I spent this morning visiting Broughton Beach in North Portland, near the airport. This sandy shore on the Columbia was host to a very strange event. I didn't even know such things happened until about three weeks before this event. My friend Atheana was going to be participating in a small bit of madness. Now, normally I'm a fair participator in madcap adventures and a bit of costuming. This, however, was not my idea of fun.
The weather report had predicted rain and the dark clouds promised some. It was a chilly morning, despite certain hopes of a groundhog from last week. The waters of the Columbia, having freshly drained the Cascade Range, was flowing at a frosty 39 degrees. Yet bathing suits and towels abounded, as did collections of animals, super heroes, and innuendo. Hundreds had gathered here for a single purpose, to help the Oregon Special Olympics. They were raising money by raising goose bumps.
The event is called the Polar Plunge, and no other name could be more fitting. I estimated about 600 people willingly dove into the icy, pre-noon, cloudy-day waters of the Columbia. Their mixed expressions of triumph and horror are priceless. Soon enough, the sun came out and around $150,000 was raised. And this wasn't the only site performing this charity. Just in the Columbia Basin there are at least seven other such plunges.
More images available here: Polar Plunge.
On another note, back to Portland Bridges for a moment.
- The Oregon City-West Linn Arch Bridge has closed for repairs. Two years is the expected construction time.
- The twin Interstate Bridges (and here) that take the I-5 over the Columbia between Oregon and Washington is in need of congestion relief. The bridges may be replaced in the future.
- For updates on the bridge to be for the Orange Line, see the home page for the "Caruthers" Bridge.
- The Sellwood Bridge is also in need of repairs. It will be getting significant upgrades soon.
Happy hunting,
Brett
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