Wind Mountain Hike, Columbia River Gorge Washington
Wind Mountain Washington Quick Facts
Wind Mountain, near Stevenson, Washington is an ancient cinder cone with a rich native American history. Towering over the Columbia River Gorge, it is nearly cylindrical in shape and known for its cultural significance as a spirit quest site. At just 5 to 7 million years in age, Wind Mountain is a baby compared to the 55 to 80 million year old Rocky Mountains.
Hiking Distance: 2.5 miles (roundtrip)
Elevation Gain: 1171 feet
Wind Mountain Elevation: 2,700 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Hiking Wind Mountain Washington
After nearly a month of hosting guests at our pad in Missoula, the muttley crew and I fled the state. Our destination? The Pacific Northwest, where we spent the past 2 weeks galavanting through Oregon’s ephemeral cloud forests and foggy beaches. The following photos are from one particularly nebulous hike up Wind Mountain, a 1,907 foot cinder cone in the Columbia River Gorge near Stevenson, Washington.
An ancient volcanic cone of near-perfect cylindrical shape, Wind Mountain is a fragile archeological site with historical significance to the Native Americans. The peak’s boundary is dotted with several man-made rocky outcroppings resembling large bowls, used presumably for meditation by truth seekers of the past.
Walking through Wind Mountain’s palpable aqueous blanket, I could see why the people who once romped these grounds sought solace here during their spirit quests.
Typically, the relatively steep 2.5 mile out and back trail to the summit opens up to spectacular views of surrounding peaks and the river below. The summit views on our hike, however, are mostly summed up by the photo below.
In fact, it wasn’t until about a third of the way back down that the mystical Narnia-like haze began lifting to expose faint glimpses of the blue skies and sunshine eerily concealed beneath it.
