A Visit to Multnomah Falls

Multnomah Falls
"This is the most beautiful expression of God's Glory I have ever seen" - Desiree

I love my friends.

I especially love when my friends go to beautiful and fun places and send me the photos!  My friend Desiree recently took a trip to Multnomah Falls.  The falls are not far  - a 10 minute drive! - from where Desiree lives in the state of Oregon (USA).

She says it's been a fairly mild winter for her so far.  There hasn't been much snow at the lower elevations and they've only had one short freeze.  Right now the weather is in the 40s and 50s (F).

Even though they haven't had much winter this year, the waterfalls are running at full capacity due to all the rain they've had. "That's how the Cascade Mountains got their name", she adds. Yes. It's from the cascades of water.

Multnomah Falls is called "The grandaddy" of the 77 waterfalls on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge.  Only three waterfalls in the United States are higher than its 620 feet.  There is an upper pool which cascades into the lower falls you can see below and to the right.

There is a trail that zigzags to the top of the falls from the Multnomah Lodge, and a beautiful footbridge in the middle of the gorge so you can get up close to the roaring water and feel the mist on your face!

Multnomah Lodge

Multnomah Lodge is owned and operated by the US Forest Service.  It was built in 1925 and is a very popular recreation site, drawing large crowds in the summer.

You can just see the magnificent Multnomah Falls behind the lodge.

Another Cascade near Multnomah Falls

This cascading creek is near Multnomah Falls along a scenic highway.  It's not far from Angel's Crest Falls and trail.

A Trumpeter Swan

This is a Trumpeter Swan.  They come to Multnomah for the winter and return north in the spring.  Desiree came across the family in the pool (below) and couldn't get any closer for fear of spooking them.

Trumpeter Swan family near Rooster Rock and Multnomah Falls

This pool of water is at the foot of Rooster Rock, one of the Columbia River Gorge volcanic rock outcrops that cascades with water all winter.

The adult Trumpeter Swan is all white with an upright posture and straight neck.  These swans are the largest species of waterfowl.

Rooster Rock

 Rooster Rock is a naturally occurring basalt obelisk.  The monolith was mentioned by the explorers Lewis and Clark.  The original Chinook name for the column was rather colorful, so the name was later modified so as to not offend the public.

If you're really interested, you can look it up yourself.

Rooster Rock Monolith was noted by explorers Lewis and Clark

 Rooster Rock State Park is located east of Corbett, Oregon.

The Splendor of God's Creation

Desiree writes:

I remember when I was in high school my mother bought a calendar from the Sierra Club and there was a photo very similar to this (above).  I was always an adventurer and I wanted to get out and see the natural beauty of America.  When I first came to Oregon in 1978 as a young Forestry intern, my boss brought me to Multnomah Falls - and all of the vegetation was just like the Sierra Club calendar photos.  It was a dream come true.

Thanks, Desiree, for sharing a bit of this beautiful corner of the world with us!