The Sandy River.
I think this is Ramona Creek just prior to the falls.
Ramona Falls
View from the road at Trillium Lake.
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Ramona Falls Hike 4/17/2016
Last summer I hiked not as much as I liked. It has been quite some time since I set foot on the trail. My daughter's CYO and Club Volleyball seasons took up a lot of time. I found time on April 17th to get a hike in. I had never been to Ramona Falls and thought this would be a good time to go when there were less crowds. This is a very popular hike. I arrived early and there was only one other car in the lot. By the time I exited the trail there were over 20 cars in the lot.The trail from the parking lot parallels the Sandy River. It was just a little stream at this point. But there is a wide area where I could see that the river becomes a giant when there is heavy rain and snow melt. I saw where very large trees and boulders were pushed around by the raging water, like marbles and tooth picks. There had been a bridge that the Forest Service puts in place each spring, but a couple years ago it was washed away by the creek that awoken. Unfortunately and sadly, there was a hiker on the bridge as it washed away and the hiker perished. Currently, there are some of those tooth picks that are now bridges to try and cross the river. It looks easy to cross, but it is not very easy at all. Especially carrying a 20 lb pack on my back. After I crossed the river I took the clockwise route to the falls. This is recommended to avoid other hikers and it is a very green and pretty route along a creek. The canopy was very heavy and green as I walked along the creek. A mild uphill climb. As I approached the falls, the air became much cooler. The falls spread out wide like a fan and looked like whipped cream flowing from rock to rock. There were a few folks enjoying the falls. I sat and admired the falls for a while eating lunch. Then the crowds started to arrive from the counter clockwise route. I spoke to a few before leaving and found that folks were very unprepared to be 4 miles away from the trail head. Some didn't know the trail looped and returning via the creek route would be a beautiful trek. No maps and small packs. I guess the good thing is this is a very popular trail and if someone got into trouble, they would have some help at some point. I headed back to the car and passed many folks with Pitbulls off leashe, Chihuahuas and babies. All sorts of folks were heading in the counter clockwise directions. The Sandy River crossing was challenging for me and I have no idea how many of these folks made it over. Eventually I became near the trail head and was stopped by a couple of backpackers. They were asking for some directions and I discovered they were heading North instead of their planned South route they were looking for. We examined the map for a while then a couple of ladies approached and passed. The backpacker dudes froze in mid breath. Paused and jokingly said, "Sorry, slight distraction". To their defense these woman were wearing sports bras and tights. No packs. Once we figured out their route, I made it back to my van. I took a drive to see where snow had still be around trail heads. Clear lake road still had snow. Frog Lake still had snow. Trillium lake was plowed. I think it was mainly done for logging operations that were occurring in the area. It was a good thing to have the road plowed for folks that were fishing the lake. There were many. It was a beautiful day and the view of Mt Hood was incredible. I stopped and admired the lake and the view for a while before heading home. Felt great getting my feet back on the trail. My brain and body needed this therapy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)