Monday, May 11, 2009

When nature calls....

....we listen, especially when it sounds (looks?) like this....
That little bit of natural beauty, looking like some Hollywood special effect, is a trickle down the side of a hill on the short walk from Multnomah Falls to our car at the Wahkeena Falls loop trailhead near the end of our hike yesterday. This was a great day hike we took with our friend Athena from Boedecker Cellars here in Portland. Athena, you may be small but you're mighty! The trail takes you along a number of crashing creeks and tumbling waterfalls, and now is an especially great time to go waterfall bagging due to the heavy spring runoff. Along the way is my favorite gorge waterfall, Fairy Falls, about 2 miles up the trail (pic at left, with w and me basking in nature's spray). It's small but so magical (although it is even better when the water volume isn't quite so high). The only down side to the loop we chose was the last bit that leads you down to the Multnomah Falls parking lot, where on this particular Mother's Day Sunday the worst of Fast Food Nation was on display. We could see people wheezing up the very short, not very steep trail passing by us as we came down with these looks of "Oh god, why did I ever get up off the couch. I wonder if there's a cigarette machine at the top?" Very disturbing, and a reminder of how so much of our country chooses to abuse themselves. I'd worry about hateful comments from them, but I'm sure they're too busy keeping up with the "Big Gulp" blog or thanking the Lord for the 2 Big Macs for $3 promotion. In any event, even with that we had a beautiful 5 mile walk, just strenuous enough to help us rationalize our stop at EVOE later that day. I always feel that every effort deserves some reward!
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one year ago today @ E.D.T.: Food snobs take note. I present Ortiz, the world's greatest canned tuna!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

i love this hike, it's the one i take all new comers and visitors to.

agree that the walk down on the multnomah side is a sad picture of the american citizen. i especially like the people that wear suits or 3" heels and think they are dressed for hiking up. or the people with ice cream cones huffing and puffing. pretty funny, i can't help but smile and chukle as i skip down.

bb said...

anon....hey, maybe the "suits" are just trying do pay respects. We saw all the world's impractical hiking footwear on display, too. And many a soda clenched tightly in the children's pudgy little hands!