A Closer Look at Lindsey Creek

Discussions and Trip Reports for off-trail adventures and rediscovering lost trails
User avatar
chameleon
Posts: 1795
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Location: Oregon
Contact:

A Closer Look at Lindsey Creek

Post by chameleon » March 31st, 2009, 7:50 am

Yesterday I made another short trip up Lindsey creek and got a closer look not only at it but at the road(s) that ran up it. I discovered that there were more roads than I had noticed the day before! About 1/5 mile past main Lindsey creek falls the road branches off everywhere - there are roads going up, down, etc..., including a couple main switchbacks up, as well as the main road continuing up the left tributary of Lindsey creek a short distance further. The area was logged heavily. I'm wondering if at least one of these roads doesn't lead up to the top of Mt. Defiance.

I also followed the stream from the top of Lindsey creek falls to the beautiful short waterfall I found the day before - about 1/2 mile. Here is the view looking down Lindsey creek falls:
looking down lindsey crk falls.jpg
As you can see, the total height of this falls is greater than has been estimated due to there being a total of 5 tiers in all. The top two are roughly 20ft and 10ft respectively, with several small slides in between. The total height of Lindsey falls I'd put at @ 90-100ft. After that I headed up-stream. Here is a look up from the top of the falls.
looking up from top.jpg
The stream above the falls is very rugged. It would be much easier in late summer with less water. Right now, near full flow it can be tough. There are numerous log-jams and very deep pools. In addition there are several areas of fast water. It is not a good stream for inexperienced river walkers - you need to be careful and be able to evaluate your moves. Shortly after the falls there is a tributary that meets the stream, creating a beautiful 45ft waterfall as it plunges down toward Lindsey creek. Here are a couple photos of it.
lindsey side falls.jpg
lindsey side falls2.jpg
After about 1/2 mile of log jams, pools, etc...you finally get to the gorgeous falls I found yesterday, where a major tributary empties in from the left. I desparately wanted to get up beyond this today. I scrambled up the hillside to the west and rappeled down to the top of the small falls. Here is a photo of this falls I got yesterday
IMG_0814.jpg
And from the hillside I could see the base of another falls! The next falls was in view! Here is a photo looking up-stream - the falls is hidden behind the western hillside, but the base is visible through the trees.
upstream falls.jpg
However, getting to the base just wasn't in the cards for me yesterday. Though I really wanted to - the level of the stream was just a bit too much. From the top of the small falls the water was running deep, fast and cold. There is a pool just above that is @ 8 or 9ft deep, and even crossing just above the small falls would be waist deep of fast water over slick algae rock, where a wrong move would result in you being swept over and being spitted on a vertical log below. I'm either going to bring a little wetsuit next time or wait for less water to do this. After this you will also have to do a careful maneuver to get up the next obstacle - either a swim/mossy rock scramble or vertical mossy rock scramble. It doesn't look hard in this picture, but here is the view upstream.
from top of small falls.jpg
Ok, my computer is completely messing with me - it just cut off half my report. Here's a try again...Here is a photo looking down the small falls and one from the bottom. I noticed that you can actually climb up the small falls on the east side, but is much safer with less water.
looking down small falls.jpg
small falls new view.jpg
After that I headed up and took the road back. I spent some quality time at Harrison falls, which I'll post some pics on later. Here are a couple parting shots - one is for Pablo's sake - it is where a road branches off and crosses the creek above Harrison falls. I took this on the way in, using the log above to cross without getting wet. The other pic is just of Lindsey creek falls - too high flow to get a good straight on shot (spray issues), but a nice view nonetheless.
log at road crossing.jpg
IMG_0807.jpg

User avatar
Splintercat
Posts: 8328
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Location: Portland
Contact:

Re: A Closer Look at Lindsey Creek

Post by Splintercat » March 31st, 2009, 10:41 pm

Excellent recon, Zach! Clearly, we need to send a GPS unit in there with you next time! You're right about old logging road (turn of the century era) being pretty rapacious. They weren't exactly concerned about stepping lightly back in those days -- just get the trees out! But it makes me wonder if there was a mill somewhere near the base of the canyon. Normally, that much road system would have been tied to a mill somewhere in the vicinity.

Along that thread of thought, I've always wondered what the "Old Wagon Road Historical Area" is on the topos, at the lower end of Lindsey Creek, and separating two units of Lindsey Creek SP. We walked right through the middle of the area last year, en route to the falls from the west side, but didn't see anything resembling an old wagon road -- just the powerline corridor.

Tom

User avatar
chameleon
Posts: 1795
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Location: Oregon
Contact:

Re: A Closer Look at Lindsey Creek

Post by chameleon » April 1st, 2009, 1:50 am

Tom, I'm wondering if they floated the logs across the river to the Stevenson mill? That would be just downstream and a fairly short distance via the Columbia. In regards to the roads, they actually seem to be all over the place in there. That area marked Old Wagon Road Historical Area really intrigues me too. There are tons of roads in that small space, but I don't know that I'd recognize the difference between a wagon road and a logging road. There is one road that intrigues me though. It is on the west bank of the stream and begins to switchback up the hill (right before you break down to get up to Lindsey creek falls). I haven't followed it so I have no idea how far it goes or where the ultimate destination is. I'll have to now. I've tried to sketch in a few of the major arteries I've seen on this map...
a few lindsey creek roads.JPG
I could be way off. As far as I can make out this is close. I don't have a GPS so I really can't say for certain. One thing I do know is that the very top of Harrison falls is almost directly under the power lines. As I sat there they were right above me. Here by the way is a photo looking upstream from directly beneath them.
before harrison.jpg
Here is a view of the uppermost tier of Harrison falls, which you really can't see from the bottom very well. It is a beautiful 25ft fan basically.
top tier of harrison.jpg
And for what they're worth, here are a couple photos along the road along Lindsey. Keep in mind that these are pretty much the best areas of the road. Shortly after Lindsey creek falls the road sinks into large ruts for a ways and goes through bursts of being log choked/very overgrown. There are a few pieces of large sheet metal - maybe from an old culvert? And at the bottom of that exquisite tributary falls there is a long metal tube 8 or so inches in diameter that resembles a metal tree lying horizontally a dozen feet or so up from Lindsey creek, but other than that not too many relics that I found at least. I'm sure Don Nelson could sniff some out though. But look carefully in these pics and you will be able to spot some trees that are probably at least 30 years old growing in places in the road making it fairly old. The one photo of the washed out area is the washout directly above Lindsey creek falls. I actually climbed up that wash out gully from the base of the falls when I hit upon the road.
old logging road lindsey crk.jpg
lindsey creek road washout.jpg
logging road 2 lindsey creek.jpg
And accept my apologies again when someone actually gets in there with a GPS and follows the roads and proves my poor sketches to be way off! It only gives an idea of where a few main arteries can be found if you poke around. I'm definately going to have to explore the area thoroughly. The road is interesting up there beyond Lindsey creek especially. Before I realized it was a logging system I remarked at a couple of obviously flattened out places and half expected to find a cabin or other structure. There is an especially prominent one above the road right at the small tributary - then one below the road a short ways past that. And when they did log, it was not clear cut. It looks like 3/4 of the large logs (including the largest) were removed, but many medium sized logs were left growing. So at least they had some modicum of saavy about it. Still pretty messy with this much evidence remaining decades at least later.

User avatar
chameleon
Posts: 1795
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Location: Oregon
Contact:

Re: A Closer Look at Lindsey Creek

Post by chameleon » April 1st, 2009, 2:07 am

Here is something of interest as well. A year or two ago I stopped along I-84 to try to get a photo of Harrison falls. I ended up loosing my glasses in a deep pool mid-way up the falls, and took a spill as well (two separate instances). The spill occured as I was trying to scramble up a side wall for a better view and I slipped on a giant banana slug. I was like a cartoon character on a banana peel. Anyway, face down on the ground I noticed something interesting...it was the tiniest salamander I had ever seen. And it looked fully developed - not like a little aquatic growing baby. Here is a photo of it. I think it is some variation of a western redback? Anyway, a pretty neat find on this creek. It is certainly the tiniest salamander I've every come across.
tiny salamander lindsey creek.jpg

User avatar
Splintercat
Posts: 8328
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Location: Portland
Contact:

Re: A Closer Look at Lindsey Creek

Post by Splintercat » April 1st, 2009, 5:40 pm

That's pretty cool, Zach -- post that over in the ID area, and I'll bet somebody knows the species.

I ran across this map on a USGS site -- supposedly from 1911, but it looks nearly identical to a 1938 topo that is my gold standard for old trails, roads and townsites. But if this IS 1911 vintage,then there was a proto-highway in this part of the gorge, paralleling the railroad. Also, note a structure and locale called "Lindsey". So it could be that a mill existed here.

Image

Tom

User avatar
jaimito
Posts: 850
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Location: Kenton
Contact:

Re: A Closer Look at Lindsey Creek

Post by jaimito » April 1st, 2009, 8:33 pm

Once again I must say…

SWEET!

User avatar
chameleon
Posts: 1795
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Location: Oregon
Contact:

Re: A Closer Look at Lindsey Creek

Post by chameleon » April 6th, 2009, 10:01 pm

Today I headed up to Lindsey creek again to enjoy some of the nice weather. I ended up checking out the neat slot canyon of Lindsey and the next waterfall up-stream. I also checked out the road heading up the broad ridge between Lindsey and Summit creeks. This road switchbacks up and up! I'm wondering if a road once ran from the lake where Lindsey begins down to the Columbia. Any ideas Don, Paul, or Tom?... Here is a deer carcass I found in the middle of the road a ways up.
deer carcass lindsey.jpg
There are some beautiful large cedars up that slope as well. After following this road for a mile and a half I turned back and headed down. I crossed the stream...
Lindsey morning 1.jpg
Lindsey 2.jpg
I hiked up the road on the east side and this time I checked out Lindsey's slot canyon above the beautiful little falls I found last time. I actually got to the next falls this time. Its an incredible slot and the 25ft waterfall beginning it is very interesting. Here is a photo I got part way into the slit and one of the falls.
Lindsey slot canyon.jpg
lindsey 4 falls.jpg
After I got back down the neat falls at the end of the slot, I decided to see if I could catch a fish on Lindsey creek. I had forgotten my fly reel at home, so when I left the car I just brought a fly leader and a few flies. At the base of the falls I tied the leader to a nice long stick and made my own little fishing pole. Who says you need to spend money to have a good day fly-fishing. In less than 5 minutes a beautiful little trout decided to give my fly a try. It was the size of a brook trout, but with markings unlike a brook trout. Perhaps a rainbow/brook trout hybrid? Here's a photo I snapped of the little guy before gently releasing him back into the stream.
Lindsey creek trout 1.jpg
After this I decided to follow the old historic highway over to Summit Creek falls. And wow! You could spend a whole day just on that lower falls. I'll post pics of it tomorrow.
-Zach

User avatar
chameleon
Posts: 1795
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Location: Oregon
Contact:

Re: A Closer Look at Lindsey Creek

Post by chameleon » April 8th, 2009, 8:39 pm

Here are a few more pics...one of the flowers near summit creek - any idea what these are? Great to see them coming out. The other two pics I took from the old highway on the way from Lindsey to Summit. As you can see, I ended up spending some quality time on Summit...plenty of light going in, getting dark heading back. Great day in the Gorge!
gorge from near summit creek.jpg
gorge from near summit creek 2.jpg

User avatar
pyles_94
Posts: 1163
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Location: Portland Area
Contact:

Re: A Closer Look at Lindsey Creek

Post by pyles_94 » April 11th, 2009, 8:29 pm

I would love to see some photos of summit creek- those ones of the viewpoint above i84 are sweet!!
Jamey Pyles

User avatar
chameleon
Posts: 1795
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Location: Oregon
Contact:

Re: A Closer Look at Lindsey Creek

Post by chameleon » April 12th, 2009, 8:43 pm

Here you go Jamey, here is a photo of the upper falls indicated on the map -
upper summit falls 1.jpg
There are roads that lead up above it - you can scramble up to them from either side. It appears this area, like Lindsey was logged heavily - roads everywhere! Here is a photo looking down from the top of this upper falls. All said and done, the upper falls has 3 main tiers with a total height of probably 45 ft.
from above upper summit falls.jpg
Then, downstream. Here is a view of lower Summit creek falls.
lower summit falls 1.jpg
One sad thing about both lower and upper falls is that each has a large cedar stump in front of it, probably from a time when people wanted a "nice view" of each falls. Sad. However...in the case of this lower falls, check out what nature has done - the old stump has become a nurse with a small tree now growing tall and strong!
lower summit falls nurselog view.jpg
Below this lower falls is a gorgeous set of cascades that ends finally in this -
lower summit falls bottom.jpg
You could literally spend a whole day or more just shooting photos of the cascades below the lower falls.
-Zach
Last edited by chameleon on April 14th, 2009, 5:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Post Reply