Summer School ~ Sahalie and Koosah Falls

My photography skills are simply not up to the task of representing this week’s hike. And even if they could accurately portray the colors, the perspective, the shadows and light, they could not portray other aspects of the hike:

The exquisite weather (in the 70s). The smell of fir and cedar, of moss and wet. Walking through pockets of hot, dry air and then pockets of cool, misty air. The roar and booming of the pounding waterfalls—so powerful it rumbles in your chest. The spring and give and wet of the trail when it is organic material; the roughness and hardness and dryness of the trail when it is lava rock. The company of friends.

And, for once, success in the details. Perfect timing for each meet up (ready when Holly and Ivy arrived at our house to drive with us, within a minute or two of the designated meet up time with Christina and Jake in Sweet Home, finishing the hike at just the right time—leaving us with the perfect amount of time at another swimming hole, just enough time to stop for treats at our favorite A&W on the way home and still get Holly back in time for her evening commitments). Excellent navigation (about the first time we’ve found a trailhead easily without losing anyone). And, shockingly, kids who obeyed hiking protocol (wait up for parents!) and didn’t complain. Seriously, winning.

The above photo is my favorite of the trip, but I’ll share the others (even though they make me cry because they don’t do the hike justice).

We traveled southeast to Sahalie and Koosah Falls on Hwy 126, just off Hwy 20, and took the Waterfall Trail loop for about three miles, up and around Sahalie Falls, down the raging McKenzie river to Koosah Falls, and back up the river on the other side. It was a fairly easy hike, and we stopped liberally to enjoy the scenery.

An unbelievable volume of water was rushing over the falls. The bottom of the drop was completely obscured by churning white water and mist. So deafening.

The above spot was a magical Middle Earth oasis waiting to be explored. It’s hard to see the small waterfalls feeding the smaller stream (something of an overflow area off the path of the main river).

The water was an unusual pale, arctic turquoise, which made for an interesting contrast with the vivid shades of green of the vegetation.

Sometimes the trail loomed high above the river; other times it ran right along the edge.

We had enough time to stop at our favorite campground for a picnic and swim on the way home. The water was frigid and the kids stoic.

I managed to dip my feet in for a refreshing 60 seconds.

A perfect, perfect day.