Wahkeena-Multnomah Loop After the Fire – A Glorious Wildflower Explosion Amidst the Blackened Trees…

June 13, 2019June 24, 2019 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

June 6, 2019 – Wahkeena-Multnomah Falls Loop

This area was burned by the Eagle Creek Fire of September 2017. The trails above the waterfalls were closed for over a year, then have been reopened and closed periodically since fall 2018. Instability along the trail, falling trees and sliding slopes have been valiantly repaired by our intrepid trail keepers. The trails were open today. We hiked up Wahkeena Creek and down Multnomah Creek. Much of the understory removed by fire has returned as lush greenery. It was a beautiful hike on a beautiful day, and there were sooo many flowers!!! Of course, by the time we circled back around to Multnomah Falls there were also sooo many people, but most don’t go above the Benson Bridge. I enjoyed my first foray back onto these trails. (Hike #26 for 2019, 5 miles, 1600 feet)

Wahkeena Trail

Approaching Multnomah Falls from the parking area.

Wahkeena Falls

We started by climbing past Wahkeena Falls, and up several hanging garden switchbacks to Lemmons Viewpoint:

Tiger lily blooming near the viewpoint.

View across the Columbia River

View upriver to Beacon Rock

The trail continues up Wahkeena Creek beyond Fairy Falls and onto the ridge between the drainages:

Fairy Falls

Millions of candy flowers line the burned forest floor.

The next section of trail, along the upper ridgecrest, has always felt very special to me – a quiet flat trail in the deep forest, high on a steep ridge above the river – immensely peaceful and idyllic. My first time through after the fire was trepidatious, but the trail retains it’s magical quality. Despite the scorched trees and more open view, the feeling of peace remains. These trees will all come down at someday. Today I marvel at the explosion of flowers the extra sunlight has nurtured.

A couple of comparisons from a June 2014 Hike:

2019

2014

2019

View downslope to the river.

From here, the trail crosses a couple of flowery drainages before heading down to Multnomah Creek:

Larkspur ahead!

Arnica and columbine

Arnica, bleeding heart

Columbine, iris, bleeding heart

Multnomah Creek

The trail passes several waterfalls along Multnomah Creek:

New sign, burned sign

Multnomah Creek

Flower lined trail

Monkey and candy flowers

Ecola Falls

Wiesendanger Falls

Dutchman Falls

A side spur leads out to the viewpoint at the top of Multnomah Falls (where the crowds of people begin):

The top of falls viewpoint

Looking straight down the falls

View of the parking area, river and beyond

A dozen or so paved switchbacks lead down to the trailhead. Lots of people and flowers along the way:

Rebuilt rock wall along the trail

Burned trail post

Approaching the Benson Bridge

Looking down to the view plaza from the bridge

Multnomah Falls from the view plaza

Looking back from the approach area

Burned trees along the ridgeline

Trailmap

More flowers:

corydalis

nine bark

paintbrush

vetch

littleleaf candy flower

fireweed

pea

geranium

yarrow

mock orange

Oregon sunshine

fringe cup

lupine

23. Visiting the Midwest

September 24, 2017September 26, 2017 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

As I write this I get an Eagle Creek Fire update: Rain has finally slowed the fire, and operations are turning to cleanup and recovery.

We flew to Ohio, passing over the south side of Mt Hood – smoke not impeding our view today to Mt Adams and Rainier beyond.

Mt Hood, Mt Rainier and Mt Adams

Ohio

Oberlin College

We visited our daughter at Oberlin College in Ohio. I had previously only had a brief peak at the campus the day we moved her into her dorm two years ago. She and her roommate are now in a two bedroom apartment and enjoying the non-dorm lifestyle. We walked all around campus, seeing the various buildings and rooms where she spends her time. She introduced us to friends that seemed to appear around every corner. I enjoyed the quiet, but intensely busy vibe on this early-term late summer weekend. We got coffee from The Local, ate delicious dinners at The Feve and Indian Garden, and joined her for a student prepared lunch at her dining coop.

Coffe Shop

Ivy Tree B&B

Door to the radio Station

Physics Bldg

Carnegie Library

Tappan Square

Brandywine Falls, Cuyahoga National Park, Ohio Sept. 17, 2017 (#46)

She also wanted to go for a hike. We chose a 4 mile hike about an hour from campus, the Stanford/Brandywine Falls trail. It was a beautiful sunny day though the humidity was much greater than we are used to in the Pacific Northwest. There was enough shade in the woodlands to stay comfortable, a few summer flowers struggled along, and fall colors were beginning to pop.

Chicago

We then flew to Chicago to visit to our son. Beautiful weather continued on Monday as we enjoyed the Architectural Boat Tour.

Architecture Tour

Sears Tower

Windows and reflections:

After lunch we rented Divvy bikes and rode four miles along Lakeshore Drive trail from Millenium Park back to Lakeview where we were joined by long time friends for dinner.

The Bean, i.e. Cloud Gate, in Millenium Park

Biking north along Lake Shore Drive

The next day we visited the Chicago Art Institute.

We spent most of our time in the Impressionism and Modern American galleries. My favorite piece was by Georgia O’Keefe, a 24 foot long painting that filled a stairwell:

This also caught my eye:

We walked around some of the parks near the Art Institute.

Beginning of Rt 66 from the Art Institute steps

Looking north up Michigan Avenue

South from the Grant Park train bridge

North from the train bridge

An artist walking nearby

After dinner we went to see Hamilton!

Our view from row N seat 5

This was my first visit to Chicago, and only lasted two days, but I enjoyed my time, and can see why my son likes living there.

Knitting update:

11 dishcloths

22. Mt St Helens Boundary Trail

September 13, 2017September 24, 2017 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Eagle Creek fire update as of 9/11/17: 34000 acres, 7% contained.

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USFS Incident Map

Boundary Trail toward Harry’s Ridge 9/10/2017 (#45)

The skies are alternating blue and cloudy today. Unsure of any firesafe place east of us, we opted to drive north to Johnston Ridge, Mt St Helens National Monument. Clouds that were floating at mountain level when we arrived late morning evaporated during the day.

Mt St Helens

We hiked the Boundary Trail toward Harry’s Ridge.

Coldwater Peak, north of the Boundary Trail

Toutle River, pumice plain

The trail that used to go along a steep, cliffy slope to the grand viewpoint at Devil’s Elbow is now closed. The new alternate route cuts over the ridge, and has a view to Spirit Lake from the pass at the top of the cutoff. We stopped there for lunch.

Lunch stop at the top of the new cut off trail, with view to Spirit Lake

I decided it was too hot to continue, so hiked slowly back to the observatory. Dan went on to Harry’s Ridge then met me back at the observatory later. I had the chance to watch the excellent 16 minute film that simulates the eruption and illustrates the forces of nature during the 1980 eruption.

View while hiking back toward Johnston Observatory

Looking east from the observatory toward Mt Adams

Mt Adams

There are straggling summer flowers in bloom – lupine of both large and dwarf varieties, penstemon, paintbrush, yarrow, an abundant yellow composite, and equally abundant white pearly everlasting gilding the slopes, and standing out strongly in contrast to the early reds of fall.

Pearly everlasting

lupine

Red fall foliage

Lupine

penstemon

We stopped at Coldwater Lake to walk the boardwalk trail that illustrates the Birth of the Lake. It was peaceful and beautiful there, with excellent views of Minnie Peak and Mt St. Helens. It is pleasant to walk through shady foliage after spending time in the blast zone. My total mileage for the day was about 5 miles/800 feet.

Coldwater Lake

Coldwater Lake, Mt. St Helens

Coldwater Lake, Minnie Peak

LOOKBACK:

Boundary Trail to Harry’s Ridge – we have hiked this trail in several seasons, with different views of the mountain:

June 2016

September 2017

Inner crater dome close up June 2016

September 2017

Coldwater Lake:

In March of 2015, a low snow year, we walked the 12 mile loop around Coldwater Lake. The foliage was mostly dormant and brown. We had views of the mountain, walked by the abandoned logging machinery destroyed by the blast, got some closer views of Minnie Peak.

March 2015 Minnie Peak and old logging machinery on Coldwater Ridge

March 2015 Minnie Peak

March 2015

September 2017 Mt St Helens and Coldwater Lake

In Spring of 2017 we were in the area hiking the Hummocks trail, and we visited the Science and Learning Center, which gave us a snowy view of the boardwalk that we walked on today.

February 2017 Looking down on Coldwater Lake

20. The Columbia River Gorge is on fire!!!

September 6, 2017September 6, 2017 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

September 5, 2017

In northeast Portland the sun is cloaked in an orange shroud, the air tastes bitter, smells like smoke, and is dripping ash, ash from the burning trees in our beloved Columbia River Gorge! The heat has pushed the human caused (allegedly a teenager with firecracker) conflagration west along the famous waterfall corridor. Residents have evacuated and their homes are intact so far. Firefighters are working hard, may they stay safe! But the weather is so hot and dry and the winds relentless – we all fear for the next stage of this tragedy. It is a waiting game now as I reflect on all the lovely hikes we have taken in the area – waiting to know which of these amazing places are intact, and which will begin a new phase of regrowth and regeneration. I am no stranger to hiking in burn zones, but this particular area was so lush and green. It is very sad.

From east to west, some of our favorite places that are threatened or burned: