June 23, 2014 - Final Thoughts on Columbia River Gorge Biennial Classic

First, and most importantly, the Columbia River Gorge is spectacular! Go see it if you can. I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to participate in this event. It is very special.

Here is a link to the CRGBC website:

http://www.columbiagorgewalks.com

The CRGBC is not for the faint of heart. Most of the walks are challenging. The 13 walks offered included two 4's and a  5.  I would even say that there weren't enough "easy" walks. By "easy" I mean 1's and 2's, 5k's and 10k's. Not everyone wants to do a 13k walk even if it is a 2.

The event was very well organized, for the most part. Pre-registration was nice and easy, but it would be nice to receive a confirming e-mail. Having one central registration area for all walks worked well. I loved that you had greeters at the registration area. The website was pretty good. The guided walks were a nice idea. The "famous hot dog lunch" was easy, quick, and a great value. I did not participate in any of the social events, so I can't say how they were, but at least the option was there.

Areas where there is room for improvement include trail information and rating, trail instructions, and, in some cases, trail marking.

Trail Ratings:

As I mentioned in earlier posts, the trail ratings on the CRGBC website did not always match the trail ratings on the easel/poster at the registration HQ and/or the trail ratings on the instruction sheets for each trail. This is a big problem. Someone should synchronize the info on the website, the easel and the actual trail instructions. Not everyone is willing or able to do more difficult walks. Perhaps the event organizers could figure out how to measure the cumulative elevation gain and provide that number in addition to the trail rating. 

Some trail distances were also inaccurate. That should be easy to correct.

Trail Routes: 

Most of the 5k routes were boring "out and backs." The Wahclella Falls 5k is a good example. If they moved the start point to the Wahclella Falls trailhead, you could see the falls and the fish hatchery. The turnaround point for the Cascade Locks to Overlook 5k was more like 7 or 7.5 k, and I assume it was done that way so you could see a waterfall. Maybe that 5k walk could start at the outlook. Then you could see the waterfall and the outlook and still do just 5k.

Trail Marking:

Most of the trail marking was excellent. The use of clothespins is a great idea for easy removal of flagging. The color-coding worked well. However, trail marking on the Town walk was poor, and when combined with the poor instructions, it led to confusion in several places.

Trail Instructions:

 

Where are the maps? None of the walks I did had maps. A lot of people process visual information better than verbal information. That is why there should always be both maps and written instructions. It would have been helpful to have a map, just so you can see where you will be going. Especially for the Town Walk, which had poor directions and poor trail marking, a map could have made a big difference.
All of the instructions tended to be vague. It is REALLY helpful if you have some idea of how far the next landmark is. Sometimes it can be 50 feet away and sometimes it can be 2 miles. For visitors who have never been to this area, this can result in constantly second-guessing yourself and wondering whether you should keep going or whether you should have turned around by now. Please give a general indication of when each kilometer has been completed. All instructions should also list the special programs associated with that walk.

The instructions for the Town Walk were particularly bad. We were supposed to go to a sign that said "Learn to Sail Here" and I didn't see the sign or any turn-around marking. On the island we were supposed to follow a path around the island. There was no path, and trail markings were not helpful. After leaving the island we were told to go left at the bottom of the stairs, but the trail markings suggested going straight ahead. This would have been dangerous because of all the people waving their fishing poles around. Then we were supposed to go toward a "white" house. There was a cream-colored house, but no white hose. Again, no turn-around sign. Finally, no turn-around sign at the art studio, which appeared to be closed. This walk would have really benefited from some historical details, information about (and mention of) the Sacagawea statue, information about the quilt trail, etc. The website says this walk goes past the ice cream store. Really? I must have gotten confused by the instructions and lack of a map, because we did not pass an ice cream store. I am positive I can not pass an ice cream store without noticing it. :)

To be fair, I didn't get lost, and I survived all the walks, but I did change my walk for the last day because I was concerned that some of the others had been mis-rated and I didn't want to turn a fun experience into an experience that injured my knees and feet.

Thank you to all the volunteers who helped make this event happen. You all deserve a huge pat on the back for your efforts.