Oregon Waterfalls

I've been ambling around in Oregon lately, staying close to water most of the time.  Interesting water scenes abound in the Beaver State, even far from the ocean.  Here's the fish hatchery at Bonneville Dam; lots of young trout.

Herman is a longtime resident at the hatchery.  He's a white sturgeon who is over 10 feet long, tips the scales in excess of 450 pounds, and is about 70 years old!  His ancestors swam with the dinosaurs.

Horsetail Falls, on the old Columbia River highway.  Hike up the trail from here and you come upon...

Ponytail Falls!  As you can see from the other hikers, you can go under the falls.  About 35 years ago I remember pushing my mom up this trail.  She was enchanted by the scene.

Now I''m in Silver Falls State Park, east of Salem.  This is upper North Falls.

80 inches of rain annually coats the trees with moss.  Very cool.

This is a view of North Falls, still in the state park.

You can hike behind this cascade also,  and look out upon the forest from a unique viewpoint.

Farther along in the park is South Falls, a 177 foot cascade.

It's rather wispy from behind, especially at this time of year...about the driest hereabouts.

Near the state park is one of the nation's premier Christmas tree growing areas.  There's a good chance your tree lived here.

Now I'm in Central Oregon, at the source of the Metolius River.  The lizards are checking it out.  It's not a major river like the ones they visited last year, which included the Columbia, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Colorado, and Arkansas, but it gets a much more dramatic start, rising fully formed from under a hillside only a few yards behind me. 

And here's the Deschutes, from my deck at the Riverhouse, a fine motel in the heart of Bend.  Very comfy and highly recommended...I've stayed here several times over the years.