Munra Creek 3/5/2017

[Chip Down]

Forecast called for wind and snow all the way down to I-84, so I wanted a hike close to home with no hills to drive on, and a quick easy hike with no chance of getting lost in the snow. Decided to park at Wahclella TH (between Munra Point and Eagle Creek) and see how far I could get up Tanner Creek. I knew it would be tough to get above Wahclella Falls, but I was hoping I could at least get up Munra Creek.

The hike to Wahclella Falls was quick/easy/fun, under just a very slight snowfall. The trail is in poor shape, but not really treacherous, except one little spot on the loop near the falls.

As I approached Munra Falls walking back towards the trailhead, I took the obvious way out of the canyon: up the brushy slopes just south of the falls. Went up to the base of cliffs and followed them up and north until I was nearly at Munra Creek. From here, climbing up the mossy cliffs seemed possible. It was bouldery scrambling rather than five-point-soil-myself vertical cliffs. Hard to be sure what would work. Success would depend on being able to link gullies and ledges and whatnot into a continuous route. Or I could drop slightly to the creek, which curved out of sight into a cleft, and see if I could follow it up. Decided on the latter. Five minutes later, at the creek, I realized it was impossible to continue upstream. Rather than going back the way I came and seeing if I could scramble up the mossy cliffs, I opted to cross Munra and go up the north side.

I soon decided that following Munra Creek up to road 777 would be a more sensible plan than trying to get to the top of Wahclella Falls and follow Tanner Creek up. Munra Creek turned out to be stuffed full of falls, and at each one I had to backtrack from the bottom of the falls looking for a way up and around. With all the twists and turns and reroutes, and the two or three tributary creeks dropping through steep narrow gullies on the south side of Munra, I started to loose track of where I was and how I got there. I don't mean I was lost, I just mean my cognitive map was starting to get a little fuzzy. This wasn't a simple straightforward hike up a creek (and, of course, I'm grateful for that). I knew if I failed to reach road 777 and had to backtrack, I'd be fine. But if the predicted snow came and I had to backtrack in poor visibility, it would be tricky. Still, I knew my straight-line distance to the car was negligible, and I was boxed in by roads and creeks, and I was well equipped, and it was still morning, so there really was no way I could get hopelessly lost.

Spotted something man-made poking through the snow. Realized it was a vehicle. A little ice axe excavation revealed a front wing window and side mirror. I decided it was an old SUV, not a pickup with a canopy (a little research later showed it's apparently a Bronco). That was evidence that road 777 had to be just above me, and sure enough, as I climbed up to get to the top of Car Thief Falls I noticed a culvert above me.

Soon (noonish) I was at the old Tanner Butte TH, where I'd been once before, last summer when I overshot the secret direct route to Wauna Point from 777. I knew there was a bench waiting for me there, and I was grateful for a relatively clean level spot to sit. Thought about continuing up the creek and/or Tanner Butte trail, or possibly up 777, but the snow was deep and soft on the road, and the trail was tricky to follow, and it was late enough that I figured time would turn me back before I reached a good destination, so I headed down the road.

The snow started, and I was pleased. I didn't want it as I ascended the creek, but for the roadwalk back down it was nice. I was surprised, because it seemed way too warm for snow (technically, it was graupel).

The walk down 777 was quicker than I remembered. Last time, I walked up this road on a hot summer day, under time pressure, tired, and not entirely sure where to find my route, and that all combined to make it seem interminable.

At the bottom, I pondered my options. Remembered that I've been wanting to hike the western half of the old portage road, so I followed my utility road to the connector trail that took me to the portage road, which I then followed west. It was less interesting and more brushy than I had hoped for, but it was good to scratch that itch, so I'm glad I remembered it. On the portage road I was shocked to discover a refrigerator. I have to assume it was dumped when it was still possible to drive on the HCRH and then up the portage road.

At home, I went looking for reports on Munra Creek and discovered it's quite popular for waterfall hunters. Also made a mind-blowing discovery while reading the fieldguide: in the late 1990s I made a couple trips to Tanner Butte, one in the winter and one in the summer. Although those hikes survived clearly in my memory, I'd forgotten where they were. It was the fieldguide description for Tanner Butte that brought it all rushing back. Dublin Lake and the Tanner Cutoff Trail provided confirmation. It's truly surreal to have two sets of memories of this area, and only now realize that I need to merge those memories.

Overall, a pretty decent trip. Could have squeezed a little more adventure out of the day, but considering the weather forecast and my inexperience in the terrain between tanner creek and 777, I have to consider it a moderately pleasant successful day. If I ever go back in there, I want to look for the old roadbed north of Munra Creek, and maybe make another attempt at following the cliffs up to the top of Wahclella Falls.

[Chip Down]

and the man-made stuff:

[retired jerry]

where's the dead balloon picture?

(okay, I think I've worn out that joke and then some...)

weird how much snow there is at lower elevations this year. Usually, in the winter, I'll get a snow free trip up Herman Creek or wherever in December - February but not this year.

[miah66]

Cool adventure! I love Wahclella Falls, its one of the few hikes I will do multiple times. I've always thought about what's above Munra Falls. More falls! The trail on the map at the bottom of your TR doesn't seem to really match up w/ what's really out there near the falls. Like, at all.

[Chip Down]

Jerry, it's in the Happy Birthday thread, of course!

Miah66, good eye! I noticed that, but forgot to mention it.

[viking]

Did you find the remains of the diversion dam and original fish hatchery water supply pipe?

[Chip Down]

Did you find the remains of the diversion dam and original fish hatchery water supply pipe?

Maybe. Is this (pic below) related? Encountered this the previous weekend.

[Webfoot]

Although those hikes survived clearly in my memory, I'd forgotten where they were. It was the fieldguide description for Tanner Butte that brought it all rushing back. Dublin Lake and the Tanner Cutoff Trail provided confirmation. It's truly surreal to have two sets of memories of this area, and only now realize that I need to merge those memories.

That actually sounds like a pretty cool experience.