Photo: Hardy Falls at the base. For those of you who know where this is... well, then you have a pretty good idea of what I had to go through to get this shot!
"Watch your step," warned Rodney. "You're about to visit one of your heart's desires!" (Oasis, 0209, 2010)
Photo: The Columbia River as seen near Bingen, Washington. I followed the train tracks East this morning in hopes of finding the first Grass Widows of 2010. I found about a dozen, and two of them were in bloom! Not bad considering it snowed last night!!
"Truth is, we're all just a bunch of hobos," said Catherine. "What's important is getting on the right train." (Direction of Travel, 0125, 2010)
Labyrinth
Photo: The Labyrinth, a maze of trails from Coyote Wall to Catherine Creek. I'm taking Karis there today! (I hope)
"Never be in a hurry to scurry down a trail," said Lyle. "You might miss something along the way." (Insights, Karis-the-Quick, 0113, 2010)
Multnomah Creek
Photo: Multnomah Creek on the approach to Multnomah Falls. I always love coming to this place.
"So you love coming to this place! And why is that?" The Voice was all around me, gentle, waiting patiently for my reply. I lowered my pack to the ground, sat down, and removed my boots from my feet. (Love Language, 1219, 2009)
Benson Falls
Photo: Benson Bridge Falls like you've (probably) never seen it before. This waterfall is the lower section of Multnomah Falls (visible, but set back at the top).
"You are looking at a masterpiece," said Benson. "If Water can do this to a jagged rock wall, just imagine what it can do for you!" (Living Water, 1212, 2009)
Tunnel Falls
Photo: Tunnel Falls on the Eagle Creek Trail. On your left the verticle cliff drops straight down (3-4 stories), the trail itself is solid ice (about the width of a kayak) and entering the tunnel is the only route back to the trailhead (5 miles away).
"This is your best option," explained the Eagle. "It's not as bad as it looks. Just don't slip!" (Facing Danger, 1208; 2009)
Multnomah Falls
Photo: This photo of Benson Bridge is too dark, but it shows what conditions were like at Multnomah Falls during the cold spell. The snow pile at the base of the upper falls is made entirely from spray. "There really is no such thing as 'cold,'" explained the Professor. "Cold stuff is just stuff with less heat. Many things in life can be understood this way. Sickness is a lack of health, badness is less goodness, etc." (Privations, 1212, 2009)
Side note: At absolute zero, 0 Kelvin, -273 degrees Celsius, all molecular motion ceases. That is as cold as you can get (although you can't actually "get" there). All temperature above that, even though it might feel cold still contains some heat.
Eagle Creek
Photo: Eagle Creek near 7-mile camp, just above Bowtie Falls. Wahtum Lake is another 7 miles up the trail, and most of this distance is in the forest.
"If you want to drink from this Water," said the Eagle, "you've gotta come get it!" (Lesson #1, 1209, 2009)
Punchbowl Falls
Photo: Punchbowl Falls along Eagle Creek. Whitewater kayakers do run this drop on occasion. It is about 1/3 of a mile up the Eagle Creek canyon from Metlako Falls (earlier photo).
"Nice to see you again, Mr. VonTreckk," the Eagle replied, His eyes fixed on mine. "Are you ready for your next lesson?" (Fledgling, 1208, 2009)
Horsetail Falls
Photo: Horsetail Falls under Arctic conditions. As of Thursday morning, the "snow" from the spray was nearly three feet thick!
"Cold is an unseen threat," warned the Sage, "invisible and ruthless, known only by its effects." (Hypothermia, 1211, 2009)
Metlako Falls
Photo: Metlako Falls on Eagle Creek this afternoon. Believe it or not, I ran into two kayakers who were trying to figure out how to run this drop!! These guys are either completely nuts, or they are very, very good.
"There are some things you just can't fake," said Metlako, "and dealing with Me is on that list." (Whitewater, 1206, 2009)
Columbia River
Photo: Cherry Orchard, just east of Lyle, WA. I bushwacked to the bluff above the Columbia overlooking the town of Lyle. Had the whole place to myself (except for an enormous blacktail buck). Cherry Orchard is privately owned, but open to the public.
"Never underestimate the power of a generous heart," explained Lyle. "More lives have been enriched at cherry Orchard than I can count." (Unsung Heros, 1127, 2009)
Ponytail Falls
"I'm getting a lot more from this stream than a cool drink!" Oneonta said, as he slipped off his moccasins and plunged into the pool. (Eternal Springs, 1117; 2009)
Triple Falls Bridge
"There's no good reason to stay on this side of the river," declared the Engineer. "That bridge is open to the public." (Bridge to Peace, 1116; 2009)
Multnomah-WahKeeNah Loop
"Beautiful things happen when it rains," explained Wah-Kee-Nah. (Wonders Among the Trees, 1112; 2009)
Coopey Falls
"No lie," Coopey said to the thirsty hiker, "if you drink from this stream you will never run out of water." (Water & Blood, 1025; 2009)
