OREGON | NATURE THERAPY

Overnight Mission to Oregon’s John Day River

24 hours at Cottonwood Canyon State Park

John Day River in Cottonwood Canyon State Park. — Author Photo

Quality Over Quantity

The west wind is at our back, the truck charging East. My bike, camping gear, two kids, and a dog are my cargo. Fridays are half days at school, allowing us to get ahead of the crowd. With my son’s football game on Sunday, this is a strike mission — we are overnight road trip ninjas on schedule to arrive at the John Day River, or the JD, with just enough light to pack in and set up camp.

We enter the Columbia River Gorge, and I smile at the steep walls and the trickles of waterfalls cascading down the moss-covered cliffs. Formed by a series of large-scale ice age floods, the Columbia River Gorge, or The Gorge, is an instant gateway to nature’s glory. The urban madness is behind us, and we reminisce about our previous missions.

A view of The Gorge looking northwest from Mitchell Pt. on the Oregon side. Imagine a flood hundreds of feet high ripping through there! — Photo by my hiking friend, Neil Cadsawan

“Rayden, I first took you to the JD nine years ago, and our first bike-camping trip was six years ago!” I say.

“Whoa!” she responds.