Penstemon pennellianus, Umatilla National Forest

A stop along the way to Walla Walla on the Columbia River. Above: The Twin Sisters; Below: Columbia River Barge with beautifully-jointed layers of flow basalt.

Once in a while, I take off on a solitary jaunt and leave all cares and responsibilities behind. Usually this is my art wave, consisting of a couple of days in the wilds drawing and plant and seed-hunting. Birds, day and night skies, geology, and scenery always beckon. This year it was a penstemon wave and an incredibly beautiful one. Only thing was nearly missing. This was my first wave without a single night spent under the stars. It started at midnight when I left Corvallis after some brief stargazing for the long freeway drive to Walla Walla. It was a very pleasant drive that avoided the usual traffic on the crowded I-5 corridor.

'Early-bourne rosy-fingered dawn' arrived at the perfect moment, just as I arrived at the most scenic portions of the Columbia Gorge along I-84. A couple of my favorite rock features, Hat Rock and The Twin Sisters, were my first serious stops. This impressive set of twin basalt and basalt breccia pillars was also called Chimney Rocks or sometimes Cayuse Sisters by early explorers . As with many a feature there is a legend attributed to native peoples. Coyote fell in love with three sisters as they trapped salmon along the river. Every evening he would sneak about and destroy their traps. The young women patiently re-built the traps, but finally weakened with near-starvation. When the wiley Coyote appeared to them and promised salvation with new traps, they agreed to his condition that they all become his wives. Later he became jealous of their patience and skills and turned two of them to stone pillars. For a while he kept the third sister, but soon tired of her also, turning her into a cave nearby. He then became altogether remorseful at that he had done and also quite lonely, so he turned himself into a rock nearby so he could watch over them forever.

Today there are hiking trails around the pillars and wildflowers may be seen in abundance. Here remains the magic of the lively stories handed down by generations of the women of the Plateau Tribes as they patiently worked at the multitude of life-giving tasks. The descendants of the ravens who tricked Coyote and taught him humility still circle around the rocks and call in the glow of earliest dawn. On this still morning they mockingly remind me of flying --and of Tim, my revered flight instructor. Their call seems to issue a challenge. He, like all flight instructors eventually do, plays little tricks or dishes out distractions to keep me on my toes. He once even used some lavish praise to successfully distract me. Talk about learning humility!

The rocks glow pink and gold in the early light and hold fast to the secrets of the past. If you plant-lovers visit the rocks, look for Calochortus macrocarpus, a white-flowered form of Eriogonum compositum, and several erigerons. My favorite is E. linearis, a compact plant with brilliant daffodil-yellow daiseys that can flourish in any sunny rock garden. The Twin Sisters look very determined as the low light slowly brightens. The deep sky with its vignette of dawn accentuates the pair of pillars. Patterns and geometry of rock joints are highlighted by the glow. Soon the sky looses the vignette and becomes completely washed in soft blue. Enchanted by the ever-changing light and colors of full dawn, I linger. Not wanting to miss the assemblage of penstemaniacs for Friday's jaunt, I get back in my rig when the full light reminds me of the passage of time. Some people are owls who love the late day and the night; others are larks who revere the dawn. Always I have been a lark.

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October 1, 2001, updated with more pages, 11/07/01