Waterfalls Run - Columbia River Gorge

I was a little overwhelmed trying to decide "where" to go running in the Gorge - there were just too many options.  In the end, I decided to park the car at Ainsworth State Park - and see how many waterfalls I could find.

Well.

I lost track after a couple dozen and be it that it was spring, there was a gazillion un-named cascades that had magically appeared for me to appreciate. How many waterfalls did I see?  Who the hell knows, but it was Waterfall Craziness. I got a taste of the Oregon that I had envisioned:  lush, green, wild and wonderful.  I ran through rain, hail and sunshine.  I ran through waterfalls, behind waterfalls and jumped right in to a few waterfalls.  Heck, why not?  I was already wet. :)

Horsetail Falls

Ponytail Falls

Leslie Falls

More Falls.  Down.

Triple Falls

Trillium

Big-Assed Falls

 Daring to be Different

It's Scary in The Woods

Multnomah Falls

In the end, I was out for 5 hour+ and had a Most Excellent Adventure.  I hit Horsetail Falls, Ponytail Falls, Oneonta Falls, Triple Falls, Wisendanger Falls, Wahkeena Falls, Mist Falls, Multnomah Falls, Angels Rest, Coopey Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. And the Gazillion Nameless Falls in between.  And then I turned around and I did it again.  It was so wet and rainy that I had the trails to myself.  Apart from the Multnomah Falls area trails, on this rainy day in the off-season, I hardly saw a soul.  Sadly, no sightings of Elves,Pixies, Fairies, Leprechauns, Hobbits or Ogres. I felt their energy though:  my body was tired, but my spirit was soaring!  Oh wait - that was the Giant Americano I had at Multinomah Falls.  Sigh. I love Oregon.  Only in Oregon will you find a Organic-Free-Trade-Rainforest-Ring-Tailed-Lemur-Friendly-Hippie-Friendly cup of hot coffee whilst on a run.  It's a Magical Kingdom.