“Are you kidding me?” I asked as I neared the hill — the most-daunting uphill grade I’d encountered — more than 25 miles into my journey.
I was still far from my destination, a trailhead roughly west of Hood River, and I wasn’t thrilled with what laid before me.
It was early March — just before the COVID-19 pandemic set in here in Oregon. And I was on a mission, concocted for an episode of the Peak Northwest video series, to reach to reach as many Columbia River Gorge waterfalls as I could in a single day.
Because I enjoy a challenge, I opted to undertake the trip with an adventuresome twist.
I’d forgo the convenience of a car, instead opting to reach the waterfalls by means of my own two feet and my trusty bicycle.
So that put me here, on a rural road just south of Interstate 84, talking to myself as I grinded up a hill on my way to my final three waterfalls — and my ride home.
While the trip was a physical test — I traveled more than 40 miles in total — it was also a logistical challenge.
The gorge is home to nearly 50 notable waterfalls, so we had to narrow the scope of our excursion, and several of the falls were inaccessible because of closures brought on by the Eagle Creek fire. Some waterfalls also require significant hikes, which would cost us valuable time during our trip.
(Check current closures here.)
Multnomah Falls is Oregon's tallest waterfall.Brooke Herbert/Staff
So I sat down with Jamie Hale and Brooke Herbert, my colleagues on the trip, and mapped out a plan.
We’d meet in the early morning and set off for Vista House — arguably the most-spectacular structure in the gorge. I’d begin biking about sunrise, and Jamie would drive to each trailhead, meeting me along the way.
We’d hike to some waterfalls, view others that require less work and keep going until we ran out of daylight.
That gave us roughly 11½ hours to see as many as 16 waterfalls.
The trip, as far as I saw it, had two cruxes: A 5-mile loop that showcased six waterfalls, and a bike ride stretching over 20 miles between Horsetail and Starvation Creek falls — where we’d end the day.
Taken on their own, neither portion of the trip is overly difficult. But within the context of the day, both would offer unique challenges.
Thankfully, we rolled up to Multnomah Falls — three waterfalls already in the books — shortly after 10 a.m.
We then hiked back toward Wahkeena Falls and continued on the Multnomah-Wahkeena Loop, which led us past Fairy, Ecola, Dutchman and Wiesendanger falls before dropping us back at Oregon’s grandest waterfall.
While the hike required some steady climbing, its forest views and frequent waterfalls made the time pass quickly. And by the time we finished up, we were only slightly behind schedule.
I high-tailed it to Horsetail Falls, made a quick stop, and then sped off for our next destination: Munra and Wahclella falls.
The former was a pleasant surprise, as we’d forgotten it while planning our trip. And the latter was one of the most powerful falls we encountered, shrouding Brooke’s camera lens in mist.
It was on this hike that we started to slow down, feeling the effects of the day. But we pushed through, and I hopped back on my bike for the short pedal to Ruckel Creek Falls — a dandy, trailside waterfall that you’d miss unless you knew where to look — and continued on to Cascade Locks.
I made it to the Eastwind Drive-In a few minutes before closing time, ordered a chocolate milkshake and mowed down a few of Brooke’s tater tots.
Then it was off toward our final destination: Starvation Creek Falls. And I knew I wouldn’t have much time to spare before sunset.
So I made plans to reunite with Jamie and Brooke at Hole-in-the-Wall Falls, which is just off the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail, and link up again at Cabin Creek Falls, a short jaunt down the state trail.
We hit both waterfalls in quick succession — my pals were getting cold, and I was ready to keep rolling — and I made it to our final trailhead as the sunset burst over the beautiful Columbia River.
And with dusk turning to darkness, we walked up a path to our final waterfall of the day: the thunderous Starvation Creek Falls.
Then it was back to the car, out to dinner, and home to Portland: With 16 waterfalls, roughly 10 miles of hiking and more than 30 miles of biking in the books.
Fairy Falls, a veiling horsetail waterfall along the Wahkeena Trail in the Columbia River Gorge, is seen in this Oregonian/OregonLive file photo.
Here’s what you need to know if you’re interested in planning an outdoors challenge of your own:
Who should try? Anyone looking to get an outdoors fix without traveling too far.
What will you do? Much of the fun in the trip I described was rooted in our goal of seeing as many waterfalls as we could. But this kind of challenge doesn’t need to involve waterfalls — or travel outside of your city.
A similar challenge could be found in visiting as many of your city’s significant landmarks as possible in a single bike trip. You could try to run or walk every street in your neighborhood. Or you could set up a socially distant relay, teaming up with friends to travel across town without getting in the car.
Options abound. Your only limit is your creativity.
When should you go? This weekend! Or after you have time to scheme up some good options.
Where should you turn for more information? Ask your family, friends and neighbors about their favorite close-to-home activities and destinations — or scour the Oregonian/OregonLive’s travel and outdoors coverage for some ideas.
— Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015
Subscribe to The Oregonian’s YouTube page to catch every episode of Peak Northwest, and follow me on Instagram at @JimryanPNW to see more of my adventures. Follow video producer Brooke Herbert on Instagram @abrookeherbert.
More Peak Northwest
Episode 1: We tried stand-up whitewater paddleboarding on the Deschutes River. Here’s how it went.
Episode 2: We climbed Mount Thielsen, the ‘lightning rod of the Cascades.’ It was spectacular.
Episode 3: We ran Portland’s Wildwood Trail. All 30.2 miles of it.
Episode 4: We tried surfing on the Oregon coast. It was amazing.
Episode 5: Climbing high at Smith Rock
Episode 6: We skied to one of Oregon’s fire lookouts. It was the coziest camp night we’ve had.
Episode 7: Backpacking the spectacular Salmon River Trail
Episode 8: Learning to fly fish on the Crooked River
"gorged" - Google News
November 26, 2020 at 10:05PM
https://ift.tt/2J4E9rY
We visited 16 Columbia River Gorge waterfalls — in 1 day: Peak Northwest (video) - OregonLive
"gorged" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2L9QNDn
https://ift.tt/2zlBS68
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "We visited 16 Columbia River Gorge waterfalls — in 1 day: Peak Northwest (video) - OregonLive"
Post a Comment