The Bridge of the Gods

The Bridge of the Gods. Crossing Water and Time. , The rocks project into the river in many places and have the appearance of having fallen from the high hills… This part of the river resembles a pond partly drained leaving many stumps bare both in and out of the water… We can plainly hear the roaring of the grand shutes below… , William Clark , October 30, Wednesday, 1805 , Pacific Northwest Indians retain centuries of history by retelling stories; setting to memory their people's rich history. Indians of the Columbia River Gorge tell of a natural stone bridge that once crossed the river, a peaceful thoroughfare connecting peoples of the north and south banks. , Contemporary geologists concur. They say the unstable north side of the Gorge rumbled into the river and created the crossing about 500 years ago. Eventually, the river surged through this dam, reducing it to roaring whitewater rapids, later called the Cascades of the Columbia. , From the ground, it is hard to see this massive landslide, but it is obvious from the air. The slide narrowed the river's channel and pushed its course south. , Legends are traditional stories that describe relatively recent events in realistic terms. Gathered around fires on winter nights, Indian communities enjoyed the ritual of their best storytellers, who made history entertaining. Some tribal legends say jealous brothers Wy’east (Mt. Hood) and Klickitat or Pab-toe (Mt. Adams) dammed the river with fire and rocks while fighting over beautiful Loo-wit (Mt St Helens). , Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.