Historic Hood River
Twin Tunnels East Portal (or Not?)
Notes
At first glance this is just a hole in a wall of rock. Yet 90 years ago this photographer saw something here worth capturing on film.
The image shows the east entrance to the Mosier Twin Tunnels of the Columbia River Highway shortly after it was bored. The concrete portal has not yet been constructed and the roadbed has not yet been paved. The highway has been working its way from Portland toward the Dalles since 1913, and this tangible sign of progress must have been exciting. This tunnel was one of the last major engineering feats on the highway. In the summer of 1920 paving was completed in this area, linking Hood River and Mosier with a hard surfaced highway.
This tunnel was filled with debris and abandoned in 1955 when the interstate replaced this section of roadway, but it has since been cleared and restored. It is open to pedestrians and cyclists year-round as part of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail. On a few special occasions antique automobiles are allowed to drive this stretch of road, retracing the route of the pioneering autos that left the ruts you can see in this image.
Ed. Note: Scott Cook has challenged my id of this location (see comment section). Here’s the link to his excellent site. Sorry comment links are turned off, but it makes moderating much easier. No doubt this is the same view. None of the chunks of rock in the road have even moved, so it must be the same day.
Scott’s image seems to show the actual windows which you can’t see from the Twin Tunnels east portal, so I think he’s correct. Scott does careful research for his book and blog and has a great eye for Gorge locations. Anyone who spends a year tracking down Lassie and the Broughton Flume is the real deal. Every amateur Gorge historian should use Curious Gorge as a sleuthing companion. When I have a chance to examine the negative in the museum’s collection I’ll fix this blog entry.
Tags: 1910s, Columbia River Highway, Davidson, Mitchell, Mitchell Point, Mitchell Point Tunnel, tunnel
l.e.
Is the tree still there?
Arthur
I’m pretty sure that tree was removed when they built the keystone concrete portal. It’s not there today. This area was badly scorched in a fire which burned through there last year.
Scott Cook
This isn’t the Mosier twin tunnels. this is the east portal of the Mitchell point Tunnel of Many Vistas. Links don’t work here, but if you go to my CuriousGorgeBlog, click on Mitchell Pt #36 and scroll down to the bottom you’ll find a nearly identical photo, but with the interior windows much clearer to see. A quick stop at the Mosier tunnels would end any debate, as the "roof" above Mosier’s tunnels is way thicker. cheers, scott
Kenn
There are pictures of the twin tunnels with rock portals, brick portals and concrete portals..