Jubilant Adventures: # 3- Visit Multnomah Falls

Artsy boyfriend taking a picture.

It is amazing how one can live in a place for so long while missing the beauty around. This has been my experience as I have checked things off of my list, specifically Oregon items of natural wonder. Crater Lake, Silver Creek Falls, Multnomah Falls...I keep being amazed with the beauty that is so close to my home and wondering what I have been doing for the last several years that I have missed getting outside more often (oh yeah, a masters degree!). I am energized by hikes and the chance to take in the natural beauty that surrounds me while praising God for the gifts He has given us. Often in the last year I have shamefully listed the things on my list that I have not done, waiting for people to say the inevitable..."you haven't been to ______?!" I have decided, though, that this list holds no shame. There is no shame in having lived in Oregon my entire life and never having visited these Oregon sights. The important thing is that I am now getting out and doing them. In fact, I recently checked out several books on Oregon from the public library and I am sure that several of you would be amazed at all of the curious and historical sights in Oregon that might not be one of the top tourist attractions, but nonetheless hold interest- and we didn't even know they existed (the books are for research on my Eastern Oregon trip and filling in the items that need to be changed). So, this item, item number three on my list, I can now say I have visited. And I probably even appreciated it more now than if I had come as a kid (or perhaps not; waterfalls hold awe for children as well). Plus there is a bonus. Aaron and I not only oohed and ahed about the waterfall from below and from the bridge; we hiked all the way up to the top. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the platform at the top doesn't really give you a great view of the waterfall as it drops down below you, but it does give you a gorgeous view of the Columbia River. Not only that, the waterfall falls from a lovely river that weaves through large rocks and fallen trees. We followed the river for a little while, sat on a log over the river, and then continued up the river until we hooked back up to the path and hiked down. Of course we ended our day with a very expensive ice cream cone, since after you see everyone walking around with them and you have hiked up and down a "mountain" in the heat of the day, you definitely deserve said ice cream cone.

The classic view...I couldn't get any other angle without
getting people in the picture since it was so crowded that day.
It is true what they say, a sunny weekend in Oregon equals
a crowded Multnomah Falls.

The teacher in me has kicked in (it is almost the beginning of a new school year after all) so I have included a few interesting facts about Multnomah Falls for your enjoyment (courtesy of wikipedia.org and traveloregon.com):
1. Multnomah Falls is a 620ft waterfall split into two separate steps; the upper falls of 542ft and the lower falls of 69ft with a gradual decline in elevation of 9ft between the two.
2. It is the tallest waterfall in Oregon and possibly the second tallest year-round waterfall in the United States (depending on your source)
3. The hike to the top is a mere 1.2 miles, but has an almost 600ft elevation gain
4. The bridge is named after Simon Benson (Benson Bridge) who elicited Italian stonemasons to construct the bridge in 1914 and gave Oregon most of the land around the falls