McKenzie Monday.... and Tuesday 8/17&18

[pdxgene]

A nice long series of highlights from one of the best places you can go when it's hazy and still get great colors as it's easy to pretty much keep the sky out of things. Since we've mostly all seen these places bunches of times I'll try and keep most of the waterfall shots from places off the trail a bit harder to reach.
Jumping just out of order a bit for the opener down the big hill at the base Koosah Falls, something that probably isn't all that rare but I never remember seeing it before, two separate rainbows (as opposed to just a double rainbow). Actually I didn't know the second one on the lower right was even on there when I took the picture..


A pretty pool of blue water along the Waterfalls Trail on the McKenzie River..


Sahalie Falls from the far side upper viewing area.. (since it's not necessarily safe-- you need to find it it's not hard..)


Switching to the lower viewpoint, both of which lead to the footpath that goes behind the falls that I'll do someday when some other sucker, err...friend, is along..


Closer I get, step by step..


A big pool of McKenzie River green water (moss under clear water=... )




A spider web dome along the trail, there were quite a few of them..


Koosah Falls -- you can't really see it but there a patch of yellow monkey flower still going strong in the top middle of the falls..


Sahalie Falls from riverside with an itty bitty patch of blue smokeless sky..


Sahalie Falls rainbow series..


Standing almost right next to the falls..


With some of the last flowers..


Fall colors series, maples in the lava at Clear Lake..








The water colors of Clear Lake..


With mergansers..


Great Spring, source of Clear Lake (and thus the McKenzie River). Hard to believe looking at. The other inflow creeks (Ikenick and Fish Lake) are dry..


Continuing along the loop trail around Clear Lake and the water colors...






Smoky sky at sundown..


Nighttime entertainment (free!) outside the resort store..


The tip of Mt Washington between the trees at 545a this morning..


Heron looking for an early breakfast..


Lower Proxy Falls at 720a..


Up the left side..


Back down and up the right side to the splash pool. This is only reasonably possible in a dry year like this.. Take advantage if you can!


In the splash pool..






Upper Proxy Falls and its reflection in the little pool where it seeps down into the lava and disappears....


Up the right side..


Looking back down the falls from my perch above.. (it looks easier from the bottom going up )


Finishing up about a half hour at the falls and starting back to the car..


Two huge advantages to getting there early. Once it gets past 9am you'll have to fight sun and shadows to take pictures and two...


One of the most popular places in the forest to yourself... yay!

Album and slideshow here http://picasaweb.google.com/pdxgene/ClearLake22

And remember, you do not have to hike ten miles to loop the lake and the falls together. You can pretty much drive very close to all of them if that's something that suits people better.

[kepPNW]

So fun to see! We were just down there on the 10th. What I didn't realize was that the little pool at the north end of the lake is the source of it all! Great Spring? I think this is the same one, right?





It appears, on the map, that there are two more streams coming into the lake from the north, though?

[pdxgene]

Yes Karl, that be it... Both of the creeks are either completely dry or close enough right now that it doesn't much matter. Water does seep thru underground in a couple other spots but I don't know where and I don't think it's noticeable. It's fun (though not necessarily easy for 20-30yds.) in higher water to take a kayak* back there (technically I don't think you're supposed to but the ranger was the one who told me about it..lol..). Of course right now you could get out, step over the rocks and get back there. It's like a little water park ride when you shoot back out with the current that is stronger than it appears....
And of course if you're on foot you can just walk to it on a couple of clearly trodden paths, but where's the challenge in that...

*Rowboats have flipped, kayaks only, don't take a rental back there...

[Aridd]

Fall colors there already. Whoa

[Don Nelsen]

Nice!! thanks for the great report and pics.

dn

[kepPNW]

Yes Karl, that be it... Both of the creeks are either completely dry or close enough right now that it doesn't much matter. Water does seep thru underground in a couple other spots but I don't know where and I don't think it's noticeable.

Hmmm, yeah, I don't recall water flowing in those streams, either, now that you say that. Well that is very cool, then! Just didn't realize it at the time. We did consider taking a dunk there. Looked pretty refreshing, but there were enough yellowjackets swarming along the shore that we didn't stick around.

[pdxgene]

We did consider taking a dunk there. Looked pretty refreshing, but there were enough yellowjackets swarming along the shore that we didn't stick around.

I've never gone in more than ankle deep but that water stays in the just under 40 degree range throughout the year from what I've read (which is what keeps the lake from freezing over in winter). Brrrr..

[kepPNW]

We did consider taking a dunk there. Looked pretty refreshing, but there were enough yellowjackets swarming along the shore that we didn't stick around.

I've never gone in more than ankle deep but that water stays in the just under 40 degree range throughout the year from what I've read (which is what keeps the lake from freezing over in winter). Brrrr..

Heh, yikes! Probably good we kept moving...