Our next hitch brought us to the Columbia River National Scenic Area. Constituting a good part of the border between Washington and Oregon “The Gorge” is quintessential Pacific Northwest; it has unique geology, a wide variety of flora and fauna and breathtaking scenic vistas. We were located on the shoulder of Table Mountain, just over the Bridge of the Gods on the Washington side. We created a campsite near where the PCT crosses an old logging road and not far from a small creek. We worked North from the campsite doing some brushing, outsloping and a few small drainage structures. Much of our time was also spent in a stream crossing that was blown out annually due to the spring runoff and the steep grade with which it crossed the trail. To prevent this from happening again we built a gabion: a wire mesh box filled with rocks. After constructing the box, we set it into the slope and filled it with rock before sewing it shut and stacking another on top it. The two boxes ran 14 feet long, three deep and, three tall, thus tying into the solid mineral soil on both ends and elevating the trail to the proper height. It was another great project that allowed us to practice what we had learned earlier and challenge us with new construction ideas and techniques. We had invaluable assistance from both the Forest Service and PCTA and were helped by volunteers with some of the treadwork. We were also joined by our slimy friends the slugs, some of which made it onto a helmet which we all took turns wearing.
