Hood River Archives | The Good Hearted Woman

We decided to wrap up our Valentine’s weekend trip to Hood River by stretching our winter-weary hiking legs with a trip up to see the historic Twin Tunnels just west of Mosier, Oregon. Really more of a stroll than a hike, this short 1.1 mile jaunt (one way, from the Mosier-side trail-head) offers some fabulous views of the Columbia River Gorge.

Once an important link in the scenic Columbia River Highway, the Mosier Twin Tunnels were constructed between 1919 and 1921. From the beginning, the tunnels and the nearby cliffs presented a trouble spot on the historic highway: rockfalls were common and accidents happened frequently. Eventually abandoned in 1955 after the completion of Highway I-84, the tunnels were soon filled in with rubble and forgotten.

Eastern Portal – Mosier Twin Tunnels

Then, in the 1980’s, interest in restoring the old historic highway began to develop. In 1995, with help of longtime Oregon Senator Mark Hatfield, work was begun to reopen the tunnels for tourist use. Rubble was removed from inside the tunnels, the walls were rebuilt, and the road was completely resurfaced.

The twin tunnels were reopened in July 2000 for bicycle and foot traffic, and are now part of the 4.6-mile-long “Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail.”

The hike itself is mostly flat, with just a slight elevation change, and paved, making it a smooth ride for cyclists and wheelchair hikers.

I don’t know if it is always this way, but on the day we went, cyclists outnumbered walkers nealry two to one.

Hiking in from the Mosier side, the trail soon comes to the edge of the Gorge and turns west. Here, you’ll walk past stone guardrails and look down to a great view of Eighteen Mile Island, known locally as Chicken Charlie Island.

This 10-acre island, once owned by one Charles Reither, was significantly larger before the completion of Bonneville Dam in 1937, and was home to a chicken ranch and a small railroad. It is now the only privately owned island in the Columbia River Gorge.

Just over a half mile into the hike, a beautiful new stone-walled lookout has been built over the Columbia River, and a short distance past the lookout is the east portal of the east tunnel. The entrance to the Eastern Portal has been restored to very much the same as it was nearly 100 years ago (pavement and cement curbs notwithstanding).

The second tunnel has two windows, known as adits, looking out over the river. There are steps that once led to viewpoints, but these are now blocked to the public. They make for some cool images though.

Beyond the tunnels, the trail continues another 3.5 miles to the Mark O. Hatfield West Trailhead, near Hood River.

When we took this hike in mid-February, we were already finding the first signs of spring!

This hike was a beautiful way to end our weekend, and a great way to kick off the hiking season here in the Pacific Northwest. Hopefully we will see you on the trail soon!

Getting there:
Mark O. Hatfield East Trailhead: (Starting from the Mosier side – 1.1 miles to Twin Tunnels)
From I-84 take Exit 69/Mosier. Follow the Historic Columbia River Highway as it curves left toward the town of Mosier. At the base of the bridge, turn left and circle under the bridge. Drive approximately 1 mile to the trailhead parking lot, which is clearly marked on the left. The actual trailhead is about a football field away from the parking lot.

Mark O. Hatfield West Trailhead: (Starting from the Hood River side – 3.5 miles to Twin Tunnels)
From I-84 take Exit 64/Highway 35, White Salmon & Government Camp. After exiting, turn right at the stop sign and then make another right turn. Head up for 0.4 miles to a four-way intersection and turn left toward the Historic Highway State Park. Wind up the hill for 1.2 miles and turn left into the parking area at Mark O. Hatfield Western Trailhead.

For more information on hiking in the Columbia River Gorge, visit:

Friends of the Gorge
Curious Gorge – This is a limited online version of the book by the same name, listing 109 different Gorge hikes. In an effort to encourage readers to purchase the actual book, specific hike info is blacked out on this site, but it still gives you a lot of history about each hike, some lovely images, and a pretty good idea of what to expect.
Cascade Ramblings – Nice maps and hike basics here.

An Inspiring Destination.

A year ago, Mr. B. and I hatched a dream – in our second life, we are going to open a Bed & Breakfast. And though it is likely more than a decade away, even now we often stay up late on weekends imagining and planning – acoustic instruments hanging on the walls of a well-lit great room, musical meet-ups and house concerts in the evenings, savory-sweet smells wafting through the house in the morning. Oh, we know it will be plenty of hard work too, and we are prepared for that, but we are so excited about the people we will meet and the possibilities we will discover – the whole of it is a perfect fit for us.

It all started last Valentine’s Day when we stayed for the first time at the Hood River BnB.

The Hood River BnB is not one of your fancy, European-style Bed & Breakfast establishments: it has an easy-going Northwest vibe and is completely devoid of pretense. Beautifully appointed without being fussy, you will feel welcome and at home from the moment you walk through the front door.

The front room feels warm, open and inviting.

There are no TVs in the rooms, but if you must watch, the television in this cozy anteroom will meet your media needs.

The Hood River BnB has four guest rooms in all. Mr. B and I like to stay in the biggest – The Sky Room. Airy and full of light, the Sky Room has a reading nook and a great view of the river. It boasts a large private bath with a Jacuzzi tub/shower, a huge walk-in closet, and an incredibly comfortable queen bed.

The view from the Sky Room.

Mr. B and I love the privacy of the Sky Room too. We always take our music with us, and the little reading alcove gives us the perfect place to kick back and sing to our hearts content without bothering anyone.

This little library, located on the 2nd floor, is open to all BnB guests. As far as I’m concerned, you just can’t go wrong with a place that keeps a vintage Underwood on the selves.

Other rooms include the Mountain and the River Room – both with great views of Mt. Adams and the Columbia River – and the Sun Room, which has a large connected sun and reading room.

Breakfast is offered in three waves. Sign up for the early bird session and you might not see the innkeepers, but they will make sure you have something delicious to start your day.

The Hood Breakfast offers those rising after 7:30 a family-style breakfast that might include such taste-tempters as Jim’s whole-wheat crepes (our favorite!!), omelets with your choice of fillings, French-toast, or a Hood scramble. Secret-recipe granola and locally grown fruit are always on hand as well.

Mr. B and I love this part of our stay: it is the one time we get to meet the rest of the guests and share a little friendly conversation.

There is even a breakfast for the “Sleepy-Hoods.” (You know who you are.) You never have to worry about the “end-of-breakfast” because no matter how late you sleep in, there will be something waiting for you.

We spotted this little guy out the window during breakfast. (I think he is a Western Scrub Jay.)

You can catch a view of Mount Adams from the breakfast room.

The BnB is within easy walking distance of downtown Hood River, and there is something nearby for everyone. Dozens of hiking trail-heads, wind-surfing, wine-tasting, river walks, antiques, and the best brick-oven pizza we have ever had are just minutes away.

But it wasn’t the ambiance, or the great food, or the fantastic location, or even the VW Microbus poster in the breakfast room that inspired our dream – it was our hosts, innkeepers Jane and Jim.

When you arrive at the Hood River BnB, Jane and Jim welcome you like family. Intelligent, personable, and easy-going, they like to chat for a few minutes as they introduce you to the house, all the while getting a feel for what you want out of your stay. They are naturally adept at striking just the right chord between friendly interaction and respect for your privacy.

Jane runs the day-to-day business of the BnB, while Jim splits his time between the BnB and his aerial agricultural imaging work. With California roots (we try not to hold that against them), Jane and Jim opened the Hood River Bnb in 2002, and have now hosted guests from the Pacific Northwest and across the globe, including South America, Australia, Japan, Canada, Africa, New Zealand, India, and all over Europe. Some stay only one night, while others stay a month or more, and many (like us) return year after year.

Jane and Jim keep this cool map on their front room wall: guests can push a pin to mark either their current home or their place of origin.

It was those connections that truly inspired us. Mr. B and I both love meeting people, hearing their stories, and sharing their music. That is a full life, and that is our dream. And it all came from a visit with Jane and Jim of the Hood River BnB. I encourage you to check them out – who knows what they may inspire for you!