Triple Falls, Jan 3rd

This is one of those shorter hikes that I did way back when I started hiking here in Oregon. I have to admit that I had forgotten how beautiful and how close to the city it is. After meeting everybody and carpooling, we got to Horse Tail Falls and started our hike from there. It was a rather cloudy day, but considering we were going to be in the trees most of the time, it actually ended up being a good thing. The hike goes thru numerous switch backs as it gains altitude. On this portion of the trail, the views of the Columbia Gorge get better and better until you turn in towards Pony Tail Falls. Then the scenery changes as you approach the fall and go around the back thru a cave that has been carved by the water over hundreds of years. The next highlight of the hike is crossing the bridge over the Oneonta Gorge. The bridge is not a big thing, but the Gorge it crosses is really impressive. This time of year where there’s not much vegetation, we were able to see the whole Gorge with its vertical walls and narrow corridor. Soon after this delight, we got the triple falls view point which puts you right at the edge in front of the falls. Truly an outstanding view. After enjoying this view for a while and taking some pictures, we continued to the other side of the creek that feeds the fall to stop for lunch before heading back out. Indeed a short but very rewarding hike

No comments: