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Oneota Falls

The waterfall at the end of Oneota Gorge is extra rewarding because of the effort it takes to get there. There is no path - in fact, there is no dry route at all - even in summer. While the whole trip is probably under 1/4 mile, you must scramble over some giant rocks onto a huge log jam, climb over this for a few dozen yards, and then alternately walk and wade several hundred more yards to the falls. The water came up nearly to my waist (I'm 5'3"). It's a little dangerous, honestly, but a fun challenge for the weekend warrior. My fiance and I made this trek the day after my birthday when the outside temperature had entered triple digits. Such a narrow gorge receives very little direct sun, and the last time I visited it was only in the high 80's. I about froze! This time it was just perfect: The Place to beat the heat.

 

The gorge opens to the south from the famous Columbia River gorge, and is accessible via the historic Columbia River Scenic Highway about 2 miles East of Multnomah Falls.

 

 

I used Autostitch to create this image from three hand-held shots.

Thanks for everyone's kind comments and advice. The next time I make the trek I will see if I can talk myself into lugging a tripod and split ND filter. A longer exposure would be fun.

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Uploaded on August 6, 2006
Taken on August 5, 2006