In case you were wondering, the picture above is of the Columbia River as it flows north out of its headwaters at Columbia Lake. The actual source of the river is a spring near Canal Flats, B.C., at the south end of the lake.

The Columbia is a symbol of home to me, especially once I left home to go to college in the South. That first glimpse of the river on my numerous journeys from Kentucky to the Pacific Northwest always meant I was back West, back where I belonged.

I’d wanted to see Columbia Lake ever since I read William D. Layman’s River of Memory: The Everlasting Columbia. The book features historical photos of the river, from its mouth to its source. I finally made it in August 2009. It’s a bit of a haul from Seattle to Canal Flats, but it was worth the trip.

* My thanks to Woody Guthrie.