Journalist By Nature: Tamanawas Falls

The Sherman Campground area on the southeast side of Mt.Hood hosts the trailhead to Tamanawas Falls. This four to five mile loop, depending on which option you choose, winds pleasantly and then challengingly through old growth forest along the Cold Spring Creek. Glacier fed waters sluice downward through available terrain on the grooved surface of the mountain, splashing, crashing, pounding their way to larger and larger waterways, eventually ending up in the Columbia River.

Surrounded by fog!

Dark clouds carrying promised rain began to move over the Sandy area and as we made our way around Mt. Hood, the fog surrounded us, obscuring views of the mountain, cheating us of the expansive views otherwise available. Once we split from Highway 26 on to Highway 35, the sky opened blue above us and assured us of a dry and scenic hike. This is typical of the Hood River longitude line: cloudy on the west, sunny on the east.

Parking in a gravel space at the side of Highway 35 we crossed a Forest Service bridge spanning the rushing waters of Cold Spring Creek. Without these wonderful structures, earlier hikers had to ford dangerous streams and lives were lost in some of the attempts. The trail lead upward, wide and soft with fir needles packed down by multitudes of feet. Thirteen hikers chatted merrily on a variety of subjects as the tumbling stream provided background music. Cool breezes ruffled the bright green vine maple leaves like tiny fans swishing back and forth.

Bunchberries, looking like miniature trilliums, lined the trail edges, sharing the space with tiny purple lupine, an occasional orange columbine, yarrow, lots of knickaknick, patches of purple penstemmon and the first blooms of fluffy reddish Indian paintbrush. Downed logs lay like pick up sticks at random angles over the forest floor. Low lying ground covers and small shrubs meandered through these soil feeders, giving the area a roughly carpeted appearance. Douglas firs, hemlocks and occasional pines stretched tall for the sunlight amid burned or diseased companions. Boulders small and large littered the ground, giving pause to consider their origins and placement here.

The dusty trail follows the highway and then turns west into the walled canyons of the mountain. Winds pick up and toss the surface dust about us. The pounding of large volumes of falling water are felt as well as heard in constant companionship on the trail. The supply of water seems endless as it cascades night and day down the gullies. This is a testament to the snow pack held by our mountain.

Mist rising from the falls

As we finally reach the falls, we relish a relaxing lunch stop where we are cooled by the aerating mist of the 100 foot drop of water. Cold Spring Creek dumps over a ledge at the back of a box canyon. Some brave the slippery scramble to the back of the falls and peer out through a circle of rock into the plunging waters. Returning to the trail, we head back over an enormous rock fall that obliterated part of the trail under massive boulders that broke off the wall above us. A restored trail leads us in switchback fashion through the jumble to a return loop above the incoming trail. This portion is less traveled as evidenced by the plants crowding over the trail, narrowing it to a mere twelve inches in width.

Undulating steeply, the trail takes us through a different part of the forest, manifesting the delicate balance between terrain, water, plants and seasonal vagaries that play on the accessibility here. At times we are nose to trail in our upward climb, later we sit back on our heels in descent. Rocks clutter this pathway making footing a challenge. A bright orange butterfly flutters past and a chorus of chirping birds discuss their day's agenda as we pass through their territory. We play hide and seek with the rays of sun that find their way through the upper canopy of tree limbs. It is an interplay of hot and cool, bright and shadowy, quiet and a symphony of water music.

Stands of larger lupine shout encouragement from the edge of the trail as we pass by, tiny new hemlocks and firs bravely lining the low traffic trail with them. One day they too will be giants in this forest. Huckleberries are beginning to form their tiny dark sweet berries for hikers and bears alike. Several of us, independent of one another, heard a low growl sound towards the end of the trail. Not wishing to explore its source, we hurried onward. The endlessness of this part of the loop finally winds down as we parallel the highway once again, meeting our entry trail and the parking lot. The faster hikers await those less able to move quickly and enjoy snack bars discovered in the bottoms of their packs. It has been a good day in the forest. As we round the mountain once again, clouds and rain overtake us in an attempt to erase the memory of our sunny walk in the woods. This blog and pictures will counter that notion! Make time for trails soon!