A letter from a local
Portland access, Washington paycheck, Gorge out back.
Vancouver's quiet edge: the Columbia River Gorge starts twenty-five minutes east of my house. Cape Horn's cliff-edge loop, Beacon Rock's switchbacks, Dog Mountain's wildflower wall in May — that's the standing Saturday rotation, on the quieter Washington side of the river.
In town, the Waterfront and Burnt Bridge Creek paths keep the weekdays honest, and Lacamas Park's lake trails are fifteen minutes. Hood's ski areas run about ninety minutes; Hood River's wind scene an hour. Portland's food and flights sit right across the bridge when you want a city night.
No state income tax on this bank of the river, and you keep every bit of the access. The Gorge doesn't check your zip code.
— Jun