Same disclaimer as before: These trails are very well documented, and there's not much to report, so this is really just my musings on a day in the gorge. People tell me they like reading that kind of stuff. If you're curious about the snow, go check out my post in the snowlevel thread.
Abstract: High Water Trail, misc unmapped stuff, searching for the Buick, Cougar Rock, Nesika Lodge, mossy-ridge viewpoint, Elevator Shaft down.
Heavy ice on my Portland windshield, but it wasn't until Multnomah parking lot that I realized the trails might be icy, and I had no traction. Lucked out, it was warm! Under starry skies, at 6:40 I left my car in my favorite spot, same as before, and wondered why people say this parking lot is crowded (it clearly isn't). Passed under to the lodge as a train was crossing over. It's damn loud under there when a train is five feet (whatever) above your head!
Zipped up the pavement in the dark, then enjoyed the rare solitude, explored here and there, dawdled, peed off the Multnomah pulpit (no, not really). Looked around a bit to see if there was a dry rock-hop across the creek that I think is named Winter. Didn't see anything easy, but now wish I had backtracked down the trail a bit to see if there's a way to get up high and look for a dry crossing, kinda like an early XC high-water trail, if ya know what I mean. Anyway, that was all for future reference, as I was wearing my good boots, so splashed right across. Then took the high-water loop, and discovered an unexpected network of trails. Some of them I recognized the ends of, others I had already hiked in their entirety. Explored them all.
Spent maybe two or three hours looking for the old Buick, guided only by a rough sketch. Based on trails shown on the sketch, I must have been very close. But based on the shape of Mult Basin Rd on the sketch, I wasn't even remotely close. It was fun poking around though. Found the motor-oil for the Buick, in a 5-gal can. RPM motor oil was a Chevron brand popular in the 30s and 40s, but I can't be sure how old that can was, so I'm half kidding about it being for the Buick. Pic below.
Gave up on the Buick and other stuff I was looking for, and headed off to find Cougar Rock. It was worthwhile. Looks like some people get a bit confused and don't go far enough. If you don't see something that looks like the Cougar Rock pic in the Oregon Hikers field guide, then you haven't see the whole enchilada. (Mmmm, cougar enchilada.)
Then over to the lodge. I didn't realize it's more than a simple lodge, it's like a little complex, with multiple buildings and utility sheds/tanks, etc. Explored a bit, but days are short now, so before too much longer I headed back home. But first, I paused to look at their emergency-phone-numbers posting. It says "if you have a cell phone", as if there's such a thing as a person w/o a cell phone. But logically, a person w/o a phone wouldn't be confused by the posting anyway; they would simply realize it didn't pertain to them. And the posting made a homophone error (advise/advice). And it says you should call 911 in an emergency. Well, yeah. Finally, it provides numbers you can dial for directions to Multnomah Falls Lodge. If I got calls from people wanting to know how to get un-lost, I'd just post a map (better for the hiker, better for the club member at home). But it was laminated, so there was that. And it wasn't in comic sans. So yeah, could be worse. Okay, enough of that, back to the car. But on the way...
Had to take another shot at the mossy ridge viewpoint between Multnomah and the Elevator Shaft, which I failed to find on my last trip. This time I knew what I was looking for, because I had seen pics. Descending the insanely steep trail that comes off Multnomah Basin, I bypassed the Elevator Shaft to my right, continuing down the gentler-but-narrower ridge. But like before, it dropped off steep to the north and the trail deadended, with no verdant open ridge ahead. What the heck? Do I need to drop lower? Kept going, but it only got steeper. No way this could be right. Traversed over to the west, and before long I could see an obvious emerald ridge through the trees. Yay! Wasn't too hard to bushwhack over there and gain the crest. Lovely! I've seen it brown in some pics, but this time of year it's verdant and lush. Followed the "trail" to the end and wondered about the mystery cairn. Sat in the dirt for my second break of the day (moss was like a wet sponge, so I wasn't sitting in that). On the way back to the Elevator Shaft, I could see why I had such a hard time finding Emerald Ridge: Coming down the trail on the crest of the forested ridge from the junction at the top of the Elevator Shaft, you need to look for a spur trail to the left. It's overgrown with Oregon Grape, and a bit of minor blowdown and duff. But actually, if you just keep an eye out for a bright green streak to your left when you're coming down the forested ridgecrest trail, you'll see it. I now realize I'm not the only one who has had trouble finding it, so I don't feel so bad. Even chuckled at home later watching a youtube video of a guy looking for it, making the same mistakes I did, and it was funny to watch him scratch his head. Yeah, he did finally get there.
Not much time left to get down the Elevator Shaft before dark. Man, it's a bitch descending that slide, especially at the end of the day when you're semi-tired and kind of in a hurry. About 3/4 of the way down, I sat for a break and watched cars and boats pass in twilight. The lit-up double grain barge being tugged down the Columbia was a nice addition to the view. Before long, I was back on trail 400, and got out my headlamp, finishing up about 6:00.
I was a bit nervous about the weather. Forecast called for clear skies on the ends of the gorge, but chance of rain in the middle. Huh? Blue skies in the am, increasing clouds in pm. On the drive home, it started raining. Dodged it again!
