A few pictures

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Bryan Swan
http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com

Nice pics and report details, Bryan - thanks!

Tom

    Brian your first shot of the Middle falls is great, I love the perspective. Did you get a chance to see the pik axe? Truly an awesome place… So do you do it alone? That chute isn't too bad with someone else, but I imagine it would feel a  bit sketchy by yourself.

JC

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When going back makes sense, you are going ahead.
- Wendell Berry

I didn't spend a whole lot of time at the upper falls because it was raining when I was there - didn't walk around behind it at all.  Yeah, I went alone and the chute didn't sketch me out nearly as much as the traverse of the grassy meadow area.  I climb around on stuff like that chute all the time, but rarely do I willingly walk across cliffs covered in muddy ground that could potentially slide off and take me with it - the wind didn't help either.  Of course most of the time I was more focused on keeping my gear dry than anything else, since I forgot my umbrella to shield the camera when I was shooting.

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Bryan Swan
http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com

do you have any pictures from mccord creek?

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jamey pyles

    I know the feeling about those exposed grassy hanging meadows, Sketch - chy… That's whay I always have atleast on trekking pole just so I have something to dig into the ground with if there every came a time I lost my footing or started to slide.

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When going back makes sense, you are going ahead.
- Wendell Berry

Hey Jamie - careful on those traverses where you need your pole - It's still in the back of my car! :-)

BTW, I ended up with an extra gaiter when I cleaned the car out late today. - anybody lose one?

Don

Brian,

Excellent pics of Upper Ruckle - I still have camera envy!

dn

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"If I had known I was going to live this long I'd have taken better care of myself" - anon

Hmm.... don't like the sound of "sketchy steep meadow with bodies hurtling over the side..." By the look of the pics from the last Don/Jamie/Andy/Lindsay outing, there seemed to be pretty decent game paths traversing the slope - maybe you have to be there to appreciate the exposure?

I sort of picture it to be like the hanging meadows, proper, along the upper portions of the Ruckel Creek Trail, but with less trail. I guess I can see how that could be sketchy, though I've gone off-trail up there before and felt pretty good with my 220 lbs + 40 lb camera pack pulling me toward the brink.

Well, I don't think I'd have the cajones to attempt this one alone, Bryan - I need a group of young guys to carry my corpse out, at the least (and save the camera gear!).

Andy knows about the "sword fern incident" at the Salmon River Gorge that cured me of getting too close to fatal drops, so I'm more nervous about the little traverse above the chute than what I saw in the meadow images... but maybe the photos didn't tell the whole story?

-Tom

The traverse above the chute is a cakewalk.  Worst case scenario if you fall there, you might break a leg, but unless you land squarely on your head, you won't die.  Falling from the meadows traverse would be fatal - but yes there are fairly established game trails so that would be rather unlikely.  Its just harrowing looking down the steep grassy slope, seeing the ground just roll off and drop 200 feet down to the creek.  Not nearly as dramatically as along Eagle Creek, but similar.

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Bryan Swan
http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com

Jamie, are you still interested in doing the whole of Ruckel Creek?  How's this next Sunday or Monday sound?  Andy, Don, and anyone else too!

    For sure… This Sunday the 6th, Don Andy, Lindsay and myself are exploring some areas on the WA side. I doubt I'd be able to get Monday off but Sunday the 13th would work and I know the crew would be interested. Let me know.

Jamie

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When going back makes sense, you are going ahead.
- Wendell Berry

Jamie,

   I think it might be good to wait till the snow on Benson has melted a bit, to make a Ridge/Creek trip possible... On Monday afternoon I headed up just to check out that middle falls, and had a blast (even though it was in constant drizzle).  I also climbed up to get above that falls, just to check it out, and while that expedient chute is easy, there is a tremendously dangerous rock just 10 feet down from the fallen trees.  Probably 700lbs, and ready to slide in wet weather (like yesterday).  So I scouted a safer alternative as well.  If you take the next chute north, and then crest a small ridge and downclimb to the gully above the death rock, you are much safer (a bit more difficult - but that rock, if it went and you were in the wrong place, could kill you.

   Tom will be happy to note as well, that crossing the hanging meadow is unnecessary.  I took a deer path that led me down below it, and up to 1/10th mile from falls - very easy and very pleasant walk from the trail. 

   I'm looking forward to the upper falls on my next short trip (and checking out the old remnants).  A hunting camp there?...I doubt it.  I bet that was a cover story for the real reason for the camp.  The game in that area are deer, cougar, and the occasional bear - none of which a hunter would want to quarter and carry out from that location.  I bet that the real reason for the camp is more geared toward pleasure  - it is a pretty cool, secretive place after all! - (perhaps even eccentricity - attempting to mine behind the falls...or search for fossils?").  Or perhaps someone was playing with the notion of constructing a trail on the shelf behind the falls - a Tom of a previous age?  The staples would lead me to believe that fence building was on the agenda as well.  Anyway, can't wait to check it out.  I'll post some photos later.

-Zach

Ok, here's a photo I got of the middle falls. (It's funny how we all have gravited to this particular vantage. :)

Here's the hanging meadow.  While it's not truly as dangerous as it appears (if you fell, you'd most likely be able to stop yourself quickly) it is not a good route choice given the very easy and established game trails below the meadow.  This is especially important to note in wet weather.

    Awesome Zach, glad to hear there is a safer route below the hanging meadow. I agree that meadow wasn't all that bad, but it is for sure one of those spots you want to really focus on what your doing.

JC

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When going back makes sense, you are going ahead.
- Wendell Berry