Lower Wauna Falls - the middle drops

[chameleon]

Tonight I headed up to the Gorge, driven by the hot weather. I haven't been able to fall asleep in my apartment till it cools down enough - @1 or 2am. So I figured it'd be better time spent hiking than sitting, sweating in my appartment. I decided on a short trip to Wauna falls. I wanted to get some photos of the middle drops of lower Wauna falls (there are 4 drops all together totalling 145 vertical feet). The top and bottom drops are fairly easy to photograph, accessible by deer paths, etc..., but the middle two drops are safest if you rappel them (as well as down the bottom drop after). Here are a couple pics of these neat middle segments. They each had the neat deep sauna like pools found at the base of so many Gorge waterfalls.

Here is looking down the lowest drop. Last week I guessed it at @45ft. Tonight I got to check it out with my altimeter which put it at 48ft.

[anna in boots]

Very nice, Zach. Hope you got some Zzzz's.

anna in boots

[Stefrobrts]

Beautiful pictures! I love the way the ponds at the bottom of the falls look.

[chameleon]

Thanks Anna and Stephanie,
Yeah, I love those deep volcanic jacuzzis we have on many gorge falls. They are definately interesting. I've always thought it'd be wild to find one with water from a hot spring beneath... That would pretty much make it perfect...soaking in hot water at the base of a waterfall! lol. I guess I'll probably have to settle for the refreshment they offer as an escape on super hot days. If I ever do find a hot one though...I think that's one gorge secret I'll try to keep hidden!
-Zach

[jaimito]

Do you see Andy and I's note about descending from above via the Tanner Butte Trail… I hope you still left those for us? LOL : )

[chameleon]

lol - Yep, I still haven't hit the top one! I've only been 3/4 mile up the canyon, to the 20ft falls you find there. I was going to give it a go last weekend, but ended up getting some kind of bug. So, it's all yours!...for a while at least. Actually, the flow is so low right now, I think I'm going to wait till after a week of heavy rain which could be who knows how long from now. I can't wait to see your report and pics of that top falls! Good luck!
-Zach

[jaimito]

I think given all the devils club we encountered on the upper part of the stream it might be best again in the fall. Problem as you know is it is pretty far in, especially if you are going the tanner butte route, but I think both those streams on the upper part are doable in a day if the devils club isn't an issue or if we can find a better route. Great shots by the way. O not sure we'll get to a trip report anytime soon but we did encounter a milky brown snake with no patterns at about 4000', any ideas? I looked it up and it might be a racer snake? I'll send you a shot to see if you can identify it.

Jamie