Two Chiefs Trail 4/15/18

[arlohike]

I've been getting to know the trails from the North Bonneville trailhead: first to Gillette Lake, then to Carpenter Lake and Aldrich Butte, and most recently to the Two Chiefs Trail. (I haven't worked my way up to Table Mountain yet.)

I've found the Tamanous and Pacific Crest Trails at the start of this route to not be highly inspiring, at least not on rainy winter days. The trails are either muddy / standing water or rocky, and there are some clear cut areas and logging roads to pass through. But after crossing Greenleaf Creek a mile north of Gillette Lake, it gets pretty nice, and after turning right on Two Chiefs it gets really nice!

That section starts with a long climb, then descends a bit and is either flattish or modestly climbing for the last two miles. It passes through some beautiful mossy areas, enhanced by heavy fog on this day. Toward the end you can start to glimpse Table Mountain through the trees, then you pop out onto a clearing (a giant rock slide) to majestic views up the mountain. Apparently there are views across the Gorge at this point, too, but not this day.

The trail re-enters the woods and after about a quarter mile you reach the waterfall. I'm not posting photos because they don't do it justice. It was quite a nice destination and I had it all to myself. (Does it have a name?)

The field guide mentioned the possibility of bushwhacking to the upper falls, but I half-heartedly poked around for a route before deciding I was already getting enough exercise for the day. Crossing the creek was also mentioned, but that was definitely beyond my skill level. After turning to head back, though, I noticed a pink flag and followed that up the hillside to a neat little waterfall over a fallen tree. I don't know if that's what the flag was for, but it was a relatively easy off-trail diversion that still gave me a taste of adventure.

I returned the way I came and the miles went quickly. This hike doesn't have any particularly steep or difficult sections, so it was a nice way to spend a long day outside without getting too tired. The route has several points of interest and gets gradually prettier the whole way. Here's how the mileage and elevation breaks down:

0.0 miles, 100 feet - North Bonneville Trailhead
0.5 miles, 350 feet - Pacific Crest Trail junction
2.6 miles, 315 feet - Gillette Lake
3.7 miles, 480 feet - Greenleaf Creek Bridge
4.7 miles, 800 feet - Two Chiefs junction
7.2 miles, 1350 feet - Table Mountain rock slide
7.5 miles, 1320 feet - waterfall

I love days like this.

The shoulders of a giant.

The road carved into a rockslide.

Is that what I think it is?

Yes -- a tree waterfall!

[Chip Down]

Oh, I remember that tree waterfall! Your description didn't sound familiar, but the pic jogged my memory.
Anyway, the main waterfall, where you turned back, is on Greenleaf Creek, and I believe it's just called Greenleaf Falls.
You're right, it's hard to get a great picture of it. If you follow the creek up, you get to see an actual waterfall, not just the braided tumbling cascades you see from the trail. But that's really only practical on the other side of the creek, and it's a tough crossing, as you observed.

From the mossy road crossing through the rockslide, one can wander up the mountain or down the other way for some nice scenery, but on a day like yours (viewless) it was probably smart to stay on trail.

With the Oregon closures, I spent a lot of time exploring every part of Table this winter: bare, deep snow, rainy, sunny, you name it. It was fun to read about another hiker's adventures in there, so thanks for posting.

[arlohike]

I've seen some of your trip reports of being up at the summit in deep snow, or walking along the ridge of Cedar Mountain -- impressive!

Regarding the waterfall, framing it in a photo isn't hard, but the result looks kind of dinky. It's actually pretty awesome in person. I could hear it roaring from a half mile away.

I looked at the map again after posting and realized that the bridge at 3.7 miles and the waterfall at 7.5 miles are both Greenleaf Creek.

Next time, I'll explore the rock slide area (before the falls) more. Thanks for the tip.