This 1920 view of the Rowena Loops on the Columbia River Highway (courtesy our friends at ODOT) shows the view before the rock work railings and paving. You can see the plateau at the top which now has a scenic overlook. Note the wagon being pulled by two horses. It looks like it might be a construction vehicle.
Don't forget the commemoration of the highway centennial tomorrow, 2-4PM at Old St. Peters Landmark in the Dalles. It will be a good excuse to check out the new murals downtown.
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In 1956 when I was in high school taking Driver Education, our teacher, Ocean Beach Patton,would have us go to Rowena to practice driving on curves.
Bill Seaton on 21st October 2022 @ 8:40am
I recently visited HR and The Dalles and was up at the Rowena lookout on Sept 14 - I have a picture taken from the lookout parking lot looking south back at the loops on the approaching road, basically the opposite direction of this photo. It looks very different, but I think these are the same loops.
kmb on 21st October 2022 @ 9:54am
I wonder if that is the photographer's shadow on top of the larger shadow in the lower left.
Will on 21st October 2022 @ 10:29am
That's an awful lot of fill
That's an awful lot of fill on each of those curves. And it had to be done by either blasting or hauled in by horses. But it made a spectacular roadway for all these decades and even today.
nels on 21st October 2022 @ 1:38pm
I spy the mouth of the Klickitat River to the right along with one bridge.
Stever on 21st October 2022 @ 3:35pm
another amazing construction project that is preserved.
Arlen L Sheldrake on 21st October 2022 @ 3:46pm
It is an amazing construction project. Scary but impressive.
I see the sandbar at the mouth of the Klickitat has trees on it.
L.E. on 21st October 2022 @ 6:41pm
It is an amazing construction project. Scary but impressive.
I see the sandbar at the mouth of the Klickitat has trees on it.
L.E. on 21st October 2022 @ 7:00pm
Is there any information on the building process of places like this and the bridges that were constructed up above and just west of there?
nels on 22nd October 2022 @ 10:29am
Based on rock color, it looks like a considerable amount of blasting took place to create enough rock base for the road. Very imaginative engineering.
nels on 22nd October 2022 @ 1:36pm