Getting There
Take I-84 from Portland towards Cascade Locks. After the exit for Bonneville Dam, take the next exit (41): Eagle Creek Loop. There is a parking lot near the fish pools. There were a bunch of cars and a few people walking toward the trailhead. I figured I'd at least check out the end of the road for an empty spot. I cautiously drove toward the trailhead. A few people walked in the middle of the road but I waited patiently until they realized I was there and moved to the side.
As luck would have it, there was an open spot right near to the trailhead. A car beside me left shortly after I got there and truck left across the way. I watched two cars arrive and pull into them, then a third that had to go back toward I-84, sorry, not sorry.
The Hike
Elev. gain: 1,693 ft
Moving time: 3:27:22
Total time: 3:35:44
Avg pace: 23:19
Calories: 1,827
Happy to finally get back on the trail. It's been 6 weeks since my last hike to No Name Lake. The last time I hiked Eagle Creek was January. I needed a get out in nature, even if the weather was cold and gray.
Today I went as far as Tenas Falls. (Someday I'll go up to Tunnel Falls and Wahtum Lake.) While I got a later start (1pm), I still encountered several pairs of hikers heading up the ravine with not much daylight remaining.
The first couple were about 4 miles up the trail, not dressed appropriately for the pending rain: cotton sweat pants and sweatshirt. They asked about a big waterfall. I said I wasn't aware of any beyond where we were (I didn't mention Wy'east Falls). I shrugged and pointed at Loowit Falls.
A bit further down I crossed paths with a couple and a dog. I didn't hear them until they came around a corner talking loudly. It caught me by surprise. I stepped out of they way since we were on a narrow part of the trail with a long, steep drop-off. They barely acknowledged me and didn't pause their conversation. Rude!
The next pair of hikers were probably college-aged, also traveling light and didn't seem to have any rain gear. I thought about the first pair I'd seen earlier and thought, they'll be fine since those others were heading up too and they could huddle together (or probably not), but not my problem.
When I reached the side trail for Punch Bowl Falls, a guy was on a knee doing something on the ground. A girl was standing over him looking down. I only caught a glimpse and my first thought was he was getting ready to propose. Good thing it was just a thought that I didn't verbalize. Awkward!
Down by the water, there wasn't much of a shoreline like there is in the summer when water levels are low. I enjoyed the scene for a second, then realized there were a couple of guys sitting on a log, one was smoking a joint. I turned around and started heading back up.
Back at the trail, the "proposal" couple was gone. I continued down toward the trailhead. The trail continues under the canopy of trees but I noticed then rain had increased when I reached the really narrow part of the trail with the cable and steep drop off. I was glad to have a rain coat but was missing my pack cover. I'm sure the tiny waterfalls were getting everything wet. (Turns about my pack cover was INSIDE my pack. D'oh.)
By the time I reached the parking lot, the rain was steady and it was getting pretty dark (around 4:45-5p). I did my best to store my wet pack, jacket, and boots as quickly as possible.
Definitely a little out of shape, need to get back to stretching and yoga.
My hips and knees are angy. 💯😂
As far as my hiking stats are concerned, I'm behind. After today's outing, I still have about 53.6 miles and 10,275 feet to go. There are just 44 days left in 2024.
From this time in 2023 to the end of the year, I completed just 6 more hikes for 34.31 miles and 10,382 feet. The elevation gain goal seems attainable but the distance might be too much to make up before New Year's Eve.
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| Tenas Falls |
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| Punch Bowl Falls |
