We awake a little earlier than usual as today’s hike might be a bit longer so we’re keen to get started. As we leave the motel, there’s a noticeable drop in temperature and the roads are covered in snow and slush, although it has to be said that the local governments in these regions do a great job of keeping the roads clear at pretty much all times.
We follow the satnav directions to the trailhead, which leads us to a small lay-by just over a rising mountain highway. And that’s it. There’s a 2m high wall of snow to one side of the lay-by, which is where the trail should start and nothing else. In a fit of bravado, I kick some steps into the wall and manage to clamber over the top into waist high powder. A short walk on reveals the roofs of what would be, in summer, some small buildings that would support the trails - picnic benches, bathrooms, information boards. But these are all now almost completely hidden by snow.
As I near the buildings I can hear the sudden rush of water crashing in the distance. There are some old tracks from other would be explorers that are now just depressions in the snow, so I follow them and am confronted, eventually, but a large waterfall that is made larger by all of the snowmelt that must be rushing down off of the mountains as the weather softens a little. It’s a pretty awe-inspiring sight, and from where we’re standing we can see a small overlook at the head of the waterfall a short way off. We decide to make for it, scrabbling and climbing through the snow in our boots.
At this point, my compatriot decides to run back to the car for his snow shows - he brought them by chance following a recent move out of his apartment, but that decision is paying dividends now. I don’t have any with me, so have to plod on in my boots, trying to follow the relatively stable depressions that he is leaving in the snow - if I don’t, then I’m up to my waist and have to drag each boot out like I’m climbing a tall step. We find our own route up to the overlook at the head of the waterfall - it’s hard to capture the power and quantity of the water coursing over the edge in just pictures, but it’s an impressive thing to stand and watch for a few minutes.
We decide to continue on, finding a path through the powder, but the going is slow and consuming, especially for me. Eventually we arrive at what would normally be a bridge, again in more pleasant weather, but is now groaning under another couple of metres of snow. I slowly make my way across, trying to follow in the snowshoe imprints, but on more than one occasion I’m reminded that the edge of the snow resting on the bridge is not actually bridge - one wrong step could drop me into the fast flowing waters below.
This not insignificant hurdle crossed, we turn back downstream to try and find the head of the waterfall from the other side of the bank. The going is even tougher on this side, somewhat amazingly, with almost every one of my steps requiring me to pull myself out of a deep hole in the snow, with my trousers, socks and boots now absolutely soaking wet. We trudge on, through piled drifts and up and down small valleys, always in deep, deep snow. It’s undoubtedly beautiful though, with small stops to see gushing rapids or dark blue pools as the river makes its way towards the falls - something nobody else has seen, at least in a good long while.
Finally, we hear the crashing sound of the waterfall and manage to twist down through some trees to peer over the edge - the sound is incredible and we wonder whether there’s a way down to the river at the foot of the falls to find a way back across. Given the width and height of the river beneath, it seems very unlikely, so we head back the way we came. The going is a little easier (subjectively, of course) as at least we’re following our own tracks, but the bridge is an interesting experience given the snow we’d removed on the first crossing - I’m very grateful to whoever built the bridge that they included side rails as these stopped more than one slow slide into the river.
Once back at the car, I have to literally change everything from my waist down, so sodden where my cloths - I’m most concerned that my mountain boots, which were used for the first time today, had a small pool of water in the bottom so they’ll need to be thoroughly dried before the next time I want to put them on. This whole hike, whilst very beautiful and offering a lot of adventure that we both enjoy, has underlined the need for taking the environment pretty seriously here - it’s easy to believe that people can be over-cautious with some of the conditions, but I think we’ll be facing more of the same over the next few weeks.
We continue to drive on, stopping for a small coffee in a place called Sisters, before we arrive at Bend, Oregon’s second city that is the home of many of the state’s winter sports. As soon as we arrive, it’s clear that it’s a pretty affluent place, with many small bars and restaurants albeit with some closed due to the time of year. We park up and do some shopping - I buy some snowshoes almost immediately - and have a beer in the sun that’s now climbing into the afternoon sky. We choose to stay at a genuinely amazing hotel - McMenamins Old St. Francis School, a converted series of school buildings that offers accommodation, a pub, a cinema and a soaking pool. The latter is something we head for almost immediately, given our exploits on the hike, and we arrive at one of the most cinematic spaces I’ve ever seen. Open to the sky, with an ornate fountain in the middle of the pool itself, we relax in the warm salt water for a long time, before heading out for dinner.
We’d spied a restaurant that looked good earlier in the day, 900 Wall, and decided we’d escape the usually burgers and fast food we’d been eating until now. It was a great meal, with steak and wine, and afterwards we headed out to a local bar to play some pool - a famous victory for me, after some shocking unforced errors by both of us. We continued on to a few more bars and pubs, but it’s clear that the time of year (along with the pandemic) is keeping places pretty quiet. We retire to the hotel to prepare for our next stop in Oregon’s capital city, Portland.