Ridge above Multnomah Falls?

[Webfoot]

There is a prominent ridge above and to the east of Multnomah Falls with what appears to be a rather developed boot path along the top. I am wondering how people are getting there.

(45.5764, -122.1092)

[Don Nelsen]

A skilled rock climber could scale the cliff at the end of that ridge but I'm not one of them. The other way is through the Multnomah Basin:

[Webfoot]

Thank you.

How hard is the descent just west of "section of old road?"

[bobcat]

I've been on that ridge a couple of times - always went up via the Elevator Shaft. Then a loop through the basin via Nesika and down the Larch Mountain Trail.

[Don Nelsen]

Thank you.

How hard is the descent just west of "section of old road?"

Lots of foliage to grab onto where needed and steep in spots but easy compared with some bush whacks I've known. Must be used fairly often for the track to be so visible on Google Earth farther down the ridge.

[Bosterson]

I've been on that ridge a couple of times - always went up via the Elevator Shaft.

Ditto. It's the exposed ridge at the top of the talus section of the Elevator Shaft and you can walk out on it to the west until it cliffs out (I think you can see the cliff from the top of the paved switchbacks to the falls), then you'd backtrack to the normal route and continue up into the basin. I don't know how that area is after the burn but there should be tons of old TRs here that detail the route.

[Webfoot]

I have read about Elevator Shaft, though I never did it. In whatever reports I read I seem to have missed this alluring ridge option unless I simply forgot.

[Chip Down]

Below is a pic I found in a folder with tags "multnomah" and "elevator". Almost certain this is the ridge in question.

[Webfoot]

Thanks Chip!

[EricInVancouver]

Definitely elevator shaft, much of the switchback trail up it is evident by the moss. I would come up from 400 trail and then loop around through Multnomah Basin, stop by Cougar Rock & Nesika Lodge and say hi I would love to get get a clear trail from Nesika over to Elevator. It use to be a typical training hike for Mazamas pre-fire.