If you follow the ancient Miocene era lava flows that created the bulk of Saddle Mountain East, you find some more hiking opportunities in immediate proximity of volcanic-spawned grandeur. Specifically, the must see Multnomah Falls.
The Falls are an impressive sight to behold. Just thirty minutes outside of Portland, nestled deep in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge, they are the highest Falls in the state of Oregon and the second highest year-round Falls in the country. From the interstate, you can see them flowing from afar like the settlers who made their way into Western Oregon on the Columbia, but as you step out of your car and see them up close, their true majesty reveals itself.
The Falls are split into two separate Cascades, the upper stretching to a staggering 542 feet and the lower a modest 69 feet. The sound of the rushing water pounding into the otherwise serene pools at the base of each fall creates a steady hum that lulls the senses. The surrounding area is a climate unto its own due to the spray emanating from the Falls. While there in the frigid winter months, the tiny globules of water freeze in the cold air and create little flecks of ice that touch down on one’s exposed cheeks. It is peaceful but also violent as nature often is. A sign placed on the viewing platform at the base of the Falls tells of an unlucky wedding party that bore witness to a 400 ton boulder chipping off of the rock face of the Falls. It tumbled down into the first collection pool and submerged into the water savagely. It sent a 70 foot wave towering over the heads of the awe struck group. I had an eerie glimpse into what that must have been like as my group entered the parking lot across the road adjacent to the historic Multnomah Falls Lodge when a large chunk of the ice that freezes on the cusp of the waterfall’s stream broke off of the cliff face with a loud crunch and made deep crashing thumps on the way down, knocking off other large chunks. By our estimation the initial piece was roughly the size of one of us, so obviously much heavier. The resulting sound made my skin crawl as its cacophony echoed through the surrounding forest. The overall effect seemed the sound of snapping bones.
The climb to the top is steep and can be dangerous in certain weather yet worth the trouble. Along the way, one can stop and peer into the upper collecting pool along Benson Bridge. There is a viewing platform at the top to meet you as well. A little further up the creek is another smaller cascade. From up here, one can also gain fantastic views of the great Gorge and the remnants of the mighty, ancient river that created it.
Directed by the displays in the first rate information center located in the lodge and the accompanying plaques placed around the lower viewing platform, one can analyze a cross section of the ancient Miocene lava flows that streamed through the Willamette Valley and formed the upper Cascades. The entire Upper Cascades and nearly all of the cliffs in the Gorge are made of this lava which extruded out of vents 300 miles away in Eastern Oregon and Western Idaho. It is all part of the Grande Ronde Basalt. It was the first lava to reach Portland and the coast. Like I said, the Gorge itself exists due to the work done on the Cascades by the might of the ancient Columbia River that grew to outrageous proportions as the great glaciers of the ice age melted away. The Falls are the result of the carving away of massive amounts of basalt. The stream where the Falls originate, composed mainly of underground springs, runs into the sheer cliff face left behind, creating the beautiful cascade, an occurrence repeated often throughout the area. History is laid bare behind the Cascades of Multnomah Falls. One can see the layers of Grande Ronde’s flow. The top is breccia, much like Saddle Mountain’s chaotic, heterogeneous formations. The next layer was slower moving and settled more evenly. The final layer was slower still and settled into a sort of quartz that chips away in large shards. It is an entrancing sight, to see something so old and once in motion, frozen in time.
Right nearby the Falls are plenty of hiking opportunities. There are several trailheads along the Columbia River Gorge Historic Highway leading to trails that one can explore. To see another beautiful cascade, hike to nearby Wahkeena Falls from a marked trail right outside the lodge. I highly recommend this area for casual and experienced hikers alike.
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