Matt June 27: A Day at the Ten Falls

Today we hiked the last loop of the trail of Ten Falls. We also saw the last six wateralls. We saw Winter Falls again today. Second we saw the Middle North Falls. this one we got to go under, and we went closer thatn we did yesterday. This fall was 106 feet tall. Next we went to the Drake Falls. The Drake Falls are the shortest out of all ten. It is only 27 ft! Fourth we went to the Double Falls. This was the tallest 178 ft., and one of my favorite falls. After that we went to the Lower North Falls. They are the second shortest, going to about 30 feet. Then we went to the Lower South Falls. They are 93 feet tall. We also got to go behind this 93 foot fall.
Last but not least we went to the South Falls another one of my favorites. They added up to 177 feet only one foot shorter than the Double Falls. After that we went to the Motor Home.

Renee June 27: Who Doesn’t Love a Waterfall, Part 2

We awoke to a slight problem. After a phone call to my family who was intending to meet us in Portland the following day, Craig realized that we had booked our 9-day stay in Portland at an RV Resort located in Washington State, rather than in Portland, Oregon. The present campsite was going to be some 40 miles north of where we needed to be. Who’d of thought these parks could name themselves nearly the same thing, only 40 miles apart. Quite a conundrum, because now we really need to move sites, but we need 9 days and over a holiday weekend! We put the hike on hold, while Craig drove the 15 miles to the nearest town of Silverton in order to get some cell service to make other arrangements. After a few calls he was miraculously able to secure a location, cancel our other reservation with a penalty, I’m sure, and then be able to make it back to the campsite to join the three of us on our alternate plan, which was a mountain bike ride on the parks seemingly never-ending trails.

So we set out for this promoted 4 mile loop bike loop, thinking it will be relatively pleasant meandering through pretty little woods and flowers, it is just a state park after all. Well, not nearly so. We set out to find the trail head, end up missing the beginning but we head up the road as we know where it crosses the main road. We locate the trail and turn on. That was the end of any flat and pleasant-paced trail we were going to see this morning! We immediately begin a climb that taunts us and tantalizes us around every corner, making it look like we were cresting the final rise. Well, whoever said that mirages happen only in the desert in very hot conditions has missed a little fluke of nature here. We went up, made a turn and went and up, and made a turn and went up…

With thighs quivering and lungs frothing, we think we see the top, but we’re too afraid to hope. But that’s when it happened; we hit the downhill and did we have a great ride! But this didn’t seem like it was all. We then hit the loop trail where we make a large, circular return to the present trail. We end up heading up more hills, but we now know there is a terminus for this crazy endeavor. We come to a steep downhill that is fast, furious, and curvy! We are presently in the shady,treed area as we speed down this course. We then break out into the glorious meadow just bursting with wildflowers; but no, we don’t have anytime to dally because we hit another “S” curve and we’re in shadows again. Before we know it we slam on the breaks because we nearly pass the beginning of the loop. We leave the curious roller coaster ride to head back up the hills we had rejoiced just minutes before, but also knowing we will have a doozy of a ride at the end. So back to the huffing and puffing, actually panting and heaving for a moderate space until we hit the big ride down to the beginning of the trail. Boy, was that a thriller! Sorry, not pictures, who has time to snap pics on a ride like that!?

But now we are concerned because we still have a 4 mile hike today and I am determined as that sun rising every morning that I am going to see all of the 10 waterfalls and I am taking the family, even if it kills us! So we head back to the RV, pack up water, lace up the hiking boots and set out, much to the chagrin of two children. I think they thought the ride was in lieu of the hike. Nothing doing!

Craig stashes a bike at one end and comes back to pick us up in the jeep in order to start where we ended yesterday, at Winter Falls. The kids are relieved that we start with a downhill hike as Dad has convinced them, if we follow the waterfalls downstream it will mean we hike downhill for a majority of the hike. I, of course, am thinking that there is a ledge somewhere on the other end of this downhill hike that the water falls from (hence the name) that will likely require a hike up to…but I don’t say anything for concern that saying something to this effect may sabotage the peace I am working to achieve on this hike for as long as possible. Sometimes it is best to refrain from full disclosure until a more opportune moment. Ok, I was procrastinating, but can you blame me?

So we arrive at Winter Falls after not much ado and we were pleasantly surprised that it was running a bit heavier that yesterday. Apparently it rained overnight? Or snowed?! We decided to forego a repetitive picture as we were anxious to move on.

So off to our next sight, the Middle North Falls. This one was a beauty; wide at the top, appearing to be a cascade, but as we worked our way closer, we noticed the short, separate trail that led us behind the falls, so close that we could feel the spray, thin enough that we could see through it, and a beautiful pool at the bottom that glistened in the sunlight.




On to falls number 2 for today, Drake falls. The smallest falls on this incredible trail presented as a long cascade and was named for pioneer photographer June Drake, whose photos of the falls brought prominence to the Silver Falls area, eventually leading to its induction into the Oregon State Parks system.





We headed on doggedly to Double Falls, which sits in its own valley, meaning we needed to take yet another side trail much to the chagrin of Leah and Matt. But we assured them that this would be short as we could hear the falls from the main trail. They grudgingly agreed to go and it was worth the extra 800 feet in trail. It is billed as the tallest waterfall in the park, but fall as a double drop, meaning from 2 consecutive ledges. It is a sheer fall but close to the under rocks, eventually crashing onto boulders near its bottom to form a relatively shallow pool with stepping stones that we traversed for some pictures and to feel its spray.

We rejoined the main trail and made it to the Lower North Falls fairly quickly. This waterfall has a relatively short cascade-type drop but has a wide mouth and heavy outpouring. We hit the point at which we were going to have to do a longer stint of hiking before we reaching the next falls. So we ramped up the conversation, started making up names for plants, did much more cajoling, but the wear and tear of the bike ride earlier in the morning was taking its toll on all 4 of us.





We finally arrived at the second to the last waterfall, and not a moment too soon. We were rewarded by a beautiful shear fall that also had a path behind it. We took it and enjoyed the view out through the falls. I can’t get enough of this!

This is a picture taken through the Lower South Waterfall.

And another from the other side.
But we had spied a problem looming ahead, actually directly across. Once we traversed the trail behind the waterfall, we saw the stairs, a whole lot of them. I think Matt counted 187 of them on the way out, up of course. Now, my foresight is coming to light. But I am even more concerned now because I know we have the second biggest waterfall coming up and we’re not out yet! Even I am getting tired at this time. Craig is to be commended for doing his utmost to humor us, but all he is receiving now for all his efforts is terse one-word replies, and multi-syllabic complaints. Holes no longer interest us, running water no longer interests us and game trails hold not a whiff of curiosity either.

We finally hear the unmistakable rush of water, lots of it, in large quantities. We finally come into view of this incredible outpouring of water from what seems like a broken pipe that supplies all of the western hemisphere. We have arrived at North Falls, the final waterfall of our hike.

We look at it with tears in our eyes; tears for how gigantic it is and tears because it is situated at the end of the canyon in a bowl-like encasement and the only way out is up. No steps, just up a moderate-grade hill, seemingly without end. So we slowly traverse our last behind-the-waterfall trail and we honestly looked like little ants in this canyon, compared to this gusher. We examined the water chimneys behind the fall. Water chimneys are faults in the rock behind waterfalls that have a tendency to collect water, thereby further stressing the fault, resulting in rock falling away, creating bigger faults. These were actually the size on small alcoves or caves that could fit a few family members, if they weren’t to tired to enter, which we were, so we didn’t! We made our way behind the beautiful waterfall and around and up the last trail. You would think we were hiking the Grand Canyon’s final ascent on Bright Angel, the way we were walking.
But we made it, we meandered through the beautiful paths to the first picnic table we could find and promptly sat down grateful we still could do so with a little dignity, not much, but a little. Craig the gallant man that he is head for where is bike is stashed and heads out to retrieve the Jeep. We really love him for that! When he returned, we stopped at the swimming hole, so Leah and Matt could cool off and rejuvenate in the cold water. We returned to the RV, had a quick dinner and after a quick ranger talk on owls, we crashed for the night. No fire, no marshmallows, just horizontal beds. We were bushed!

Leah June 27: The End of the Trail

Today was ll about feet. First we went on a bike ride. Then we finished the trail of the ten falls.
the bike trail was 4 miles long, but ended up being 6, actually. It went up and down, up and down. The first part was all up. It was torcherous. When we finally got to a part that went down I coasted the whole way. The way back was pretty easy because it was down the whole way.

When we locked our bikes up we sat around for a while. While we wer sitting around we had lunch. Then we finished the Trail of the Ten Falls hike. It took a long tie to finish. My favorite falls was South Falls. It is a 177 feet water fall that you can walk behind. The trail was 7 miles total and we walked 3 1/2 miles each day. Dad rode the bike to get the jeep so that we didn't have to walk so far.

Once Dad got back with the jeep we drove back to the RV. We had dinner and went to the Ranger talk. It was about the Owl. We learned that the owl has many different species and each type has a different call.