“You will want to stop here,” said our friend when we came to a beautiful bridge swinging across a crystal stream dashing at the bottom of a deep ravine, green with fern and moss. “This is Shepperd’s Dell and you must get the view from beneath the bridge.”
SHEPPERD’S DELL BRIDGE, COLUMBIA RIVER HIGHWAY
Copyright Winter Photo Co., Portland, Oregon
We descended the stone steps leading down into the ravine and found ourselves surrounded by a scene of perfect sylvan loveliness. A picturesque waterfall came dashing from the ponderous crags above us into a green, moss-bordered pool from which a clear stream ran among the mottled boulders beneath the bridge. Ferns, shrubs, and trees covered the cliffs to the summit and the effect of sun and shadow upon these and the waterfall was indescribably beautiful. Turning toward the bridge, a different but none the less enchanting scene met our view. Framed in the wide arch of the graceful structure was a delightful panorama of river and mountain to which the viewpoint lent a peculiar charm.
“Shepperd’s Dell is named after the donor of this site,” said our guide, “Mr. George Shepperd, a poor teamster of Portland, who gave it in memory of his wife. His disinterested generosity when he had a chance to demand payment from the county for the right of way illustrates the spirit of willing help toward this great enterprise that prevailed among our people, from the millionaire to the day-laborer.”
With reluctance we left this delightful spot to proceed on our journey. A mile farther we came to the magnificent bridge spanning Latourelle Creek, a triple-arched structure two hundred and forty feet long and one hundred feet above the stream. We remarked on the unique design of this bridge and our guide told us that no two on the entire highway follow exactly the same lines, thus giving a pleasing variation. Opposite this bridge is Latourelle Falls, another of the beautiful Columbia cataracts, pouring from a cliff two hundred and twenty-four feet in height.
“We are now approaching what is considered the masterpiece of Columbia Highway engineering,” said the officer. “The great promontory before us is Crown Point, over seven hundred feet in height. Before Mr. Lancaster tackled the problem all plans contemplated getting around this cliff rather than over it. In accordance with his consistent aim to secure the most spectacular scenery from the new road, Mr. Lancaster declared he would scale the cliff, though he was assured that this proposition had all been threshed over many times and found quite impossible. But the impossible was done; by patient calculation and careful surveying and the adoption of some rather revolutionary engineering tactics, the highway was swung over the great rock without infraction of the limit of grade or curve. You will see what I mean as you ascend the grade.”
We began the ascent shortly after leaving Latourelle Bridge and without shifting a gear or accelerating our speed we steadily climbed upward, swinging around a maze of curves. As we approached the summit our guide bade us look backward. “See the figure eight,” he cried, and, sure enough, the outlines of the road below us appeared as a double loop which from our viewpoint strikingly resembled a gigantic figure eight.
At the summit the road describes a perfect circle, but to maintain the radius of one hundred feet it was necessary to support a part of the road-bed on concrete piers built from the lower shelves of the rock. In the center of the circle “Vista House” is to be erected as a memorial to the pioneers of Oregon and dedicated to the use and convenience of travelers on the highway.