Tamanawas Falls Loop Hike & Sasquatch Warning Signs 9-27-14

[forestkeeper]

Hey everyone. This TR is a bit long but it was such an exciting and beautiful Fall day. I wanted to continue searching out alpine waterfall hikes, so the Tamanawas Falls was definitely on my list, especially after reading the recent TR's concerning this hike. I was able to begin the day pretty early and passing by the White River Sno Park at around 6:20 am, I captured some exceptionally awesome views of Hood.

The sun rays was just beginning to light up the dark morning skies. There was a soft, little cloud resting on the top of Hood.

I arrived at the Sherman CG parking lot at about 7:15 am. The sun just having risen, the air was very chilly, perhaps about 40 finger numbing degrees. The parking lot was empty save for a lone car with steamed up windows, the occupants still in a sleeping slumber.

After crossing the East Fork Hood River, I came to the East Fork/ Tamanawas Falls TH sign.

Heading west, I wanted to check out a mile or so of the East Fork Trail. Following closely to river, the trail soon begins to enter the dark woods.

The trail is in excellent condition and there are many small foot bridges on this trail. About a mile up the East Fork #650 trail, there was this particular tree that had a lot of bumpy growths on its truck.

Here's a closure look.

After hiking 1.25 miles, I decided to turn around and head to Tamanawas Falls to get some good photos before the sun rose too high to give bad lighting.

Here's the Cold Springs Creek footbridge.

As I was hiking up this trail, saw another peculiar tree growth, a ring around the rosy.

Wow! Cold Springs Creek is a nature photographer's paradise.

PH has only a 15 photo limit, so will continue in the reply.

[forestkeeper]

I think I love Cold Springs Creek. I would need a never ending limit on my camera's SD card.

I wasn't able to insert this photo earlier, but this is a log across Cold Springs Creek, near the footbridge, showing some beautiful vine maple red and yellow leaves.

After a mile and a half, made it to Tamanawas Falls. Looks just like how Peachy photographed it. Beautiful, yet powerful. Kind of reminds me of the Upper North Falls at Silver Falls Park.

I arrived at Tamanawas Falls just a little past 10 am, the lighting was nearly at the moment for bad lighting for landscapes. I guess I spent too much time taking long exposures of Cold Springs Creek.

I never did spot any Pikas in the rocks on the side of the trail, but at the falls, this little guy paid me a visit.

After he and I munched on some Ritz crackers, I headed up the T. Falls/ Polallie Loop trail.

This part of the trail goes up, up and away. A modest ascent to the top of the ridge.

The Elk Meadows Trail lies in wait on top of the ridge.

After about a quarter mile on Elk Meadows Trail, I came upon the familiar Mt. Hood Wilderness welcome and permit signup area.

So I filled out my permit and hiked about a mile or so on the 645 trail back towards Elk Meadows. Here's a really big old growth Pine tree.

So big that I shot a pano of it too.

Well, I turned around after a mile or so, wanted to complete my loop trail rather than lollidog the day away.

About a 1/4 mile after the Elk Meadows North junction, the trail begins to descend.

Right around this location, I began hearing rustling noises down on the lower sections of the bottom of the ridge. At this point I was hiking about 3 mph and about 50-75 yards down on lower side of the trail, I could hear sounds and walking through brush sounds.

About 3/4 of a mile down, I heard a loud crash like a tree snapping in two, so I yelled "Hey guys, knock it off!" thinking it probably was teenagers playing on the trail. Silence. No noise. No teenage giggling.
Then a little further down the trail, I located where some vine maple branches were torn/ pulled off of their lead branches.

Again, due to PH's short downloading limit, will continue in the reply.

[forestkeeper]

Notice in that 1st picture, the arrow closest the top is pointing where a large rock was embedded in the trail tread.

These branches were green and they were just torn prior to me getting there. I even tried tearing the branch off of its main branch, and I couldn't do it. And there was no tool marks found on the limbs.

Weird. Well, I shrugged it off, not wanting to focus on some tall lurking long lost, relative of ForestKeeper, but continue my hiking experience while whistling Hi ho, hi ho, off to the woods we go......

Well, after walking a little faster and hearing noises in the bushes (probably Theodore and Alvin ), I made it down to the Polallie CG junction with the T.Falls trail.

And here I took a 15 minute break to suck down a Snickers Peanut Butter and a Diet NOS energy drink, to give myself a swift kick in the ass for the remaining 2 1/2 miles back to the car.

The returning trail was like a roller coaster. Up and down, and steep and narrow. Glad I sucked down some rocket fuel.

But there was some nice views.

And coming down off the ridge, here is beautiful Cold Springs Creek.

Upon nearing the parking area, the place was packed solid. But this was one of my best hikes ever!

About 10 miles total, nearly 8 miles with the East Fork Trail and the Tamanawas Falls/ Polallie Loop hike and a couple more on the Elk Meadows Trail 645. About 1,500 feet eg. And a brush with Shrek, the Polallie Creek Bigfoot.

[jdemott]

Sounds like a great hike. I really like the shots of Cold Springs Creek, especially 1-5--it has such a peaceful feeling and a nice clean look. Thanks for taking the time to put together the TR.

[Koda]

Nice TR Forestkeeper. Your waterscape images have come along over the years.

If you look closely in your photo you can see Bigfoot using the tree as camouflage...

[forestkeeper]

I saw that about an hour ago but didn't say anything in fear of, "Gee, I think ForestKeeper's spending way too much time alone up there in the boonies!"

[Limey]

I love that hike, it's so pretty in the fall. We've hiked that East fork trail all the way to Nottingham CG. Don't know how to link to a TR but I posted it on April 10 2014. Yes, there are a lot of bridges and they're all in amazingly good condition. Now I have to go back to Tamanawas and get some Sasquatch footage.

[mtnhiker56]

I looked closely and yes I can see the shape of something in that tree, and then my wife said, Look!

[sgyoung]

Tamanawas is a great hike/waterfall. I had fun scrambling over the rocks to get behind the waterfall a few years back. The hike in along the stream is beautiful as well. Nice TR.

[4DMTNS]

We were up there on Friday (10/3) and can report that there were upturned rocks, broken branches, lots of animal prints and thankfully no sightings of any big hairy creatures all the way up (and down) the Lamberson Spur trail.

We hiked up to Lamberson Butte from the Pollalie TH for lunch and then did the Tamanawas/Pollalie loop counter clockwise to finish back at the Pollalie TH.

I was wishing I had your tasty Snickers bar for that last mile ... who decided that trail up above the road that connects the trailheads needed to be anything other than flat.