"There is a segment of pavement north of the Union Pacific Railroad that would be desirable to connect to other segments."

"An option that is north of the Union Pacific Railroad from Wyeth to east of Shellrock Mountain, crossing over Interstate 84 to the Lindsey Creek State Park segment is proposed. This proposal includes a mile-long floating path in the Columbia River, similar to the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade in Portland."

Jonathan Ledbetter, Orphaned HCRH Segment near Shellrock Mountain

This tiny portion of old highway originally was a part of The Dalles and Sandy Wagon Road, funded by state in 1872 and completed in 1876. The road itself was windy and steep, and the portion west of Cascade Locks was largely destroyed in 1882-83 when the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company constructed a water-level railway line from Portland to The Dalles.

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The Shellrock Mountain portion became the first constructed modern HCRH segment. However, I’m more convinced the adjacent orphaned segment was constructed a couple years later, in 1914-15. If so, then this section was first surveyed sometime between October 11, 1913 and February 5, 1914 and funded via a $75,000 bond approved by Hood River County residents on July 15, 1914. To spur construction, Simon Benson again stepped in, purchasing all of these bonds at par on August 17th.2

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Eager to complete its portion of the highway by the summer of 1915, Hood River County moved quick to start construction. On August 26th, bids were opened for the construction of three segments of the HCRH within the county. The winner, the Newport Land and Construction Company, started work on September 18th. One of the three segments they completed was a 1.7-mile grade from east of Wyeth to Shellrock Mountain — the likely candidate for when this particular orphaned segment was originally built.3 4

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I was surprised that the old alignment was a good 15-20 feet above the freeway. Since the old alignment hugged the hillside, it goes to show just how much earth was moved when the freeway was built 70 years prior.

A. F. Litt, December 13, 2014

I've got a ton of pictures from this fragment that are one of my next priorities to post... This section is one of the longer old fragments in the heart of the Gorge, but it is very inaccessible without a boat. The highlight is really the old fences. This is the only place through the Gorge where early fences still exist! These are not quite the originals, all wooden materials; these do have concrete posts, but they are still neat.

At one point, there was a plan to include this fragment in the State Trail, but the costs of crossing the freeway twice were too much, and a part of the plan called for a mile long floating walkway on the river past Shellrock Mountain, like the one we see in downtown Portland on the Willamette, which was even more expensive. Plus, it would have meant bypassing the cool old section behind the bin walls, under the talus slopes of the mountain.

One interesting thing to me is how, once the decision has been made to bypass these old fragments, they fall completely from the State Trail materials.

However, this is ok. Leave them for the true HCRH aficionados who really care about them and who will treat them well and with respect.

And there is one other benefit to these abandoned children of the State Trail... One of the factors that inspired me to launch this project was the idea that these neat old mossy roads would be lost. Yes, I do see the value in restoring them, but there is also something special about there current conditions, as well. I hated to see these memories lost.

But some sections will continue to hide out in the woods, private, in secret. The process of nature's reclamation will continue, unnoticed, by none but a few of their most solid, heartfelt admirers.

Links

Beaver State Blog: Orphaned HCRH Segment near Shellrock Mountain

Excellent information and detailed photos from this fragment!

http://blog.beaverstateroads.net/2019/11/29/orphaned-hcrh-segment-near-shellrock-mountain

CLICK HERE to continue exploring the highway