b d babble: Waterfalls, one of God's greatest ideas

Waterfalls, one of God's greatest ideas.

When I first traveled to the North Georgia Mountains with Boy Scout Troop 8 I instantly fell in love with the vision and sound of waterfalls. Growing up in Middle Georgia, waterfalls were not something you saw on a regular basis. There are two prominent falls to see in North Georgia, Anna Ruby, outside of Helen and Amicalola near Dahlonega. Over the years I have traveled to these falls many times, most recently just a year ago, for my 5th wedding anniversary. At the time Toby and I were still living in Savannah and while Toby had driven through North Georgia she had never had the opportunity to see some of its splendor. It was my mission that she see as much of the great state as possible.

Anna Ruby Falls, Unicoi State Park in White County near Helen, Georgia

circa 1992...?

I know the trip and even the people I was with, just not the year!

Whether hiking the Appalachian Trail or sightseeing in the small mining towns these two falls are rich with history. Anna Ruby is formed from two separate creeks, Curtis and York Creeks. Each of these two creeks begin their decent on Tray Mountain. This particular photograph is of the falls from Curtis Creek. The shorter of the two falls, the one formed from York Creek would be to the right of this photo.

Tray Mountain holds a special place for many past members of Boy Scout Troop 8 in Macon, Georgia as it was our annual fall stomping grounds. Each fall we began preparing for our annual hike on the Appalachian trail which runs along Tray Mountain. Sometime in October we would head to North Georgia and rough it as it were and hike the mountain. It was a learning experience in packing for inclement weather and how to cook without a grill or cooler. Suffice it to say, many a young scout learned a valuable lesson or two, assuming they didn't want to go hungry or cold on the next trip.

The beauty of Georgia's waterfalls is breathtaking. I would recommend this trip to anyone wanting to see Georgia's history.

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Having become a waterfall and nature enthusiast at an early age it was not surprising that upon my moving to the Pacific Northwest I would find my way to similar sites. Much like Georgia, some of Oregon's Falls are literally right off the highway. Tour buses and shuttles are a common site at a few of the falls along the Columbia Gorge. There are a few, however that require a little walking and they are indeed worth the walk.

Multnomah Falls

Good luck walking into any store in Northern Oregon and not see a postcard or calendar sporting a picture of these magnificent falls. As any tourist or new resident to the area would, I headed out to the Gorge with camera in tow to see just what the fuss was all about.

Multnomah Falls, Oregon

circa 1995

Multnomah Falls is actually two falls, one upper and one lower. The upper fall and largest of the two drops 542 feet while the lower fall is a mere 69 feet. It is actually quite difficult to get both falls in one picture due to the sheer height of the falls, that is unless you own some really fancy camera equipment. Multnomah Falls is listed as Oregon's tallest water fall. The fall is fed by underground springs and the annual snow melt from Larch Mountain. The trail to the top begins on the right side and crosses over to the left at the bridge shown in the picture above. While it is a fun hike with multiple switchbacks, the prettiest view is from the area below.

The great thing about a trip through the Columbia Gorge, and unbeknownst to me on my first trip, is there are multiple water falls to see as you work your way towards Multnomah Falls.

I highly recommend that if you ever have the chance to take this drive, DO IT! As one heads west on I-84 from Portland you have a nice view of the Columbia River which divides Oregon and Washington State, otherwise known as Washington AC; "above California".

Shortly after leaving Portland you can pick up US Hwy 30 and begin a scenic tour of the Gorge, starting with Crown Point. Crown Point offers a great view of the Gorge in all directions.

View of Crown Point, Columbia River Gorge

circa 1995

I have a tendency to just stop and take in the views when I am travelling. In this case I was heading to see Multnomah Falls and found myself on "Scenic US Hwy 30". Well it indeed is scenic. The picture above is of the Vista House on Crown Point and off in the distance, middle of photo, is Beacon Rock, a great day hike. I have since learned that the point from which I took this picture is most likely Chanticleer Point. Although I am partial to my personal photo there is a similar one on Wikipedia; just search Crown Point Oregon.

I have noticed an interesting phenomenon over my years of traveling and picture taking. If one searches enough they may find, much to their disappointment, that someone else stood in that exact spot with a camera of their own and thought, "what a beautiful scene". But don't let that get you down. Just don't buy a local calendar or post card from the area you are visiting and your friends and family will never know. Or, you could do as I did one Christmas when I gave my parents a copy of a new calendar sporting several of "my photos". I even attached a copy of the originals to "prove it". Guess it is a good thing my parents are so gullible...

Continuing west you'll notice signs for multiple water falls. This is when I move into "stop and start" mode. By the time I reached Multnomah Falls, my intended destination, it was fast approaching dark. So much to see and sooo little time. Hence why I revisit some areas so many times.

The following photographs are of the various waterfalls in the Columbia Gorge area. All of these are on the Oregon side of the river. There are numerous falls and I have titled the ones I am fairly certain of. Included here are the names I believe match up; unfortunately long lost is the list that matched up to each specific photograph. And that ain't all bad. You now have the basic information, and can begin planning your own personal excursion. Seeing these sites for yourself will be of much more enjoyment than reading about mine in the first place. So, add it to your list: Columbia River Gorge, Oregon Waterfalls.....

Wahkeena Falls / Latourell Falls / Sheppards Dell / Bridal Veil Falls / Horsetail Falls

Enjoy,