Memaloose Falls and South Fork Clackamas River

[Stevefromdodge]

We checked this one out a month or so ago, and if I remember right we went almost straight down the hill almost to the creek. There was a pretty obvious use path from the end of the road. Most of the way down was in an open rockfield. The road was obvious to the right at the base of the hill. We had to scramble over a pile of dirt and broken trees right away, but the first tunnel was right past that pile.

[BrianEdwards]

Changed the trip report to read 20 feet from the creek

[oregoncurtis]

Thanks I'll have to try it again. Once we get another nice dry spell maybe I'll try it out.

[BrianEdwards]

Went back to a roaring Clackamas Falls today, just had a cell phone

[oregoncurtis]

Here's a blog post about my hike and a photo of a garter snake I saw:
http://junkdrawer.web44.net/blog/?p=898

-Curtis

[HikingisaMustDo]

Hello fellow hikers.
I've done this trail now three times each time improving on the last of finding more and more to the trail. However, I cannot seem to find a decent area to scramble down to Memaloose falls. I can see the top of the falls from above near the entrance of the first cave, and I know right where it is, but it's been a challenge to find a decent path down to it. Getting to the bottom of the other two falls was a breeze. Can anyone help with a way to the bottom, or a good area to descend from? That would be a big help to me, in the 3 attempts I caught a tick on one occasion trying to dig into my flesh, luckily I felt him.
Thanks, Aaron

[BrianEdwards]

Welcome, Aaron. I've been to Memaloose Falls twice now. Both times I exited the tunnel and headed down the road maybe 100 or so feet, and then just made a straight line to the base. It's not a fun stretch of bushwacking, and as I said in the report, don't get to the creek downstream of the falls, angle directly at the pool and you'll be golden. Next time you go post some shots! Strangely enough I only have cell phone pics from my trips, and am needing some better ones. Hope this helps.

-Brian

[HikingisaMustDo]

Hello Brian thanks for the welcome.
This should help me. My only concern is the bushwhacking to it. Last time I made the attempt I stumbled upon a tick farm! I had two ticks on my stomach both trying to bite me at the same time! ( I've never even seen a tick, ever prior to this and I've been hiking since I was 5, 22 now) Thankfully I killed both of them before they dug into me, but I was baffled that I had two ticks on me! If you have time soon, maybe we could meet up there and explore together? I know an alternative route to the bottom of The Clackamas falls w/o forging the river, and to the top of it w/o crossing that darn log bridge. Otherwise I'll be heading back up there in a few days to try and re scout the direction to the base of Memaloose falls, and be heavily tick prepared too.
Thanks again,
Aaron

[BrianEdwards]

Cool, Aaron. I like your interest on this subject. But on the subject of ticks, most of the bushwacks Ive done up the Clackamas, I have encountered ticks. One of my Fish Creek treks I came back with 5 on the belly. Don't let that be a discouragement, as it's easy just to do a self check after the hike. And as far as getting to Memaloose Falls, following the trip report is by far the shortest and relatively simplest route, but I'm ears if you know any other way. I've bailed straight off at the curve before and that way had too many cliffs, the road walking is much easier. There's also a nice Punchbowl falls 1/2 mile above the big falls, but it's a nice bushwack there.

Anyway PM sent

[moabmatt]

Last August Herb and I descended the falls of Memaloose Creek with ropes. We bushwacked down into the drainage along the route others here seem to have taken. From Road #45 we followed a short old road that branches off #45 in section 29 on the Bedford Point quad. From the road's end we dropped straight down the slope into the drainage. There are some beautiful little cascades upstream of the falls.

Shortly after passing the massive logjam we came to the first of the two falls on the creek. It's a spectacular 50 foot falls dropping into a massive pool.

The second, and last falls, is immediately beyond the pool. There is a short chute leading into this falls.

The second falls is what many have seen in the classic Memaloose Falls photos from below. Here's a shot from the brink. If you look closely you can see a rope hanging from an overhang into the pool below the falls. Must a fun swimming hole for some of the local kids!

And a shot from below. What a great pair of falls!

In the future we plan to approach this not from #45, but from the bottom. Basically park at Big Cliff on Hwy 224 and swim across the Clack to the mouth of SF Clack, then hike up to the Mem/SF Clack confluence and hike the old road up Mem, through the tunnel to the top of the first falls.