Day 15: Astoria OR - Burns OR

An inauspicious start today as Kate the TwatNav blithely informed that US-30 was closed and that the alternative route required the use of the Cathlamet-Westport ferry, which costs Actual Cash Money¹.  This was clearly nonsensical and Lo! just before the road closure there are helpful signs telling you where the detour went, viz. three miles of bumpy back road before rejoining the 30.  Electronick fule that she be.

It is necessary to cross the Mighty Columbia at some point, since the quickest route bypasses Portland OR and its maze of roads in favour of joining I-5 at Longview and heading south, crossing the river again on I-205 at Vancouver² and then heading back up I-84 for a few miles before finally leaving the Mighty Columbia, Lewis, Clark & Co. behind to head south into them thar hills.  The first crossing of the Mighty Columbia is on the Lewis And Clark Bridge, connecting Rainier OR with Longview WA and looking something like this:

Note typically manky Pacific Northwest weather

Lewis & Clark Bridge from Washington side

Once out of the urban sprawl of Portland and the Surrounding Spaces US-26 is dead rural and snaky through the pine forests towards Mount Hood.  Though clearly something has been on fire here.  You can tell by the smoke in the air and the general pong.  This could be a Mount Hood, or at least a substantial mountain attached to the side.  Of it.

Mountain. Oregon. Thursday.

On the other side of the massif lie more trees for quite a long way until they suddenly stop and leave you with about two hundred miles of this.

Desert. Oregon. Thursday.  Note greatly improved weather...

Tomorrow there's another 275 miles of this to Battle Mountain, where the Tribes are already Gathering.  My grate frends Al'n'Alice arrived in town last night so shit just got real.  Lie in tomorrow!

1. Six of your Earth dollars, according to Google Maps.
2. No.  No, not that one.  The original, not the Canuckistani upstart.