Trip Report: Spirit Falls Hike
When: 01/15/2017
Location: Spirit Falls on Little White Salmon River
Conditions: Mid 30's high overcast breaking into full sunshine
Duration: Single Day
Difficulty: Moderate
Kid Friendly: No
Pet Friendly: Yes
Useful links: outdoorproject.com
The Full Report
Myself and a few friends decided to venture out into the gorge in search of frozen waterfalls, post Portland's snowpocalypse 2017. We were not disappointed to say the least. Conditions were prime with cold temps and huge amounts of snowfalls for several days prior.
Our day turned out gorgeous after the high overcast skies broke up and it turned into a brilliant sunshiny day. The hike itself is short but very steep. Snowshoes or traction devices for boots are required especially for the hike back up. This is mainly why I didn't rate this as kid friendly. Summer time would be more appropriate for little ones versus winter.
The falls themselves are gorgeous and this time of year they were raging. Several shades of blue in the churning water to offset the pristine white snow covering the landscape. There is also plenty to explore both upstream and downstream and if you get lucky you might see a few people in kayaks run the falls. No luck today though.
The area upstream and downstream offer mild waters and the potential for a nice spot to swim during the summer seemed promising. If another cold snap rolls through the region I would highly recommend making the trip out to see these falls. It is relatively minimal effort for a neat and quiet area.
The Full Report
Myself and a few friends decided to venture out into the gorge in search of frozen waterfalls, post Portland's snowpocalypse 2017. We were not disappointed to say the least. Conditions were prime with cold temps and huge amounts of snowfalls for several days prior.
Our day turned out gorgeous after the high overcast skies broke up and it turned into a brilliant sunshiny day. The hike itself is short but very steep. Snowshoes or traction devices for boots are required especially for the hike back up. This is mainly why I didn't rate this as kid friendly. Summer time would be more appropriate for little ones versus winter.
The falls themselves are gorgeous and this time of year they were raging. Several shades of blue in the churning water to offset the pristine white snow covering the landscape. There is also plenty to explore both upstream and downstream and if you get lucky you might see a few people in kayaks run the falls. No luck today though.
The area upstream and downstream offer mild waters and the potential for a nice spot to swim during the summer seemed promising. If another cold snap rolls through the region I would highly recommend making the trip out to see these falls. It is relatively minimal effort for a neat and quiet area.