On the Trail......Searching for the Perfect Waterfall

Let me start, by saying that I love the Pacific Northwest. Yes, we might get a bit more rain than the rest of the country at times, but the lush green beauty of the foliage and forests, are worth it. Ron, my mom and myself, hiked along several trails in the Columbia River Gorge, near Cascade Locks, on the Oregon side of the river, for two days. We each packed a camera.......there is so much to see, that is it hard to choose what to photograph. Here are a few of the shots that we took. (I've posted quite a few....so enjoy the hike!) (June 15-16, 2009)

A trip to the Columbia Gorge is not complete without stopping at Multnomah Falls, the tallest and most visited of all the falls in the Scenic Area. There is also a lodge there with a wonderful restaurant.

There were so many ferns and lush foliage, that we wanted to stop and photograph everything....unfortunately, we didn't have time.

The trails in the scenic area of the gorge, are very well maintained, and go for miles all over the area. Many of the trails are great for day hikes, but there are also waterfalls that are quite a few miles back and require camping overnight. The trail below, leads to Wahkeena Falls. (It starts out paved for a few yards, but doesn't last very long!)

Below is Wahkeena Falls.....it comes out of a very angular, steep cut in the mountainside. You get a "shower" as you walk past it!

Mom and I, standing near Wahkeena Falls.

A nice bench near Wahkeena Falls, with the "three musketeers!"

Another trail we hiked, was a couple miles back to Elowah Falls. It is more isolated, and is quite steep and rocky in spots.....we were tired when we got there! It is a very tall and impressive falls, with beautiful moss covered rocks at the base near a pool where the water pours into. There is lichen growing on the rocky cliffs......beautiful and lush on one side, and dry and rugged on the other side.

The ferns this time of year are lush and beautiful. I couldn't pass them up!

Our favorite hike, is up Eagle Creek, which is near the Bonneville Dam. Most of the trail is very good; not too steep or rocky. However, there is a portion of the trail where they had to blast it out of the side of a cliff.....the following two photos of my mother show part of that portion of the trail.

The trees along Eagle Creek are so beautiful, that it is hard to describe them. There are some of the trees that are heavily covered in thick moss....both everygreen and maple. This part of the trail is flat and very easy to walk on. (not so on other parts)

This is just a typical view of the lush greenery along the trail.

One of our favorite waterfalls to visit, is Punchbowl Falls. The only way you can get the "perfect shot", is to wade out into the creek to see it. You cannot see the falls from the shore, as it is hidden behind a huge cliff. All three of us took turns wading out in the creek to get a shot of Punchbowl. Several years ago a large log fell across the creek right at the falls, and "ruined" the pristine view of the falls. However, the winter storms this year knock the log down, so we had a clear view of Punchbowl. We were pleasantly surprised!

The classic photograph of Punchbowl Falls, on Eagle Creek.

A different species of fern.

A view of Lower Punchbowl Falls, from the shore. I wanted to hike downstream a ways to get a better shot of this waterfall, but a huge log had blocked the way, and we couldn't find another way down stream....it was a rather steep cliff to go over......no thank you!

A close up shot of another type of fern.

On the hike out, still along Eagle Creek, we stopped to hike down another waterfall, called Metlako Falls. Gorgeous!

After the second day of hiking, we just HAD to stop in Cascade Locks for a "small" ice cream cone. You wouldn't believe the size of the medium and large cones...... We challenged Ron to eat a large one, but he said "no way" after taking one look at it! What a refreshing way to end the day!

One last shot of the one of the many types of beautiful ferns.