Tags
hiking, human waste, litter, Oregon, phothography, Silver Falls Conference Center, solitude, waterfalls
Just 70 miles away, over 600,000 people struggle through congested traffic in the city of Portland, Oregon. I sip a glass of wine on the porch of a quaint wooden cabin with a bed, a toilet, a sink and a tiny wardrobe. Fifty yards down a path through thick ferns and brush is the bath house shared by all eight Upper Smith Creek cabins. I won’t be sharing with anyone; it is the middle of August but my car holds court over an otherwise empty parking lot. Although there is a conference in session half a mile away at the Silver Falls Conference Center, I hear none of their activity. Nirvana!
A cabin in the woods
Silver Falls State Park is Oregon’s largest. This remarkable pocket of temperate rainforest was first inhabited by indigenous Americans of the Kalapuya, Molalla, and Chinook cultures. Early European descendants were fur trappers of the early 1800s. Today, a hodge-podge of people cluster in the day use area and the most easily accessed waterfalls of the Trail of Ten Falls, an 8.7-mile loop that offers pleasant hiking and strolling to and sometimes behind the magnificent falls. In all, there are 25 miles of hiking, cycling, and horseback riding trails in the park.
Upper North Falls – 65 feet
North Falls – 136 feet
North Falls
Path behind North Falls
One of many unnamed falls
During my too brief stay here, I had time to do only about half of the loop trail, even then, I didn’t have to backtrack as there are loops within the main loop. I was a kid in a candy store as I marched the empty trails. I saw only a handful of people, however, I’m sad to report that I saw plenty of evidence of people who don’t know how to behave in the woods. 
Ladies, there is something worse than having no toilet paper; me finding evidence that you did have paper is far, far worse! If you can’t drip dry, hold it!
At one creek, the sudden overhead wawhoomping of a great blue heron scared the bejeezus out of me. It took off so near my head that if I’d been a bit quicker I could have had a feather for my bonnet.
I’ve discovered another place that deserves a second and longer visit. This is beginning to sound like a theme.
Rangewriter 
Silver Falls is so very beautiful!!!!!!
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That it is! I’m a fan now.
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You make it look so inviting I wish I could grow wings and fly there! It’s the dry season here in Andalucia, which is probably not so different from the dry season in the SW states of the US. Though I love the landscape here, sometimes I long for the leafy woods, rivers, streams and green of Northern Europe. These photos remind me of my Norwegian mother’s homeland. Have a lovely time.
Bryan
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I know what you mean. Where I live, I think it’s much like Andalucia, quite dry, yellow grass by now. I crave those rich green woods with ferns blanketing the floor. But, I’m sure if I lived in the environment I’d end up with claustrophobia for not being able to see the horizon and the big bowl of blue sky above.
Have you spent much time in Norway? I’m considering visiting there next summer.
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My mother was from Oslo, so I have been to Norrway many times since I was two years old. Some years ago I spent most of the summer travelling beyond the Arctic Circle, up to Hammerfest, the town known as being furthest north in the world until relatively recently. My grandfather was born there, and I have family there.
If you want to read something about Norway, I have another blog devoted to the country and my travels there. It´s called Pedersen´s Last Dream, and also contains part of a novel I´ve been working on for too long. Just tap the name in and you should get there. There´s a lot to read.
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Interesting post, Linda! Photos in black and white are great, esp., the waterfall one. 🙂
And the paper, whoa! 😉
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Thanks, Nandini. Yeah, I think a lot of women assume they can kick a little dirt over their mess and call it good. What they don’t understand is that the dirt blows off and the critters investigate and haul the stuff all over, sometimes even using it to line their nests with. yuk.
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Oh that’s sad. Humans aren’t the best thing to have happened on Earth.
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That’s a mouthful! Well said.
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I love Oregon. Lush and lovely. Lovely photos. Curious why you chose B&W for most of your pics when they were probably ragingly green ?
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Well, maybe it was a mistake but I was trying to emphasize the water. B & W seemed the appropriate way to do that. I have them in color as well.
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Agreed. The only thing that may be worse is finding a used prophylactic which I have unfortunately come across.
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Oh dear. I’ve seen those in the city, but not in the woods. I was incensed however by the sanitary pads I found on my trip across Idaho on the Magruder grade.
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Yikes. That would be worse, I think.
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Yah, at least with the prophylactics, you can give ’em kudos for being safe….
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What a wonderful and quiet escape. Thanks for sharing mmm jealous
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Except for the toilet paper, such bliss! I love the view of the cabin, after a month of retail work I would so enjoy being out in the woods, walk the trails and hear the sound of falling waters. I like your capture of the steps too.Thank you for this refreshing respite.
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Yes, a walk in the woods is always good for what ails you. Glad to share virtually at least. Take care, Jane.
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Oh my gosh, Linda—those photos are amazing! Your eye is fantastic! Could you tell me what combination of tech you used to get the inky effect? These shots remind me so much of Ansel Adams’ work for the U.S. National Park Service. Such classical compositions!
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Oh my Courtenay, your praise makes my head spin till I tip over! Ansel Adams? Hah. In my dreams. But thank you! I’m not sure exactly what you mean by ink effect. I shot in color and edited in Photoshop. First I adjust Levels, then sometimes Shadows/Highlights. Sometimes I dodge/burn a bit. Then I convert to B&W. Sometimes I use preset B&W filters like: green, red, infrared (I don’t think any of these are infrared). Sometimes I just play a little with the sliders. The funny thing, they always look different to me. First, the photos look different in the camera display, then they look different on my iPad, then when I move them to the PC, they look different yet again. Then I play with them and they look different yet again in WordPress, FB and Flickr. Basically, I’m just guessing. ;-}
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Well, you “guess” really well! You’ve really got a good eye!
Speaking of something that looks totally different from one medium to another, I just saw some original photographs last Xmas pulled by Adams himself in the gallery that represents his work posthumously—they look completely different than any reproduction could possibly convey.
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Bless you Courtenay! How awesome it would be to see Adam’s originals. I have heard that in person, his originals look very different from what we see.
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