Well, despite having a terrible cold, I got to get out and enjoy a good hike on Sunday, and a shorter one on Monday.  On Sunday, I got up Eagle Creek to Tunnel Falls, and then climbed above the falls and bush-whacked to the falls 1/2 mile up stream.  Unfortunately I arrived at perhaps the worst time of day for photography - bright sun on the falls, with other areas in the scene in shadow.  I did take a pic which I will post though.  This would be a breath-taking falls in early morning between 7 and 8 am.

   I also believe that I really did stumble across a real "lost trail" as well.  There seems to be an old human built trail that crosses the stream about 1/4 mile upstream of Tunnel, and then continues on up toward where it might meet the current Eagle Creek trail on up above.  Very cool stuff. 

   Now the reason for the title,... wow the bugs were out.  All kinds of cool insects are out now.  Also on this trip I traversed the slope above Tunnel falls to see if I could get a cool from above view, but it is difficult.  There seemed to be a good spot for a lookout - but once I reached it - a 4 foot mossy square, I realized that not only was there a large conifer below blocking the view, but if you fell from either side, you might die.  Oh, well, it was worth checking out.  Enough words for now, here are some photos, beginning with the good, the bad and the bugly.

OK, so that red bug was the good, here's the bad.  Yep, the dreaded horsefly.

The Bugly  - this guy looked like a little goblin on top of the mushroom.

The view from above Tunnel

Tunnel falls from above 2

A purple flower enjoying the light.

A monkey flower - one of the few flowers I know the name of.

Another pic of the red bug.  I've never seen another bug like this up there, but it was quite striking.

Yep, a horrible picture of a beautiful falls.  But feeling sick, I didn't really feel like sticking around till twi-light on this one.  I'll be back in the morning hours some time to do this falls justice.  It is larger than it looks.  It is probably over 50 feet, with a beautiful lead up to it on the stream.  It would be a stellar shot in the early morning hours, and a falls I'm sure few have seen for many years.

The shooting stars were out in full force!

So, while on Sunday I got skunked as far as good waterfall lighting, my short hike the next day more than made up for it.  Here's a photo I got Monday afternoon.  It made me long for a large format camera!  I also got a few more interesting photos on Monday which I'll post later. 

thats a cool little falls!  zach- you really need to get a free flickr account or something so you can post all your pictures in one post.  its a TON easier!

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jamey pyles

Beautiful photos! Although I am partial to the waterfall, the bugs are also spectacular.

Would you mind posting more info about the bushwhacking directions to the waterfall?

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Greg Lief
LiefPhotos.com
OregonWildflowers.org

   Greg, do you mean the waterfall above Tunnel?  I'll presume you mean that one.  Let me begin with a fair warning:  While that waterfall is not really difficult to reach, it requires good route-finding and terrain judgment - the last thing you want is to fly past some poor hiker on the trail below as you accidentally fall from the Tunnel falls amphitheater.  Also, the creek above (at this time of year at least), is more powerful than it appears.  It's not an easy hop and skip like Sorenson, Tish, or even Fern creeks.  It is strong and cold.  As with any off-trail adventure, use caution with this hike.

   That being said, it is a fairly straight forward Gorge bush-whack.  You can get above Tunnel falls by several methods, including a steep, rocky gully to the North, or the more gentle way (and the way I went this Sunday) - the game trail to the south of the amphitheater.  I'm am also inclined to believe that if you look closely, there is probably a side trail that would descend to these fall from the Eagle Creek trail at @ 9 miles (where it curves).  (Just a hunch - I don't really know.)

   Once above Tunnel, the easiest way to the falls is to hike up the stream itself. I didn't, as I did not bring water shoes.  On the way there, I went up the left side of the canyon, and on the way back I took the opposite side.  Both are do-able, though the right side is much more pleasant overall.  Like I said before, I believe I stumbled across an old human trail that cuts down to the stream at a natural crossing point and then back up the other side.  I will go back to check this out, but am very excited by this possibility.  I believe it was human, because of a particularly distinct switchback, and the manner at which it was carved out of a talus slope at a point.

   Bring water shoes for this adventure!  With few exceptions, including a log 1/10 mile before the falls, you will NOT be able to cross this stream without getting your feet wet!  It is not a simple hop or skip creek.  However, it is a beautiful section of stream, and there are very interesting places on it.  Directly above tunnel I did find two old fire rings, one with tin foil pieces and one with a melted beer bottle from some distant time (how annoying is that!).  The falls upstream, is about a true half mile up the stream, and you will have to earn it!  Hope this info helps!  To everyone who makes it up to these:  Please be safe, and leave nothing but bootprints - it's a truly remarkable place!

-Zach

Zach, that last photo of what looks to be the little falls on Ruckel is verrrry nice! You didn't need no stinkin' large format camera - you nailed it!

The upper East Fork falls is interesting, too. That's the first I've ever seen of this one in a photo. I think you're right about a boot path coming down from the switchback. Part of the history of the area is that the Boy Scouts had a camp at Wahtum Lake until a fire destroyed the lodge in the 1920s. So there were people poking around this area in quantity, and this was probably the closest falls (or access to the stream) at the time, from the Wahtum Lake end. Their supplies where brought in on the Herman Creek Trail, and the kids came in via the Eagle Creek trail. So there are certainly some ghosts floating around those canyons from days gone by...

Tom