Elkhorn Falls from the top down and back up to Dog 8-12-12

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Eric Peterson
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Elkhorn Falls from the top down and back up to Dog 8-12-12

Post by Eric Peterson » August 12th, 2012, 7:48 pm

Decided to forgo using common sense and just give Elkhorn Falls a whack today.

I say that about common sense because right now is probably the worst time of
year to go waterfall hunting around Dog Mt.. But if you like ticks, poison ivy, biting flies,
skeeters galore, huge spiders, devils club and rattle snakes then this hike is for you!

Elkhorn is a very nice falls created from a fork in Dog Creek at about the 1450' level
on the East side of Dog Mountain.

Spied this hike in my recent hike guide book purchase called Gorge Classic Climbs but I was not
at all interested in doing their hike so I made up my own or as Chase might say 'EP
variation'.

Started at Dog Mt. around 9:00 and raced another guy up to the top, good thing he was
from out of the region and stopped a lot to take pictures otherwise he would have dusted
'ol cement legs.

Some fauna:

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Cement legs and face:

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I think this is Lindsey Ridge another hike on my short list before it starts to snow:

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My plan was to head down Augsperger and over to the powerlines where I was able to get onto
a service road and use to get down to Dog Creek. Pretty easy so far but the rattle snake
got me going a bit.

Service road:

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User and or gamey trail down to Dog Creek:

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Friendly big spider I walked through:

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Pretty cakey so far once down to Dog Creek and planned on following the creek to
get above Elkhorn and eventually did busting through all sorts of blow down, maple vine
and devils club.

Over hang of one of West fork falls:

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Was pretty stoked to make it this far but for some reason I had illusions of a easier way to get to the
base of the falls, didn't realize Elkhorn is surrounded with 50' cliffs as I didn't do any other research
before leaving this morning. I had just decided this morning as well to even try for the thing on a whim.

Some choices were to retrace steps, which I can't stand. Also I could just 'jet' up the brush back to
somewhere to try and connect back into the Dog Mt. trails but I really wanted to get down in there
and get some pictures for myself of the falls having gotten this far so I 'schwacked a bit above the cliff
edges to try for a opening slot or whatever I could find. Using some Rick skills and using some Bosterson
advice of just do it and don't think about it, I went for it.

Found a nice Rick style bear trail slot to slide down:

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Oh, another plus was I wasn't loaded down with 30 pounds of useless crap today either.

Was pretty easy to slog back up the base of Elkhorn:

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Close up of the center area I arrived at first:

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Refreshed a bit with a Cliff Shot as per Brian from Aninal Athletics, worked pretty good but
my legs were still pretty wobley, so I guzzled as much water as I could and refilled
at the stream for the fun that was still ahead.

Used some DN and Bosterson skills to get up a closer slot that I missed on the way down:

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Scary for me, the last part had nothing except a loose branch half embedded into the dirt but
the game seem to be able to amble up and so did I. Thanks to DN for coaxing me up
10 minute rock and to Bosterson for his 'don't over think it' advice!!

So the rest of the hike was just a super fun brush and viney ascent of the east side of Dog Mt.,
was able to get back up to the spot where everyone who hikes Dog end up sitting out of sun.
The last part of this section is super bad with tall sharp brush and Devils Club btw. Don't do what
I did! Maybe it would have been easier to follow Dog Creek all the way down to 14 but I didn't
want to chance dicey cliffs even though I have been down far worse I'm sure last year when
I came down BC Creek over next to Wallowa Lake. But that sucked and I didn't even want
a fraction of that cliffed out up and down mess today!!

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Meet some other PH'rs I think, she said her name is Ivy.

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Replacement GPS now is way over doing the EG but stuck it into GPS Fly
and came up with about 5000' of EG and 11 miles.

http://gpsfly.org/a/1795

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BrianEdwards
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Re: Elkhorn Falls from the top down and back up to Dog 8-12-

Post by BrianEdwards » August 12th, 2012, 8:21 pm

Congrats Eric! Great job getting there in August. I'm surprised at how much water the small tier still has, I would've expected much less. Nice!
Clackamas River Waterfall Project - 95 Documented, 18 to go.

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Crusak
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Re: Elkhorn Falls from the top down and back up to Dog 8-12-

Post by Crusak » August 13th, 2012, 5:15 am

Beautiful set of falls! It's too bad that there isn't an established trail heading up to them. It looks like a spot that would be worth building a trail to! :) Maybe a connecting trail from the Dog Mtn trail?

Did you feel that it was worth the effort getting to them? How was the heat over there yesterday?

Nice work. That looks like a bit of a scramble (which it must be, to get all of that extra EG). How are the legs feeling now?
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mayhem
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Re: Elkhorn Falls from the top down and back up to Dog 8-12-

Post by mayhem » August 13th, 2012, 8:14 am

Cement legs? 5,000 eg & 11miles is pretty good for a Bushwacker with cement legs. So.. did you use your little Yugo pack instead of the Buick?
Shoe Shine Boy Has Left The Building!

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Born2BBrad
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Re: Elkhorn Falls from the top down and back up to Dog 8-12-

Post by Born2BBrad » August 13th, 2012, 8:33 am

Wow!

Another TR I hope my wife does not see. She would be too worried
if I hike with you again if she read this :lol:

Hike on!

Brad
Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again.
- Jean Luc Picard

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Eric Peterson
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Re: Elkhorn Falls from the top down and back up to Dog 8-12-

Post by Eric Peterson » August 13th, 2012, 6:04 pm

Brad, I was really dumb and just didn't back track out like I should have.

Instead I went all Rambo out there to make it a semi loop, I just can't stand out
and backs but this would have been the time to bite bullet and just out and back it.

When we both have time we can hit this one up again and do it smarter and maybe put pants on.

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Eric Peterson
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Re: Elkhorn Falls from the top down and back up to Dog 8-12-

Post by Eric Peterson » August 13th, 2012, 6:07 pm

BrianEdwards wrote:Congrats Eric! Great job getting there in August. I'm surprised at how much water the small tier still has, I would've expected much less. Nice!
Hey thanks Brian! :) I know you're a water fall hunter, I'm not really much of one myself
but had to check this double tiered falls sooner than later. I enjoy bush whacking and even more
so when there is a nice attraction like Elkhorn...

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Eric Peterson
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Re: Elkhorn Falls from the top down and back up to Dog 8-12-

Post by Eric Peterson » August 13th, 2012, 6:15 pm

Crusak wrote:Beautiful set of falls! It's too bad that there isn't an established trail heading up to them. It looks like a spot that would be worth building a trail to! :) Maybe a connecting trail from the Dog Mtn trail?

Did you feel that it was worth the effort getting to them? How was the heat over there yesterday?

Nice work. That looks like a bit of a scramble (which it must be, to get all of that extra EG). How are the legs feeling now?
Getting down to them from the powerlines wasn't too bad at all and only about 1/3 mile of
bush whacking. I should say getting to the fork, getting even further down wasn't really
tough but does require a butt slide in a slot. Rope would be good for the return up the slot.

I felt like getting down there and getting those pictures was worth it hence my decision for more
agony on the return leg back up to Dog Lookout again :D

I was cramping up pretty bad, worst ever on a hike, on the slog back up to Dog. I had to stop every
5 or 10 ft of EG to rest, took about 2 hours to go 1400' or so. I think it was the heat
as I thought I was hydrated enough, guzzled at least 3.5 liters of enhanced fluids and
a few liters of stream by the end of the day. Legs seem fine today save for the scratches again!
Poor Rick won't ever hike with me again if I keep scratching up my legs! :D

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Eric Peterson
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Re: Elkhorn Falls from the top down and back up to Dog 8-12-

Post by Eric Peterson » August 13th, 2012, 6:17 pm

mayhem wrote:Cement legs? 5,000 eg & 11miles is pretty good for a Bushwacker with cement legs. So.. did you use your little Yugo pack instead of the Buick?
Oh yeah, no way did I do the Buick, had the Fiat on! Cement legs of late man, must be the
heat and not enough hydration causing some new issues for me. Not sure I can make it
around the TT 360 like this right now!

backpacker2004
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Re: Elkhorn Falls from the top down and back up to Dog 8-12-12

Post by backpacker2004 » September 9th, 2018, 11:41 am

Hi there - Not sure if you'll even see this, but I was trying to figure out what might be the best route to Elkhorn. Looking at the possibility of following the west creek drainage from where it's closest to the Augspurger trail as shown in the attachment. Any thoughts about that from your trip down there? Wondering if I'd get cliffed out as I got close to Dog Creek itself. Thanks for any insight. - Rick
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