If you live in the area and like to go hiking, you already know Eagle Creek. This is probably one of the most scenic and easy to access trails in the Columbia Gorge. You get plenty of waterfalls, yaw dropping cliffs and stunning scenery. It’s so nice that some tend to repeat this same trail numerous times a year to enjoy the change in colors as flowers bloom in the spring and leafs turn brown in the fall. For us, it was a perfect choice for a hike leader in training to take a group all the way to Tunnel falls. Weather was fair for Portland which means it was cloudy and rainy. Being late winter though, the creek was carrying a lot more water than usual that adds to the already spectacular waterfalls. So bundled up with rain gear we started going up enjoying all the little seasonal falls on the side of the canyon as we gained elevation. Punch Bowl looked amazing as expected although it was difficult to take a descent picture of it. With so much water and a grey ski, we only got a big, white blob, but further up, little streams looked perfect for some good shoots. In sections of the trail, the water was coming from the side, thru the moss and landing directly on the trail. We did find some of the crossings a bit challenging as the logs were very slippery and some of the usual crossing points had washed out a bit, but we finally made it Tunnel Falls were we stopped for a quick lunch break. Then, on the way down, weather gave us a good sample of the changing seasons. First it got gray and started snowing. It wasn’t heavy snow but it came down fast enough to paint the hillside white as we walked thru it. But then, half way down, they clouds and snow dissipated enough to give us some glimpses of blue ski and even some sun rays hitting the ridge on the opposite side of the canyon. It was a very nice reward for getting wet I guess.
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