. I tired of walking on the coarse ballast rock and was able to continue on a game trail besides the grade. Eventally I came even with a grain terminal directly across the river and ate lunch, and was treated to the slow passing of a long grain ship heading downriver to possibly the Columbia. Very interesting watching the captain/pilot steer the low, barge-like craft around the slight river bend from near the far shore to close to my shore, maybe trying to avoid sandbars or other hazards in the waterway. After lunch I returned to the Junction parking area and as I did had fantastic light to photograph the scenery behind me in, I almost had to walk backwards to the car as I kept spinning around to shoot! Truly magnificent views and to think in ""dull"" winter colors too. I have seen photos of the same area in springtime green, and of course with the many blooming desert flowers, but it was still great even so. Just as photogenic was the pretty drive thru rolling farmland and down steep McCoy Cyn getting to the trailhead.