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THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020
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The spiri ts of Bear Mountain
Writer treks for answers to mountain’s history
By RON BALDWIN
T
he silent sentinel looms over
the river’s widening. It is bal-
anced and graceful in an irregu-
lar landscape.
From the Oregon side of the river,
Bear Mountain appears to be a per-
fect cone . For years, I speculated that
this may be a volcanic vent, but I never
took the time to fi nd out. I theorized
that if Bear Mountain is a volcanic vent
then it would likely have a caldera or
depression at the top like that of the
dormant Cascade volcanoes. This
spring, my curiosity got the best of me
and I went to investigate.
Bear Mountain is part of a mountain
range that includes Bear River Ridge,
Naselle Ridge and Scarborough Hill.
The southern face of the range is in
full view from Astoria but most peo-
ple, like me, never give it much of a
thought.
This grouping of peaks and deep
valleys was 30 million years old when
the Cascades were the size of mole
hills. The underlying rock of the for-
mations is largely basalt with depos-
its of andesite, a lighter igneous rock
and tuff, a light fl uffy rock formed
from compressed volcanic ash. In most
spots this is overlaid with clay and for-
est soil. Many creeks have cut deep
canyons in these hills.
The southernmost point in the
range, Scarborough Hill, was chosen
by James Scarborough as a home for
himself and his Chinook wife who had
inherited the property, then called Chi-
nook Point. Life at Scarborough Hill
was regaled in Washington Irving’s
books “Astoria” and “The Adventures
of Captain Bonneville.” The property
was eventually acquired by the U.S.
Army and became the site for Fort
Columbia around the beginning of the
20th century.
Most native old-growth forest was
logged early. Being before the advent
of silviculture, the forest was not
planted but grew back naturally. Later,
stands were replanted.
Large stands of Western Hemlock
still cover most of the hills with patches
of Douglas fi r, Western red cedar and
larger stands of red alder and big leaf
maple. The only other land use here is
the microwave and radio repeaters on
great towers above the range’s other
southern peaks. These towers are the
mainstay of our connection to the rest
of the world.
During World War II, the Army Air
Corps built Radar Station Bear Moun-
tain, ironically at the other end of
Bear River Ridge, high above Green-
head Slough. The installation included
recently-developed radar equipment
which was highly secret at the time.
The installation also included barracks
and a mess hall for operators.
Public access here is complicated
since there are many owners.
The U.S. government is one player,
owning the Willapa National Wildlife
Refuge. Washington state is another
through ownership of Fort Columbia
State Park. Most of the forest is owned
by timber companies.
This arrangement creates a patch-
work quilt of lands that become
quickly confusing to the casual runner
or walker. Most of these companies
do not allow motorized vehicles on the
roads in the area except during desig-
nated hunting seasons.
Massive locked metal gates
ensure that no unauthorized vehicles
can enter. No camping and fi res are
allowed. Companies otherwise allow
daytime walking or non-motorized
cycling. Most require permits for this
access. Currently, most of this access
is offered on a no-fee basis. Fed-
eral and state lands are open to public
access and have designated trails and
roads. User fees apply for some spots.
The reason for all this security and
permitting boils down to liability. If
you wish to walk in the area, you have
to plan ahead and ask for permis-
sion and/or get a permit/pass. There
are signs at the heads of most roads
indicating how to apply for a per-
mit. Some roads cross several prop-
erty lines so multiple permits may be
needed.
The protocol for hiking and
camping is quite different from that
of the Cascades where n ational f or-
est land is predominant. One good
See Bear Mountain, Page B2
Photos by Ron Baldwin
TOP: Washington state’s Bear Mountain can be viewed from the Port of Astoria and Columbia River.
ABOVE: Bear Mountain peeks over the Lower Naselle Valley at Johnson’s Landing. BELOW: The Crimson
Ark, a container ship, near Bear Mountain.