Living in Washington means learning a simple truth: the weather in the mountains is always in charge.
Plans that look perfectly reasonable in the morning can unravel by the afternoon when the snow starts falling in Snoqualmie Pass. When that happens, travel between eastern and western Washington can suddenly become complicated.
This trip started simply enough. We planned a quick jaunt east to visit M.E.’s family near Pasco.
But March had other plans.
Racing the Weather
A late-season storm rolled through the Cascades and changed everything. Snow piled up in the pass, and soon traction requirements were in place. Crossing back west the way we came suddenly was not an option.
With chains required in the mountains, we had to move fast in order to return the car on time.
Instead of heading over the pass, we dropped south and looped around through Portland, following the long curve of the Columbia River Gorge before turning north again toward home.
Not the plan, but sometimes those are the best journeys.
An Unexpected Stop: Maryhill
One advantage of a detour is the freedom to stop along the way.
Along the gorge we pulled off at Maryhill Stonehenge, a full-scale monument overlooking the river. Built as a memorial to soldiers lost in World War I, the structure rises out of the open landscape in a way that feels both strange and fitting at the same time.
Standing there, with the wind moving across the gorge and the river stretching out below, it felt like one of those places you would not normally reach, unless the road forced you to take the long way.
The Power of the Gorge
Further downriver we made another stop at Multnomah Falls, one of the most recognizable sights in the Columbia River Gorge.
Water poured down the cliffs in two dramatic tiers, mist hanging in the cool air while travelers gathered at the viewing bridge. Even with the gray weather, it was the kind of place that makes you stop talking for a moment and just watch.
Taking the Long Way Home
The storm in the mountains had forced the change, but the detour turned into something better than the original plan.
A reminder that in Washington, the mountains may close the road, but they also open the door to new ones.
And sometimes those unexpected turns are exactly what The Long Way Mac is all about.
The Macs