Gorge-ous.

So, yesterday was a magnificent day.

Punch Bowl Falls, one of many waterfalls along the way.

I’ll be brief, since the last post was quite lengthy. As I mentioned, we went on a hike in the Columbia River Gorge. The 13-mile trek is known as Eagle Creek, and it was a pretty flat trail except for a few spots with a steep incline and a couple miles of less-than-ideal surfaces (big rocks, mostly). I would say it was a blue, if we’re talking skiing codes.

Gresham had a great showing at the hike with all eight of us making it out there, plus Matt, Linds’ boyfriend, who graciously offered to drive some of us. Hillsboro showed up with all seven of their house members, and the two Portland houses each produced about 50% of their communities. That means we were a large group.

Gresham represented!

      We didn’t all hike together all of the time (that’s not even fun), but I did get to hike with several different clumps of people, which meant that I had some neat conversations with lots of individuals. It’s always nice to mingle with the other JV’s and we’re lucky to have so many in such a concentrated area. The hike took us past many, many waterfalls and we were often on narrow ledges high above miles and miles of rolling bluffs and lush greenery. The forests in the Northwest are only pseudo-familiar to me; I recognize the evergreens but not the moss that coats so many logs and tree trunks and not the rainforest-esque vegetation that I sometimes see. Plus, I see slugs everywhere! They’re gross and slimy. I thought you might want to see one… haha!

Yuck. A slug.

By far, the highlight of the 13-mile endeavor was Tunnel Falls. Everyone out here talks about Multnomah Falls, which is indeed spectacular (I’ve only driven past it so far, but I’ll undoubtedly visit it soon and for sure with any visitors who care to see it). But, if you’re up for the trip, Tunnel Falls delivers even more than the famous Multnomah cascades. The shades of green and yellow that climb up the massive walls of stone, formed from the Missoula floods centuries ago, are so vivid that it seems like you’re looking at an overexposed negative of the scenery. Out of this nearly-tropical, Fern Gully-like stage arises the massive waterfall—so big that I can’t get it all in one frame on my digital camera. The water roars down the façade of the rocky cliff and crashes into the bowl below, which is a whimsical shade of blue. As you approach Tunnel Falls, you see all of this.

From the ledge, it almost feels like you can touch the water!

But suddenly you find yourself ten feet from the water itself, on a narrow ledge that gets you as close as you can get to the mist without actually drenching you. You can feel the cool water as you make your way into the tunnel to go behind the falls, and when you come out on the other side, you feel the same thing. The dark tunnel that you walk through for a few moments is magical, and all the while you can see the bright greenery that awaits you as you emerge on the other side. It’s the stuff of National Geographic shows… truly one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen.

Some of us about to go through the tunnel.

Shortly after reaching Tunnel Falls, our destination, we lunched alongside another awesome set of baby falls, which criss-cross like nothing I’ve ever seen. Then we began the trek back. I won’t lie: I’m sore today because I haven’t gone on a hike of quite that magnitude since Chile, but it was pretty wonderful to spend a day in the beautiful Northwest woods and to see the magnificent Tunnel Falls and to breathe some fresh, not-hot-but-not-cold air. The sun came out for the last few miles of the trip (it had been overcast before that), making it a perfect afternoon.

Some of G-Sham by Tunnel Falls.

The evening was the icing on the cake of our wonderful day. Crunchy had invited us over to tie-dye and have dinner. Kelly and Bridget can attest to the fact that I am a seasoned tie-dyer, so it was a lot of fun to do it with my community. What’s better is that dinner included BRATS, BEER, and the Ghiradelli chocolate BROWNIES that we brought (thanks to Linds’ mom for that box mix!!). Truly an amazing day. There were many times when I thought of several people back home who would have loved parts—or all of—the day. It was, to say the least: gorge-ous. Pun absolutely intended.

Time to get home for dinner, which Jenna and Daniel are making this evening.

Shout outs:

Brittany, I am so, so, so excited for your very SOON departure! Keep packing!

Cati, talking to you this evening was so energizing. You are beautiful and brave. Keep rocking Santiago, my friend.

The criss-cross falls (lunch break spot).

And, HAPPY ALMOST BIRTHDAY, Lizzie Olson!

Hugs to all of you.

Amanda