Multnomah Falls

Last weekend, Brandt and I ventured out to the Columbia River Gorge. It was about an hour-long drive across Portland and along the Columbia River. We attempted to park in the area designated for the Multnomah Falls but it was backed up onto the highway. People were parked in red zones and we saw a cop pull up and begin writing dozens of tickets as we passed.

We circled around and took the scenic route after that. It went up in the hills and was truly scenic. People were parked everywhere possible and walking along the narrow twisty road. We even passed a bicyclist riding almost as fast as we were driving. I was quite impressed. We were losing hope on ever finding a place to park when, suddenly, there was an opening in an actual marked spot! I pointed and exclaimed my discovery to Brandt. Normally when I point out spots that late, he keeps driving. Not this time! He whipped around and we got it. Apparently, he was tired of looking for a spot. We were half a mile from the falls we intended to visit and I didn't mind hiking through the ridges to get there. The path was slightly treacherous and very uneven. We did make it there without breaking our necks or falling 100 feet to the road.

Before we started on the path, we discovered we'd parked right next to a smaller waterfall. We stopped and gazed at the natural beauty before our short hike. I loved the way the water ran over the rocks after it made its way down from the peak. We ended up stopping again on our way back to cool down. It was even better than air conditioning! The cold breeze and rippling water was truly peaceful. I sat for as long as I thought Brandt wouldn't mind waiting and had a zen moment. Watching and listening to the water cascade across the stones was truly wonderful. I literally could have stayed there the rest of the day. That's when I took most of the following pictures. One is now the background on my phone!

We made the half mile trek to the waterfall we had come to visit. As I mentioned before, the path was treacherous and quite narrow. We passed several families on our way, some with small children. Whoever walked along the open edge precariously looked down and I was happy that none of the kids fell. When I was on the outer edge, on our way back to the car, I imagined the broken leg that would be imminent and whether or not Brandt could climb down after me or have to walk all the way around as I lay there with a bone sticking out of my shin. Fortunately, that didn't happen.

The water dripped through the foliage all across this rock face.

On our walk, we came across a few smaller waterfalls that were more like falling water, than falls. We ran into a photographer that reminded me of my brother with his nice camera and tripod at the ready. He also had a backpack, which I'm sure was full of other lenses and camera equipment. We shared a space taking pictures then Brandt and I moved on.

Multnomah Falls had a lodge full of souvenirs, food, and more. We didn't venture inside because it was a Sunday and it was packed! We stopped to gaze upon the lower falls for a moment then headed up to the bridge. We stood there and I enjoyed the cool spray. We weren't sure where the path went and decided to follow. I eventually had to ask Brandt to stop because I hadn't used my inhaler and left my water in the car.  I found that drinking water works almost as well as my inhaler for quick relief. Without either, my lungs felt like they were under the same pressure as newly formed diamonds. Brandt had asked me if I wanted to bring my water with us but I didn't think we'd be doing any real hiking. My mistake. We weren't really sure where the path went so we decided to go back down. After we reached the bottom, we saw a sign saying that it was 1 mile to the top of the falls. We'd probably made it half way when we turned back. I'm sure we'll visit again and I'll be prepared!

Full view of the upper and lower falls.

Upper falls, viewed from the bridge.

Lower falls, viewed from the bridge.

It was a great day trip and further reaffirmed my love for the natural beauty in Oregon. It reminds me of visiting my grandparents at their house on Beaver Lake (Arkansas). The trees, winding roads, and green everywhere brings back wonderful memories of sitting on the dock eating cheese puffs, fishing with my siblings and cousins, swimming down as far as my life jacket would let me to watch the fish swimming around our feet, and playing King of the Mountain. My favorite memory was running down the stairs my grandma had carved through the hill in the woods behind their house, down to the lake. Many of the paths we've taken remind me of those stairs and the excitement of another summer day at the lake. I can't wait to make Oregon memories as dear as those.