12 miles of hiking • 1500' elevation gain •
Eagle Creek quietly opened up at the beginning of the month. Team comfort optional decided to spend my last Friday of freedom exploring before I go back to a M-F grind.
We left Portland at 7:30, and ended up with the last parking spot close to the trailhead. The morning crisp air was nice, but it quickly warmed up in the canyon. Since there is way less canopy, I struggled a bit in the heat. We had a set turnaround time of 11 am, so we tried to keep up a good pace to make it to Tunnel falls. We had mostly solitude, until we reached those turning back who had gotten an earlier start.
We made it to Tunnel Falls, where one individual was blocking the trail trying to get the perfect selfie. We waited in the cool tunnel for her to move on, but ultimately had to accept that she was just going to end up being in our photos if we wanted a picture of the falls. We went around the bend, and took a break as much off trail as we could, but stayed aware to move out of the way to let others pass. My feet were really aching, and our turnaround time for Kat to get back to Portland had passed, so we didn't go on to Twister Falls. I think it may be time for new hiking boots. The heel pain turned into leg pain, and it was a struggle to keep a good pace the 6 miles back. I hate days like that where my body feels like it is betraying me.
The way back was a steady barrage of flip flops and hikers and dogs without water or daypacks. I had packed in 2 liters, but ended up filtering some water to top it back off, just in case. When we got back to the car, it said the temperature was 88, but it definitely felt hotter in the canyon. We spotted some canyoneers in the creek, and I had to wonder how they were going to get around some of the log jams I witnessed from above. Nearing the car, we heard a loud crash across the canyon. A tree had fallen. A good reminder to still remain aware of hazards when hiking through burn zones.
