A beautiful autumn day. Another wonderful morning punctuated with the the sights and sounds of skeins of geese flying south.

Joined by my favorite model and cousin Shelley, we parked near Horsetail Falls in the Columbia River Gorge. After a short walk along the old Columbia Gorge Highway we began switchbacking up the cliffs to an overlook above the tight slot canyon of Oneonta Gorge. Another mile ascending through a rain forest and 120-foot Triple Falls was reached. A section of the trail had been removed by a landslide and repaired with a steep muddy detour.

After a nice lunch we returned down the trail and crossed Oneonta Creek on a footbridge below 55-foot Upper Oneonta Falls. Then it was up the east side of the gorge, around the face of the cliffs and into the next canyon which held 125-foot Ponytail Falls.

This is a unique and interesting part of the trek. The trail leads through an open cavern behind the falls. After heading east for a short distance, we switchbacked down the cliffs beside 175-foot Horsetail Falls before returning to the parking area.

A very entertaining outing with world-class scenery.

Columbia River

My Favorite Model and Cousin Shelley at beginning of hike

Triple Falls

Foot bridge over Oneonta Gorge

Sun shining through Maple leaves beginning to turn color

Salmon spawning in Eagle Creek

My Favorite Model and Cousin Shelley by Horsetail Falls

Hiker below the arch plunge of Ponytail Falls

The narrow steep slide of upper Ponytail Falls

My Favorite Model and Cousin Shelley behind Ponytail Falls

Upper Oneonta Falls

Horsetail Creek