Oneonta Gorge is a place that my husband and I have passed through many times in the past. Hiking is something that we used to do quite often before we had a baby. We loved the feeling of being out in nature, smelling the fresh air, inhaling the scent of Douglas firs, shrubs, and most of all - the peace and quiet. It is, if anything, a form of meditation.
I feel fortunate to live in a place where the nearest place to hike is only half an hour's drive away. The Gorge offers tremendous, sweeping views - an opportunity to get away and still be close enough to the city. It was only fitting that for our seventh wedding anniversary (!) that we decided to go hiking. Coincidentally, the day after I saw on the cover of Portland Monthly magazine featured a picture of Oneonta Falls, plus an online article about great places to visit this summer in/around Portland (see #5).
To sum up the Oneonta Falls hike, it is by far one of the hardest - if not the hardest - hike I've ever been on, but it is definitely one of the prettiest. Next to Angel's Rest, it provides ample opportunity for pictures...that is, if you can manage to keep your camera dry after dunking your feet and treading the water up to your waist to get to the waterfall. But first, you have to get over this giant log jam...
NOTE TO SELF: Avoid going hiking on a Saturday in the middle of summer, for you will be exposed to a thousand other cars and no luck at finding a spot, not to mention, a higher likelihood of getting a parking ticket (yep, we did).
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