Eagle Creek

On Ian and Michelle's last day in town, we teamd up with Sara and her brother Toby and headed into the Columbia River gorge for a place called Eagle Creek. The creek is really a canyon cut into the cliffs along a river. Waterfalls tumble from every direction. Streams in some places fall right down onto the trail.

In some places the trail is only a few feet wide and the drops to the river below are well over 1oo feet. Into the rock walls in some places, cable has been drilled in for a handrail. Michelle is leaning against one of those safety nets in this pic.

This is the view from the high bridge, three miles up the canyon. The bridge is about 100 feet above the river here. Water rips through this narrow passage at a frightening speed. In the top of the image you can see trees having been wedged in the canyon at the last high water. By far, the best time visit this area is in the spring. All the wildflowers are in bloom and the forest, still wet from spring rains, and winter snowmelt is intensely green. I'ce actually never been to this area in sunny weather.

Punchbowl falls.