My wife and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary with a hike to Oneonta Gorge. The weather was perfect with a bright sunny day and an ambient temperature of 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Little Red Hen had visited Oneonta Gorge as a teenanger and since then she had dreamed about coming back one day with a sweetheart. This was a perfect opportunity as her friend offered child care for our little Fuss Nugget.
Oneonta Gorge is a unique trail. It’s not very long or complicated, nor is there much elevation gain. This trail is unique in that the creek itself is the trail. In the summer months, when the temperature is warm and the water levels are low, it’s possible to hike from the trail head to a majestic waterfall over a distance of less than a half mile. The gorge itself is a narrow slot canyon with very high walls, providing excellent shelter from the sun. The cold water of the creek, shade provided by the high walls and the cool breeze blowing through the canyon make this spot an ideal respite from a hot day.
The first obstacle was a large log jam which people were scrambling over. Fortunately, the crowd was very helpful and continuously gave each other tips about water depth, easy paths, footholds, etc. I opted to bypass the bottleneck as people were slowly traversing the highest point of the jam. I jumped down to a slippery rock adjacent to a deep part of the creek. I jumped across the water to the next rock and scaled it, reaching the logs on the other side in the process. We must have made it look easy since everyone abandoned their patient waiting and followed us. Following the log jam was a short 20 foot section of chest-deep water. The canyon is very narrow here and the water is deep, so the only way through is to get wet. Some people tried scaling the rock walls, but that path is treacherous and time consuming. Given that it was such a hot day I opted to jump right in, after which I was immediately overcome by the chilly water. I found it difficult to breath for a few seconds as my body adjusted to the temperature. My wife, on the other hand, decided to wait for a guy with an inner tube to carry her across. Everyone around us laughed as I teased my wife about cheating. After the deep portion of the creek, the waterfall and swimming hole was only 100 feet or so away. We spend some time swimming at the base of the cascade and just enjoying this truly unique experience. I typically don’t like large crowds when I hike or explore – but this was different. We were all having a good time and keeping cool on a hot day.
On the way back, after crossing the log jam, we saw a new dad with a tiny newborn in a front pack, too young to even hold its head up yet. We surreptitiously listened to a marital dispute about continuing on past the log jam. Many people let out an internal sigh of relief when the wife won. “There’s a time for everything and right now it just isn’t our time for this.” We are both so grateful that today was finally *our* time to experience this amazing hike.
Photos:
Not long before we arrived, we realized that we forgot to buy a disposable camera. I decided to risk taking my iPhone and fortunately it survived the journey. We met some people on the way in who offered to give us a plastic bag. This came in handy for the several parts of the hike, but mostly it kept the lens dry so I could take clear pictures throughout the hike. I wish I brought my SLR on this one, but my wife vetoed that idea even before I suggested it.
Some Tips:
- Try to go on a hot day. The water was incredibly cold and it was 85 degrees outside today!
- There are fewer brain-eating amoebas in cold water, so enjoy the swimming hole at the base of the falls.
- Sandals don’t protect toes against submerged sharp rocks and branches. Flip-flops will fall off easily as you wade through the deeper parts of the creek.
- It’s probably not a good idea to bring small children past the log jam near the trail head.
- Take a Ziploc bag to hold small cameras/iPhones. If you bring an SLR you can hold it above your head as you wade through the chest-deep water, but don’t slip.
- If can leave your wallet/keys/phone behind, do so. Just bring your car key and leave the FOB behind. You will get very wet!
- If you take your dog, make sure he loves water. We saw some nervous pooches making the trek today.
- If you are a single guy, bring an inner tube and offer rides across the deep part of the creek to the ladies. You’ll be inundated with grateful smiles and possibly a phone number.
Getting There:
- From the east on Highway 84 take exit 35. Follow the exit (Historic Columbia River Highway) to the west, crossing under Highway 84. The parking area for Oneonta is about 2 miles from the exit.
- From the west take exit 28. The parking area for Oneonta is about 5.8 miles from the exit.