When I posted this hike for the group, I called it the frozen falls loop. Generally, with our mild winters, we get to see some snow and ice on these lower trails but every now and then, we get a cold weather front that dips temperatures below freezing levels for several days. When that happens, Waterfalls start forming ice pretty fast. First goes the spray. All the surrounding where the waterfall lands get covered in a glittery, ice spectacle. Then, the actual waterfall starts forming ice. Several years ago we had one of this low temperatures fronts and I was able to see some of the bigger falls covered in a thick sheet of ice. This time, even though we were below freezing, it was not cold enough to form the thicker sheets but there was enough ice to make it really interesting. We started the hike from Multnomah Falls and right from there the bottom of the waterfall, the bridge and the trail right above it was a winter postcard. From there up to the top it was the normal and sometimes grueling switchbacks that lead to the Multnomah Basin. Few people were wondering beyond that point as there was plenty of ice on the trail to make it very slippery. We were all wearing traction devices that made it so much easier. Most of the first section was cold, dark and beautiful. Once we passed the Multnomah Basin Road, We turned north on the Franklin Ridge trail. The first section traversed the mountain slowly gaining elevation until we reached the actual ridge and turned southeast to follow it. As quickly as we were gaining elevation, the temperature started dropping. Towards the top all of us were complaining about how cold 19 degrees felt with the added wind. Finally we reached the Oneonta Trail, made the turn and almost at double speed started descending to the warmer weather. I had done most of this trail but not the higher part which provided some beautiful views of hidden rock formations. Finally, the trail became known as we reached the junction with the Horsetail Creek trail. That section was more like a walk in the park with one more interesting stop – Triple Falls. Needless to say, Triple falls was spectacular. After a couple of pictures, we made our way down to trail 400 and circled around for the long walk back to the parking lot. It was a feast of ice.
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