In the hills above White Salmon and Bingen on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge, is the home of a small group of Theravada Buddhist monks. The Pacific Hermitage is a branch of Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery in Redwood Valley, California. Established in the summer of 2010 on five acres of leased land, the Hermitage is a place of solitude for these monks who devote their lives to meditation and simple living.