LEGALIZED IT

My final weeks of work before Christmas sent me on a tour of some pretty cool places. First I worked near Wilmington, and was able to stay fat Wrightsville Beach. From there I headed all the way across the country, spending almost a week in the Pacific Northwest. After that it was back to the Atlantic, with a week in Charleston.

When my boss asked me if I was interested in an assignment in Hood River, Oregon, I jumped at the opportunity. December may be the worst of the rainy season in that corner of the country, but I still love the area. Plus, it gave me the opportunity to visit some good friends that live near Seattle.

My job was scheduled to start on Monday afternoon, but I flew to Portland on Saturday morning. From there I drove up to Bainbridge Island, Washington. It was almost a four hour drive, and I would only be able to spend one evening, but what the hell. I hadn’t seen Brian, Jill, and their daughters in almost 2 years. Plus, Brian’s birthday had been the day before, so I could do my best to help them celebrate.

I stopped at a grocery store on my way to their place and called Jill. They didn’t need anything, but I went in to pick up a 6-pack. While I was there I searched the shelves for weed. Washington had voted to legalize Marijuana for recreational use a few weeks earlier. They had also legalized gay marriage. Since I wasn’t planning on marrying a dude, picking up some pot was my best option for taking advantage of these new freedoms.

However, that proved to be more difficult than expected. I couldn’t find it anywhere in the Albertsons. I looked near the beer first, as that seemed logical, but it wasn’t to be found. I checked near the chips next, since they go so well together. It wasn’t there, either. Where were they hiding it? In the pharmacy? Produce?

It turns out that you can’t actually buy it in a grocery store. The State of Washington recently shut down all of their state-run liquor stores. Current speculation is that they will be converted to state-run Marijuana stores. We’ll see about that. For my purposes, a 6-pack of Dead Guy Ale was more than adequate.

There’s no word yet on whether 4/20 will be a state holiday.

I enjoyed a festive evening with Brian and Jill. It was great catching up with them.

I headed out late the next morning. I drove all the way back to Portland, and then headed east up the Columbia River Gorge towards Hood River. The Columbia River Gorge has some fantastic hiking, including some of the most spectacular waterfalls in the country. Unfortunately, it gets dark a little after 4pm in Oregon in December. However, I reached the gorge a bit before 3pm, leaving me with just enough time for a short hike to a couple of waterfalls.

Since I only had a bit more than an hour, I picked a 1-mile hike to Elowah Falls and Upper McCord Creek Falls. I changed clothes in the car, and I had just finished when I saw a group of hikers coming out of the woods towards the parking area. I popped the trunk and nearly gave one of them a heart attack. The poor girl had just pulled out her keys and had used the remote to unlock her car. She hit the button at the exact same moment that my trunk popped open. The look on her face was precious.

I started up the trail in a very light drizzle. The trail passed through a towering canopy of fir trees. A short, steady climb led to a junction. I went left and down to access the base of the falls. I passed the final switchback and got my first view of the falls. Elowah Falls is breathtaking. I immediately knew I’d made a good choice.

Elowah Falls (213’) is spectacular, but like many others in the area, it isn’t particularly famous. That’s probably because it is only a few miles from the renowned Multnomah Falls (635’). You could say that it is hidden in plain sight, simply overshadowed by its big brother just down the gorge.

I took some photos, but even with an umbrella the heavy spray and drizzle created a challenge. I didn’t linger long, since darkness was looming and I wanted to visit the upper falls. I returned to the junction and continued up. The info I found on the interwebs described the trail as a steep climb to an overlook of the main falls, with a continuation on to the upper falls. I suspect the trail has been rerouted, as the climb wasn’t particularly steep. I ascended on switchbacks, but never saw the upper overlook. If the trail was rerouted, that viewpoint was probably not included along the new trail.

After a hearty climb I followed the base of an impressive cliff. A sheer drop on my left was protected with a railing, but this part of the trail was still quite exciting. It was wet and muddy, and there were a few aerial views of Elowah Falls and the Columbia River along the way.

Before long I reached a viewpoint of Upper McCord Creek Falls (64’). This is a nice waterfall, too, though it isn’t particularly significant compared to Elowah Falls. I took a few more photos before heading back. I returned to my car at dusk and headed on to Hood River.

I didn’t know much about Hood River prior to my trip, except that none of the hotels that I usually stay at had locations there. It turns out that Hood River is a really neat little town. Its primary focus is tourism. The Mount Hood Railroad begins there, and the adjacent stretch of the Columbia River is the windsurfing capital of the world. Restaurants are abundant, too. My biggest decision every night was simply picking which brewpub I wanted to eat at.

I stayed at the Hood River Hotel, which is a historic property in the middle of downtown. It was rustic and perhaps a bit musty, but a neat place. My room had a nice view of the Columbia River (as well as the railroad tracks and the interstate). Noise from the highway and the trains gave me problems the first night, but I got used to it after that. The best part of The Hood River Hotel was their breakfast. Every morning’s meal was fantastic, and they came with local coffee that was amazing. It was so good I actually bought a bag to take home with me.

The Company where I was working wasn’t expecting me until mid-day on Monday. I was surrounded by fantastic hiking possibilities, so I decided to take advantage of my opportunity. I got up a bit before 7 on Monday and picked up coffee and a breakfast burrito to go. That burrito must’ve weighed 2 pounds, and the drive to the trailhead only took 30 minutes. I was just finishing it when I reached the parking area. That was good timing, except that I wasn’t sure if I could actually hike with such a full belly!

My plan for the morning was a 5-mile round trip hike to Triple Falls on Oneonta Creek. That hike has been on my to-do list for years, but I hadn’t gotten to it. It features a number of major waterfalls, including Horsetail Falls, Ponytail Falls, and several other falls on Oneonta Creek in addition to Triple Falls. It also passes above the Oneonta Gorge – an actual slot canyon, which is highly unusual in the Pacific Northwest.

The trailhead is at Horsetail Falls (214’), which is one of the most dramatic waterfalls in Oregon. I parked in the empty lot and took a few photos before starting my hike. I crossed the road and began a steady climb on switchbacks up the side of the Columbia River Gorge. I passed high above the brink of Horsetail Falls and followed the creek upstream, once again passing under an impressive canopy of evergeens. A few minutes later, Ponytail Falls (88’) came into view. Ponytail Falls may just be the little sister of Horsetail Falls, but I liked it quite a bit better. For one thing, it doesn’t have a road running right past its base. Although it is smaller than many of the waterfalls in the area, it has some other redeeming qualities. Most notably, the trail actually passes behind the falls before continuing on towards the Oneonta Gorge.

I took a few photos from the trail, but I wasn’t satisfied. The creek downstream from the falls is a beauty, and I was confident that I could get some good shots if I could get down to it. Of course that would require an exceptionally steep descent of a wet, muddy hillside. Ultimately the desire for a great photo overrode my better sense. I grabbed my camera and tripod and worked my way down. The descent wasn’t as bad as it looked, and when I reached the creek I knew I’d made the right choice. The waterfall was even more breathtaking from this vantage point, and my photos were enhanced by the cascading stream in the foreground.

Climbing back up to the trail was more difficult than getting down. For some reason I chose a different route, as it looked easier from my vantage point. It wasn’t. I scrambled about halfway up, before reaching a spot where I couldn’t climb up without having the bank crumble underneath me. Eventually I retreated. I managed to get back down the slippery slope to the creek without killing myself. I returned to my original descent route and climbed out easily.

I rejoined the trail and passed behind Ponytail Falls. A modest climb brought me to a cliff with a nice view of the Columbia River Gorge. The weather was actually pretty decent for December, but morning fog was obscuring the river and most of the surrounding mountains.

From there I began descending towards Oneonta Creek. On the way down I was treated to my first view of the lower gorge. Oneonta Creek runs straight through a deep, narrow slot canyon, spilling over a couple of waterfalls along the way. The first drop occurs immediately upstream from the trail bridge. A short distance later is a much more powerful waterfall. From there on, the creek runs through a narrow, mossy gash in the Earth.

Although the trail offered an aerial view of the slot canyon, photography from that vantage point was hopeless. I really wanted a better look, but it’s hard to imagine the existence of a more inaccessible place. Both sides of the gorge are nearly vertical for a couple of hundred feet. I didn’t see a spot where a descent would be even marginally plausible.

Years ago I read an article about a hike up the gorge from downstream. That requires wading upstream, so it can only be attempted in the summer, when water levels are low and temperatures are a little warmer. Even in ideal conditions it would be challenging, as the gorge features a lot of debris that has washed downstream. Still, I’d love to try that sometime. I’ll bet the waterfall just downstream from the trail bridge (Lower Oneonta Falls) is incredible.

I descended to the trail bridge, which is in a precarious spot spanning the gorge. There is a nice waterfall immediately upstream (Middle Oneonta Falls), and the previously mentioned monster just downstream. The bridge had a sign stating that the bridge was damaged, but that it should hold as long as hikers crossed it one at a time! I hesitated briefly. If the bridge collapsed, it would mean a long fall. If I survived the plunge, it would be impossible to escape from the gorge without rock climbing.

I crossed the bridge, which didn’t even wobble. From there I explored downstream, along the rim of the gorge. I reached a point where I could feel and hear the waterfall downstream, but it remained just out of sight behind a cliff. Unfortunately, going any further was completely out of the question.

I returned to the trail and climbed up to a junction. From there I continued up the gorge towards Triple Falls. Another climb followed, and the trail stayed well above the creek. Somewhere along here I passed another waterfall (Oneonta Falls). Accessing it requires a steep, off-trail descent. I was a bit pressed for time, so I skipped that one and continued on.

Triple Falls (64’) was a worthy finale to a great hike. At the falls, Oneonta Creek splits into three channels. There is a fine view from the trail, above and directly across from the falls. I’ll bet the vantage is even better from the base, but I didn’t see an easy way to get down there. After a few minutes at Triple Falls I decided to hike upstream a bit further. I rejoined the main trail, and passed a nice cascading waterfall on a tributary. A bit farther on I crossed the creek on another bridge above an impressive run of cascades. Once on the far side I had a nice view of another cascading waterfall on yet another tributary. From there I could see the falls I’d passed minutes earlier, dropping into Oneonta Creek just upstream from the brink of Triple Falls.

I was tempted to continue my hike, but work beckoned and I was running behind schedule. I hiked back quickly, following the same route. I passed a bunch of hikers along the way, which was a bit of a surprise after seeing only two people on the way in. I guess everyone in the area was eager to get outside to take advantage of the unusually nice weather.

I took the freeway back to Hood River, but stopped briefly for a very short stroll to see Starvation Creek Falls (227’). That provided a fine ending to a great morning of hiking in Oregon.

My job went smoothly, and it even featured a pilgrimage of sorts. On Wednesday we took a field trip up to The Dalles to check out some equipment. Coincidentally, my father was actually born in The Dalles. There wasn’t much to see there, but it was still interesting to visit. Oddly, the area around The Dalles is a desert. It's only 20 miles from the rain forest surrounding Hood River, but it is in the rain shadow of Mount Hood.

I got to know the company owner a little while I was there. He likes outdoor recreation nearly as much as I do. He’s run two marathons in his life. That’s not particularly remarkable. What is remarkable is that the second one was in Antarctica.

On Thursday morning he asked me if I had time for a break. It turns out that one of the area volcanoes, Mount Adams, was making a rare December appearance. The weather was unusually nice (though it hardly rained at all during the 6 days I was there), so I rode with him up to a residential area high above town. From there we enjoyed a spectacular view of the snow-covered volcano looming in the distance.

I finished my job around noon. My flight home left Portland at 6, so I had a little more time to play. After lunch I drove over to the Columbia Gorge Hotel to check out Wah Gwin Gwin Falls (207’). The waterfall is on the hotel’s property, but it is open to the public. I took a couple of photos before driving back up the hill in hopes of getting better photos of Mount Adams. The volcano was now largely obscured by clouds, though I did catch a glimpse of Mount Hood while I was there. It was shrouded in clouds, but the very summit was peeking out.

On the way to Portland I stopped for another short waterfall hike. This time my destination was Wahclella Falls. The hike would be a 2-mile round trip to one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the region. Plus, I’d pass another substantial waterfall along the way.

I found the trailhead without any trouble, but discovered that there was a $5 parking fee. I had a $20 bill and no way to make change. Annoyed, I drove to another (free) parking lot a ½ mile away. I parked and changed clothes there before walking the road back to the trailhead.

An easy walk on an old roadbed along Tanner Creek brought me to Munra Falls (68’), which cascades immediately adjacent to a trail bridge before entering Tanner Creek. I took a few photos there before continuing upstream. Along the way I passed a couple of tall waterfalls on tributaries. Those streams probably dry up in the summer, but they added some beauty to the hike. Before long I reached a fork, and the beginning of the loop portion of the hike. I went counter-clockwise and descended to the creek. I passed a couple of tributary waterfalls in a mossy grotto before crossing a bridge over the creek. I hiked upstream, enjoying the creek’s cascades and massive boulders, before passing below yet another impressive tributary waterfall. From here I had my first view of the main event. Wahclella Falls is powerful and dramatic. During wet periods, it is even more spectacular. Another high, dramatic waterfall on a tributary joins the main stream in the middle of its own waterfall. This waterfall, East Fork Falls, may be insignificant in the summer, but it made the overall scene even more spectacular while I was there.

I took lots of photos. In fact, I got a little carried away. At some point I remembered that I still had to hike out and drive to Portland to catch a flight. I hustled back, changed clothes, and did some hasty packing. I drove to Portland, but began to worry that I’d pushed my luck too far when I hit a traffic jam. I arrived at the airport later than I’d originally intended. Luckily there wasn’t much of a line. The flight to Phoenix was smooth, but I was amused to see that it was pouring rain when we landed. I’d experienced nothing more than a bit of drizzle in 6 days in the Pacific Northwest, but it was pouring in the desert.

I’ve now hiked to most of the major waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge. However there are many others that are a bit more obscure. I really want to attempt the Oneonta Gorge sometime, and I’d love to hike Eagle Creek again. In that area, there’s never any danger of running out of hikes to do.

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