Again. We'll be traveling together for a while this time.
Day 139
The Columbia
August 12th, 2010
I'm walking across America.
That's the idea, at least. I'm walking westward from New York City for nine months or so. If everything goes according to plan, I'll be in Oregon when the clock runs out. If nothing goes according to plan, maybe I'll end up in Peru or Mongolia or Pennsylvania. You can read all about the details of my trip if you're so inclined.
Email me at matt@imjustwalkin.com
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Here's my progress so far:
You’re getting nearer to your destination Matt .. happy walking!
Roll on Columbia, roll on.
Always nice to be near water. And if by chance Matt found an abandoned boat, and for kicks chose to ride the Columbia to the Pacific, he’d only be 57 miles from Rockaway Beach. Just in case anyone was wondering.
Sorry John, where Matt currently is is over 200 miles from the ocean. When he gets to Bonneville Dam he will be at river mile 140. He’s about 100 miles to there.
I think John meant when he reached the mouth of the columbia near Astoria he’d only be 57 miles from rockaway beach. :D..
But it would be interesting getting over the Bonneville!
Whenever I get to the Bonneville Dam I portage around and continue..I just figured Matt would do the same! :) And yes, Tatjanna is correct, I did my calculations based on Astoria, thanks. Unfortunately this is all a moot point, but a nice discussion nonetheless. Cheers!
And in case anyone’s interested, here’s the link to the Bonneville Lock and Dam fish camera. I love these things.
http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/op/b/fishcam.asp
Nice camera. We should look for Matt to swim by.
Oh the Columbia…. what a beautiful sight… yeah Matt… you’re getting close!!
Hopefully he is going to be near areas that have lots of drinking water. I hear there is a heat wave coming through (how handy that I’m out of town on vacation right now)…so stay hydrated Matt!! We need ya to get to the end hydrated! :)
Enjoy the views…there will be plenty…
Yea Don’t need no, what was it dried plums, in Rockaway Beach. We like our Produce fully hydrated. Walk on….
Is it me or does anyone else thing Matt meant the freight train? Along with the river the train is gonna be with him…like the days of mid trip. Just wondering.
i did, too! and then i thought, ‘hobo…rail car rider’
Jeff, it’s you : )
Lets just say unusual looking, nice but unusual looking.
Enjoy the river Matt its beautiful
Who’s HO Train Set??
While I now live on the Missouri, My childhood was spent on the banks of the Columbia and the Sandy rivers. Every weekend we would go to Multnomah Falls and my dad would have to hold my hand and beg me to cross the bridge. I am now very fond of my Montana home now, But there are still dreams and memories cast in the green glow of the forests of the Pacific Northwest, The smell of the sea never leaves your nose and that’s a beauty that lives deep in your heart. Once you have experienced Oregon and Washington it will always be home, no matter where you hang your hat. I hope Matt gets to taste even a little bit of that wild beauty…Though I’m not sure he could leave if he did..Every year my heart is called back to Oregon and every year I follow, I look forward to the day where I can stand on the beach and say I’m finally home again!
I feel the same way. I’ve lived in a lot of places all over the world, but I always come back to the Northwest. It’s one of the most beautiful places on earth.
It truly is Sandy, I was very disappointed to find out my yearly trip would be to Tahoe (we girls get together and go on a trip spending as little as possible to the best destination, sounds like it would be boring but we have had AMAZING trips so far) But I would much rather go to Oregon or Washington, My friend however finds the ocean frighting I feel very sad for her.
Matt too…I suppose at this point. Hip Hip Horay I made it….take a picture, post a note on the blog….take next flight home (wherever his heart lays). Almost there Matt
but of course, with each new photo posting i am getting slightly exponentially sadder that this is all coming to an end.
end or new beginning…..?
I wouldn’t worry. I am guessing we will see all these pictures again in a book by Matt about this journey.
More train tracks for matt to walk with!
Oh, good – I hope you’re coming down through Longview and Warrenton – I’d hate to see photos of you walking between Portland and Tillamook! Scary road, but people do bike/ walk it :-/
Choo Choo!! I was just thinking this morning that the very last post of the very last picture will have about 459,884,523 comments because none of us will want to leave the party. ;-) I sure do hope that Matt can somehow update us on his next moves after he’s home and had a good rest.
WELL SAID, I get on here 2 to 4 times daily to see what’s going on with Matt and friends, Do not think we’ll find anything with such stunning views as he has given us the opportunity to see everything as he has. i have enjoyed all this hate to come to the end.
Yep, me too, I check in and look for new pics or go back and catch up on comments. I may even start over from Day 1 just for fun. heehee.
Ahhhhh, Washington, you gotta love it. Beautiful Everywhere.
Matt, I have enjoyed reading this for months and just want to say thank you for the great pics and your thoughtful/insightful/witty comments. As in this picture, trains and rivers are both majestic and when they are together it is pretty cool. Walk on!
The scale of the landscape places the scale of that train well out of proportion. It looks like a toy.
Yes it has to be a model train of sorts as it is way to small to be real. If you look on flickr zoom you can read the cars. They say Evergreen on each one of them. But this isn’t a real full scale train at all.
One of our best family trips was Portland-Hood River-Crater Lake and back up the coast. Multnomah Falls hike to the top looking down at the mighty Columbia. Good memories in gorgeous country- so clean and pristine on the beaches and roads….Slow down a bit Matt, I’m getting sad already to think you are almost in Rockaway Beach. Thanks for the journey, I have thoroughly enjoyed logging on and seeing’reading of your adventures.
I had no idea the Columbia was so wide. Wonder if Lewis & Clark made a lot of incorrect left and right turns…or maybe when you’re in the middle it’s easier to know where you’re going. Does that make sense. I’m tired now and fading…..
it’s full scale, i think he’s tilting the camera a bit since the train is downhill from him, but the cars are from the Evergreen paper mill/ company which is a large part of the USA’s paper supply. those same cars come through Montana frequently. The Columbia river and the gorge area are just THAT BIG! :D
Awsome traveling companion! The Columbia is wonderful and impressive. Do I suck if I say I don’t like the surrounding area? Love the Gorge, but the rest depressed me. Except for the miner and donkey we saw walking along the road, but that’s a different post…