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Eagle Creek in the Columbia River Gorge
After spending a week with extended family on the Oregon Coast, the "boys" in the family took a diversion on the way home to visit Eagle Creek. I had read and researched beta on the canyon for several months prior to this trip, and had gotten very interested in doing a canyoneering excursion through it. It did not disappoint! What an amazingly beautiful canyon; quite different from the drier canyons of southern Utah that I am accustomed to.
On the morning of Tuesday, July 30, 2013, we arrived at the trailhead parking lot at 6:00am, being the very first two vehicles to arrive for the day. (Upon our return 5 1/2 hours later, the parking lot was packed). The US Forest Service trail leading out is very well groomed and heavily used. It is relatively easy hiking all the way to Skoonichuck Falls. Our group of 9 rappellers made very good time. We arrived at the point of dropping into Eagle Creek off of the main trail after about an hour and 20 mins of hiking. We entered the creek at a point below Skoonichuck Falls and well above Punch Bowl Falls.
At creekside we geared up in a variety of wet suits, and, can give feedback on suitability of each. I had on a 7mm full and it was a bit overkill. Those that had on 3mm and 5mm suits found those to be very comfortable. A few of us wore shorties and they found themselves chilled both in the water and out when pausing for their turn to rap or jump some falls. We also were all big wimps and carried waterski vests to help with pernal flotation.
At our entry point, we discovered that we were not the first to inhabit the spot: found several beer bottles littering the ground. At least they placed them in a pile...
The canyon is filled with lush greenery, very cool water, and abundant fun. Several small water falls of 10-15 feet high were jumped. Other smaller ones provide fun water slides. After about an hour of this fun, we arrived at a point above Punch Bowl Falls. We descended Punch Bowl Falls after rigging webbing on a tree on the left hand side (LDC). Some older webbing was replaced. A rap of some 35 feet dropped us into a very deep dark pool. It was totally awesome descending next to the roaring falls.
Below Punch Bowl Falls were several smaller falls, including "Lower Punch Bowl Falls" which had a rope swing on the left side (LDC). A few of the more adventuresome in our group tried the swing. It was a bout a 30 foot drop. Discretion was the better part of valor for me. I jumped the approx 10 foot ledge instead.
After more jumps and swims, including one off of a log wedged 15 feet above the water and across the canyon, we encountered the point we had all looked forward to: 110 foot Metlako Falls. It did not disapoint! Pure exhilaration! We were at about 3 1/2 hours in at this point. Getting 9 people down took another hour. We were deliberately slow to enjoy the experience.
We found a fat 11mm rope attached to the anchor bolts, but no one in sight. White with blue striping. The large dark pool below Metlako Falls was amazing. Not too many more beautiful places than that surely exist.
Below Metlako, it took us another hour to find a route up and back to the main trail; and then another 1/2 hr to the cars. From start to finish it took us about 6 1/2 hours. Its definitely one to do again someday.
