My new 2016 X5 conquers the Columbia River Gorge

coolidge · 06-26-2016, 11:59 PM

I took delivery of my new 2016 X5 xDrive 35i on Friday and today I took it for a break in road trip up the Columbia river gorge here in Washington state. Here she is on Friday, I live south of Mt. Saint Helens in Washington state the volcano that blasted itself apart in 1980.

I opted for the LED lighting package, its really nice!

First stop heading into the Columbia river gorge the Steigerwald National Wildlife Refuge.

That's the Mt Hood volcano off in the distance.

That's the Oregon side of the gorge off in the distance. The highway on the Washington side is a twisty winding hilly 2 lane highway favored by sports cars and motorcyclists. I saw a nice Ferrari today but that's rare.

In some spots there's a guard rail then its 2,000 feet straight down

the Cape Horn corner in winter with ice yeah kind of ass puckering.

A public boat moorage near Beacon Rock park and one of the Lewis and Clark expedition historical markers.

That's the Bonneville hydro electric power plant and dam, they were releasing quite a bit of water today.

At full open it really blasts out of there horizontally, this was kind of mild. Below this dam is a popular Sturgeon fishing spot, some of those beasts are 8-10 feet long! There's also a fish ladder for the Salmon and Steelhead.

Above the dam near Bridge of the Gods.

Here's some history...about 500 years ago where was a massive land slide that created a land bridge across the river.

I crossed the river at the Bridge of the Gods and they were having some kind of native American thing going on. Cascade Locks which used to be a town people just flew by on the freeway became famous for wind surfing and exploded in popularity, it was packed today.

Here's the bridge.

Last stop on my way back Multnomah falls lodge, the falls drop 611 feet. A sad picture really, the place was packed so I elected not to walk over there and just took a pic from the parking lot.

UnhappySwede · 06-27-2016, 02:43 AM

Looks beautiful! Im planning a trip to these areas and Idaho in september or so, flying over from Sweden.

Our cars look kinda the same too, just different rims. You've good a good taste in cars and picking where to live!

Joshualmarley · 06-27-2016, 07:10 AM

Beautiful pictures and story. I love these kind of things.

eRiggs5 · 06-27-2016, 08:53 AM

beautiful pics! love the color btw! great choice!

P1 · 06-27-2016, 09:16 AM

Love these "road trip" photos. Wish people would post more of them. Jealous you live in Washington state. Definitely one of my favorite places, although I've seen very little of it. Your nature is impressive.

Congrats on the new X5. And I agree with you: the LED lights are a must! It's was almost on the very top of my list when I was looking for a used one. I'd dismiss every single X5 that didn't have it right off the bat! I think, apart from functionality, it makes the front end really stand out.

BGWN · 06-27-2016, 09:39 AM

It's a spectacular part of the PNW for sure. Our favourite drive around there is from Woodland to Carson on 503E/Hwy 90/ Wind River Road S. Miles and miles of driving in the green tunnel.

MarineOh3 · 06-27-2016, 10:24 AM

Congratulations Coolidge! I'm sure she was worth the wait...

Where in Washington do you live? I spent about three years in Silverdale and Bremerton back many years ago. Always loved that part of the country. Need to take a trip to the Olympic National Park and post pics!

Congrats again. She's beautiful.

opasha · 06-27-2016, 11:07 AM

Great pictures and congrats on the new X5! Always love to see someone putting this machine to good use

.

coolidge · 06-27-2016, 03:44 PM

I did not leave empty handed behold wild Huckleberry jam! There are vast fields of wild Huckleberries north of the gorge with about half of the fields reserved for native Americans who have harvested them for centuries. These are unique sweet/tart berries that go POW in your mouth. Once you eat a Huckleberry muffin a blueberry muffin will taste like raw tofu. $13 a jar ouch but worth it!

coolidge · 06-27-2016, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BGWN

It's a spectacular part of the PNW for sure. Our favourite drive around there is from Woodland to Carson on 503E/Hwy 90/ Wind River Road S. Miles and miles of driving in the green tunnel.

I have driven that route many times, 503E is about a mile from my house. You might head over to Trout Lake sometime off Wind River Road for a change or alternatively head east on Highway 14 to Lyle then travel the Klickitat river to Trout Lake then 141 back over to Wind River. Its quite different, ice caves, the woods are more open, its hard to describe Wind River can get boring after a while its so much just the same thing mile after mile.

coolidge · 06-27-2016, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarineOh3

Congratulations Coolidge! I'm sure she was worth the wait...

Where in Washington do you live? I spent about three years in Silverdale and Bremerton back many years ago. Always loved that part of the country. Need to take a trip to the Olympic National Park and post pics!

Congrats again. She's beautiful.

I'm about 5 miles north of Battle Ground, WA.

coolidge · 06-27-2016, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by P1et

Love these "road trip" photos. Wish people would post more of them. Jealous you live in Washington state. Definitely one of my favorite places, although I've seen very little of it. Your nature is impressive.

Congrats on the new X5. And I agree with you: the LED lights are a must! It's was almost on the very top of my list when I was looking for a used one. I'd dismiss every single X5 that didn't have it right off the bat! I think, apart from functionality, it makes the front end really stand out.

Some months ago I was sitting in a new 2016 Ford Explorer Sport, got out thinking I would buy it then noticed Ford cheaped out and went back to Halogen for the high beams and told the sales guy to forget it. Glad I did the X5 is a lot more comfortable.

jiggz · 06-27-2016, 04:22 PM

Great post, wish there were more like this on the forums. X looks good too!

P1 · 06-27-2016, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coolidge

Some months ago I was sitting in a new 2016 Ford Explorer Sport, got out thinking I would buy it then noticed Ford cheaped out and went back to Halogen for the high beams and told the sales guy to forget it. Glad I did the X5 is a lot more comfortable.

I actually don't mind the new Explorer one bit. Lots of creature comfort and the third row is quite spacious. We had one as a rental for a few weeks and I could find little to complain about.

But they aren't cheap. And you're right. I see these cars still running around with halogen lights and it blows my mind.

P1 · 06-27-2016, 04:57 PM

Since we're on the topic, ever seen an X5 with halogen lights? If not, here it is...

BGWN · 06-27-2016, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coolidge

I have driven that route many times, 503E is about a mile from my house. You might head over to Trout Lake sometime off Wind River Road for a change or alternatively head east on Highway 14 to Lyle then travel the Klickitat river to Trout Lake then 141 back over to Wind River. Its quite different, ice caves, the woods are more open, its hard to describe Wind River can get boring after a while its so much just the same thing mile after mile.

Hey thanks! We'll give it a go next time.

06-26-2016, 11:59 PM	#1
coolidge Private First Class 56 Rep 171 Posts Drives: X5 xDrive 35i Join Date: May 2016 Location: WA iTrader: (0)	My new 2016 X5 conquers the Columbia River Gorge I took delivery of my new 2016 X5 xDrive 35i on Friday and today I took it for a break in road trip up the Columbia river gorge here in Washington state. Here she is on Friday, I live south of Mt. Saint Helens in Washington state the volcano that blasted itself apart in 1980. I opted for the LED lighting package, its really nice! First stop heading into the Columbia river gorge the Steigerwald National Wildlife Refuge. That's the Mt Hood volcano off in the distance. That's the Oregon side of the gorge off in the distance. The highway on the Washington side is a twisty winding hilly 2 lane highway favored by sports cars and motorcyclists. I saw a nice Ferrari today but that's rare. In some spots there's a guard rail then its 2,000 feet straight down the Cape Horn corner in winter with ice yeah kind of ass puckering. A public boat moorage near Beacon Rock park and one of the Lewis and Clark expedition historical markers. That's the Bonneville hydro electric power plant and dam, they were releasing quite a bit of water today. At full open it really blasts out of there horizontally, this was kind of mild. Below this dam is a popular Sturgeon fishing spot, some of those beasts are 8-10 feet long! There's also a fish ladder for the Salmon and Steelhead. Above the dam near Bridge of the Gods. Here's some history...about 500 years ago where was a massive land slide that created a land bridge across the river. I crossed the river at the Bridge of the Gods and they were having some kind of native American thing going on. Cascade Locks which used to be a town people just flew by on the freeway became famous for wind surfing and exploded in popularity, it was packed today. Here's the bridge. Last stop on my way back Multnomah falls lodge, the falls drop 611 feet. A sad picture really, the place was packed so I elected not to walk over there and just took a pic from the parking lot.
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06-27-2016, 02:43 AM	#2
UnhappySwede Private First Class 94 Rep 144 Posts Drives: BMW X5 F15 -2016 Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Sweden iTrader: (0)	Looks beautiful! Im planning a trip to these areas and Idaho in september or so, flying over from Sweden. Our cars look kinda the same too, just different rims. You've good a good taste in cars and picking where to live!
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06-27-2016, 07:10 AM	#3
Joshualmarley Enlisted Member 6 Rep 35 Posts Drives: 2015 X5 35D M-Sport Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Houston,TX iTrader: (0)	Beautiful pictures and story. I love these kind of things.
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06-27-2016, 08:53 AM	#4
eRiggs5 Lieutenant 299 Rep 517 Posts Drives: 18 M3 CS Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	beautiful pics! love the color btw! great choice! __________________ -> 2018 M3 CS <- follow IG: eriggs05_m3cs 2020 Grand Cherokee Summit: Wife's 2016 BMW M3: Gone 2008 Lexus IS: Gone
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06-27-2016, 09:16 AM	#5
P1 Lieutenant General 11592 Rep 11,147 Posts Drives: 2004 3/4 ton Duramax Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: United States iTrader: (1)	Love these "road trip" photos. Wish people would post more of them. Jealous you live in Washington state. Definitely one of my favorite places, although I've seen very little of it. Your nature is impressive. Congrats on the new X5. And I agree with you: the LED lights are a must! It's was almost on the very top of my list when I was looking for a used one. I'd dismiss every single X5 that didn't have it right off the bat! I think, apart from functionality, it makes the front end really stand out.
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		BMW X5 and X6 Forum (F15/F16) > BMW X5 (F15) and BMW X6 (F16) Forum > BMW X5 and X6 (F15/F16) Forum
My new 2016 X5 conquers the Columbia River Gorge

06-27-2016, 09:39 AM	#6
BGWN New Member 6 Rep 15 Posts Drives: 2015 X5 35d Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Alberta iTrader: (0)	It's a spectacular part of the PNW for sure. Our favourite drive around there is from Woodland to Carson on 503E/Hwy 90/ Wind River Road S. Miles and miles of driving in the green tunnel.
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06-27-2016, 10:24 AM	#7
MarineOh3 Second Lieutenant 113 Rep 210 Posts Drives: 2012 F30 / 2016 F15 Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Stuttgart, Germany iTrader: (0)	Congratulations Coolidge! I'm sure she was worth the wait... Where in Washington do you live? I spent about three years in Silverdale and Bremerton back many years ago. Always loved that part of the country. Need to take a trip to the Olympic National Park and post pics! Congrats again. She's beautiful. __________________ 2012 328i Sport Line - JB on Coral Red 2016 X5 35d M Sport Line - CBM on Ivory White and Black Dakota
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06-27-2016, 11:07 AM	#8
opasha Brigadier General 1331 Rep 3,990 Posts Drives: 2014 BMW X5 50i Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maryland iTrader: (0)	Great pictures and congrats on the new X5! Always love to see someone putting this machine to good use . __________________ 2014 X5 50i X-Line // Mineral White
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06-27-2016, 03:44 PM	#9
coolidge Private First Class 56 Rep 171 Posts Drives: X5 xDrive 35i Join Date: May 2016 Location: WA iTrader: (0)	I did not leave empty handed behold wild Huckleberry jam! There are vast fields of wild Huckleberries north of the gorge with about half of the fields reserved for native Americans who have harvested them for centuries. These are unique sweet/tart berries that go POW in your mouth. Once you eat a Huckleberry muffin a blueberry muffin will taste like raw tofu. $13 a jar ouch but worth it!
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06-27-2016, 04:22 PM	#13
jiggz Brigadier General 2155 Rep 3,658 Posts Drives: E90 M3\|F15 X5 50i Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Seattle iTrader: (2)	Great post, wish there were more like this on the forums. X looks good too!
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06-27-2016, 04:57 PM	#15
P1 Lieutenant General 11592 Rep 11,147 Posts Drives: 2004 3/4 ton Duramax Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: United States iTrader: (1)	Since we're on the topic, ever seen an X5 with halogen lights? If not, here it is...
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