Gorge Discovery Center July 17, 2015

Valerie Glowinski: Park Ranger; Government Employee

Slowly ending our journey in Oregon to continue with the rest of the trip. Before our departure, one last visit to The Gorge Discover Center is made. There, we learn about the history of how all of this came about!

What not many people are aware of is the historic Columbia River Highway. It was the first scenic highest in the United States that was built in the early 1900's by engineers and architects. They were eager to create "beauty spots". Less than 20 years later, a new highway was needed in order to accommodate larger automobiles which also increased commercial traffic. Sections of the old highway were bypassed as interstate 84.

While at the exhibit, I also learned about a few extinct animals, the direwolf being one of them. They are heavier built with shorter legs than gray wolves. They also had smaller brains that limited their skills for hunting. Their extinction coincides with the disappearance of large predators.

A saber-toothed cat is also one to be extinct. They were known to be smaller than modern lions but close to double their weight. To hunt, they held down their prey while ripping into their throat with their 9" sabers.

Along with the direwolf and the saber-toothed cat, there was also the megamammals. They were better at maintaining their body temperature because of their large body mass and thicker skin. Megamammels were believed to have a slower metabolism but also known to live longer. They had larger brains which made them more resourceful in finding food.

Of course there are thousands more extinct species but aside from the animals, ever wonder about the cliffs you see as you drive along the Columbia? Well let me tell you. A Wrinkled Face was named to due to the massive horizontal basalt flows cooled into layers. The colliding plates of Earth's crust folded rock like fabric. The Columbia river continued to carve its way to the sea exposing anticlines and synclines.

If that wasn't enough information, the day didn't end there. A stop was made where there were many petroglyphs created by tribes thousands of years ago. They stand til this day and remarkable as ever. Drawn by the ancestors of this land, She Who Watches continues to look after the Columbia River!