Greetings, Friends!!
Thought I'd try and share a bit of my beautiful day w/ you... It was a
Gorgeous day here in the 'Silicone Forest'... and I had nothing on my agenda.

What could be better to do on a Gorgeous afternoon in Portland, than to visit
The Gorge? So, I headed out to the magnificent Columbia River Gorge, a quick
30 miles East on I-84, to Multnomah Falls. I quickly verified the survival
of my letterboxes at Multnomah and Wahkeena Falls. Both are safe and sound
and still undiscovered. I know some have tried and failed to find them, but
they ARE there. The clues are a bit harder than my others, but they are easy
to get to. (Conversely, the boxes that I make you sweat for are easy to find
if you make the effort.)

Multnomah Falls Letterbox is in a nice place with a great veiw of the
falls... close enough that the roar of the falling water is very prominent...
yet, it is usually secluded and private... no small statement considering
that over 2 million people visit this magnificent 620-foot double-tiered
waterfall each year!!

Wahkeena Falls Letterbox requires you to hike up about a 10th of a mile or so
to the bridge that crosses over about 10 yards from the very base of the
largest drop in this 242-foot multi-tiered fall that zig-zags its way down
the cliffside. The facefull of cool spray you'll receive as you look up into
the torrent is guaranteed to provide a rush!!

After visiting these two letterboxes, I was warmed up for a real adventure!!
And I had just the plan... I followed the Historic Columbia River Scenic
Highway a couple of miles to Horsetail Falls. I paused a moment at the base
of this beautiful 176-foot plummit and then hiked up to my Horsetail Falls
Letterbox Then, I continued on to Pony Tail Falls.

At Pony Tail, the trail goes back behind the falls. It's a very magical
place!! Continuing down the trail, I reached the area where you can look out
off the cliffs into The George. It's a breathtaking view, but be
warned...there are no guardrails! Young children should stay on the main
trail. As a reminder, there is a monument to a young man who fell to his
death nearby. It is near this area (away from the cliffs, close to the main
trail) that I've located the Ponytail Falls Letterbox.

This is as far as I had ever gone along this trail. It's nearly a mile and a
half of gradually inclined hiking, so I'd been glad to get this far, in the
past. I've been hiking quite a bit over the last year, though, in no small
part due to the fact that I've become a letterboxer!! I realized that the
trail seemed much easier now than it had when I placed these boxes last
summer.

So, today I continued on. I wound my way down into the breathtaking Oneonta
Gorge. Here, the pleasant little Oneonta Creek has flowed since prehistoric
times, cutting a narrow valley through the mountainous basalt flows. It's a
beautiful hike through the lodgepole pines and ferns to a little bridge that
crosses over the creek near a small waterfall. Then I began working my way
back up the other side.

I won't pretend that I made it to Triple Falls with much dignity. I was
breathing heavily and covered in sweat. My hair must have looked as though
I'd just been through a car wash!! I was now nearly 3 miles uptrail from
Horsetail Falls. The second I came up over that last hump, however, I knew
it had been worth the effort.

I looked down onto this stunning segmented waterfall, and forgot all about my
aching feet and my sweaty backpack. There are not three falls here, as the
name might suggest, but a single fall of triplet form... having worn three
distinct grooves into the basalt which spout 100 to 135 feet into a pool
below.

Over the falls, a narrow wooden bridge allows access to the creek above.
Here, the water flows gently over a huge bed of beautiful, rounded,
moss-covered boulders. I quickly found my way out onto them and splashed my
face with the clear, ice-cold water. It tasted pure and fresh, and was so
invigorating that I had to take off my shoes and socks and dip my aching feet
in, as well. I was tempted to go wading, but the water was too cold, even on
such a warm, sunny day... consisting as it does of snow-melt from nearby
Larch Mountain mixed with fresh spring water.

This would have been the perfect place for a picnic, had I brought one.
Instead, I settled for some mixed nuts and Gatorade (and a few more sips of
Oneonta Creek water) and began looking for a spot to hide the TRIPLE FALLS
LETTERBOX....

I soon found the perfect hiding place and jotted down a few notes. I'm
usually hesitant to use a rotting tree stump as a primary landmark... but
since this one was about four feet in diameter and twenty feet tall, I
figured it wasn't going anywhere soon.

By now, I was well rested... refreshed, even. For fun, I lied to myself,
thinking I could almost make it another 5 miles to Larch Mountain from here.
Instead, I took one last sip of the icy water and headed back down the way
I'd came. Naturally, the way back was easier than the way up... at times I
even jogged down the path. (Must have been the water!!)

I'm safely at home again, now... sipping on a bottle of Bridgeport Black
Strap Stout in celebration of today's accomplishments. I have confirmed that
each box of the Columbia River Gorge Waterfall Series is still in place, and
have added a fifth box to the series for those who are willing to take the
5.5 mile round-trip hike to Triple Falls. I'll try and get the clues posted
tomorrow. I'll keep them easy... I wouldn't want anyone to take this trek
and return empty-handed. There is plenty of room for growth in this series
of letterboxes. I've been told there are a total of 77 waterfalls in the
area. I hope you can forgive me if I don't live long enough to make a
letterbox for each of them...

Happy Letterboxing...
Der Mad Stamper

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At 03:34 AM 6/17/99 EDT, letterboxr wrote:
---snip---
>Over the falls, a narrow wooden bridge allows access to the creek above.
>Here, the water flows gently over a huge bed of beautiful, rounded,
>moss-covered boulders. I quickly found my way out onto them and splashed my
>face with the clear, ice-cold water.
---snip---
>Naturally, the way back was easier than the way up... at times I
>even jogged down the path. (Must have been the water!!)

My $0.02USD: Hikers: Be careful where you drink untreated/unfiltered water
nowadays. If you pick up giardia or some parasite, the water *will* make
you jog...and not in a good way. I know it's tempting to drink from an
ice-cold stream, but it's sort of like playing an "intestinal disfunction
lottery!" You could do it for quite a while before you hit the malady
jackpot! There aren't usually a lot of viruses in North America's water,
but there are other things (like the aforementioned giardia) that are
fairly common that can knock you out for the count. It's prudent to
consider bringing your own water and/or filter local water if you're going
to be out hiking for multiple days, etc. Folks who are getting up there in
age, and those with impaired immune systems should be especially careful.
OK...enough "filter it" preaching!

On topic, however, that sounds like a great hike! I'm usually stuck in the
office on gorgeous days. :( And there are no waterfalls of that splendor
nearby. I'm jealous! Very jealous!

Marty


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