There are few things that I love more than a day off in the middle of the week. On Wednesday, Little Red and I drove 50 minutes east to the Herman Creek Trailhead. Situated just off I-84, this trailhead leads to an extensive network of trails. The trek to Indian Point is a moderate, 7.8-mile loop with 2,730' gain. Much of the area was affected by the Eagle Creek Fire, but most sections of the loop still enjoy a relatively intact and shady forest canopy even while the undergrowth was burned to the ground.
The loop involves three trails named after early locals. I set off at 10:30am, navigating in a clockwise direction (though I had intended to go counter-clockwise). The Herman Creek Trail switchbacks in shady big-leaf maple, hemlock, and Douglas-fir woods. I noted the pleasant scent of the trees during my hike, possibly tainted by a hint of charred wood. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when the autumn-colored leaves peak each year, but I suspect that October 17th was pretty darn close!
A five-way junction at Herman Camp marks the first mile. From there, the Gorton Creek Trail gently climbs over a long traverse through a scorched understory. The path continues up, crossing a lush gully with views of the Columbia River through the burnt trees.
Four miles from the trailhead is the Gorton Creek-Indian Point-Ridge Cutoff Trail Junction. The Indian Point Trail descends steeply for almost 200' to the Indian Point outcropping--a basalt spire perched on the edge of a cliff. Confident scramblers can transverse the steep-sided ridge to the pinnacle and ascend it, but I was content to stay in the safety zone due to the strong winds.
The Gorge town of Stevenson, as well as Wind Mountain and Dog Mountain, can be seen across the river. On the clear day, the snowy peaks of the Washington Cascades were also visible.
Back at the junction, I followed the mostly level Ridge Cutoff Trail for about a mile to the Nick Eaton-Ridge Cutoff Trail Junction. The trail switchbacks down through steep grassy meadows with a view up to the two forks of Herman Creek and Mt. Hood's summit peeking up behind Waucoma Ridge. Looking west along the Columbia River Gorge offers views of Beacon Rock and the Bonneville Dam.
The switchbacks continue in and out of meadows and forest before reaching the Herman Creek-Nick Eaton Trail Junction. Making a right here leads past Herman Camp and down to the trailhead. I finished at 2:30pm (4 hours RT).
On the way back to town, I paid a visit to Multnomah Falls. The 611' roaring cascade, located right off I-84, is the most visited natural recreation site in the PNW. Sections of the Historic Columbia River Highway have yet to reopen since the fire, which makes visiting the falls challenging during the weekend (limited parking). Every year, two million visitors stand at the base of the falls in the narrow rocky confines of steep cliffs.
For an even closer view, a short walk up a paved trail leads to Benson Bridge, which spans the falls at the first tier's misty base. Rainwater, an underground spring and snow melt feed the falls year round, though peak flow occurs in late winter and spring.
The Multnomah Falls Lodge was built in 1925 to serve tourists of the Gorge. Today, the historic structure (made of every type of rock found in the Gorge) houses a restaurant with unbeatable views of the falls, an information center and a gift shop.
