Monday, July 23, 2007

Top of the falls



Since I've first started coming to Oregon, I've always been impressed with Multnomah Falls located about 20 miles outside of Portland in the Columbia Gorge. It's the second largest waterfall in the nation going up a total 620ft. In all of our "premoving" trips out here we always make a point of visiting, but we have never made it to the top, until last Sunday when I decided it was time for a challenge and decided to go for the hike to the top.

Unfortunately Wah-Wah and the kids didn't go. Woogy would have complained too much. He complains a lot on our hikes when he gets tired. We've done a lot of hiking since moving out here, but the climb to the top was probably the hardest hike I ever did. The trial is only about a mile, but it is steep, really steep. It's a whole lot of switchbacks heading up the side of the mountain. My only climbing companion was Monty who was getting pretty tired as we neared the top. I thought at one point I'd have to carry him. There were a lot of people who were resting along the trial asking anyone going down "how much farther?"

When I finally reached the top after about an hour, I felt pretty good like I accomplished something. The view was gorgeous (of course, I forgot my camera). You could go out on a ledge that hung over the falls and you could see the people below in a cloud of mist. I took my shoes off and put my swore feet in the cool water and it felt refreshing.

I made my way down which didn't take too long but really began to hurt my knees and feet. There is a lodge at the base of the falls which was serving ice cream which really hit the spot after that hike.

5 comments:

shakedust said...

Those falls are beautiful. I hadn't ever even heard of them before.

I don't know that I would make it to the top. It would be a struggle.

Portland wawa said...

Someday, I hope you watch the kids so I can hike it.

roamingwriter said...

We did a hike to the top of a mountain here last weekend. I hadn't intended to do the hike but to sit by the river...two hours later at the top we turned around to come back - we forgot the camera too. Your right - coming down really gives the knees a work out.

T said...

Our "little trails" seem so sad compared to the Mountain hikes you get to do. They still beat MO and KS...but that's not hard to do! :) At least the parks that we were at in MO and KS.

I would LOVE to have that kind of scene, but I have to admit I don't wish to live near the mountains to get it. I don't like driving through mountains so I guess I'll do my river/lake hikes and appreciate what I do have!

Dash said...

As T and I were hiking yesterday, I asked her if she thought that I should take some pictures of the trail .... we decided that after your recent posts - it wasn't worth it.

I did end up taking a couple of pictures of "the stairs" down into the canyon. Maybe they will make their way to my blog someday.