The Frosty Falls

Thanks to an impromptu call from a friend, I got a bonus trip to Multnomah Falls for a couple hours. Little did I know I was heading into winter wonderland, the waterfall surrounded by an amphitheater of white ice formations and plants encased in translucent sheathes. Besides the meteors in Crater Lake, this was probably the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in Oregon.

Still, it was not without danger. The trek to the Benson Bridge spanning above the lower tier of Multnomah Falls was slippery and slow going - in fact, access to the falls was restricted in general, although people had no qualms about stepping over the caution tape blocking the way. On the path past the bridge and heading to the top of the falls, we saw some people walking in the opposite direction who had passed us earlier on the way up. They said they had seen someone farther on the trail take a slip, and if he hadn't grabbed hold of a tree at the last moment he would have fallen off the face of the cliff. That's when we decided to head back.

But it was still so beautiful! Enjoy the photographic evidence below. And as far as top music of 2012 lists go (because I know none of you can wait), I'm still working on them. Be patient if you can!

Upper tier of the falls. I couldn't get too many pictures from this spot because of all the mist swirling around my lens. Here's a link to a photo taken a few days after this shot by someone who was able to keep his lens clear.

Classic view of the icy falls

With my new wide angle lens, I can easily fit the plaque and the top of the waterfall in the same shot.

Individually wrapped pine needles

The frozen log at the base of the lower tier

Twigs dripping with ice at the upper falls

A wide view of classic Multnomah

Walking from the parking lot to the falls

Close up on the upper tier

The base of the upper tier. That boulder on the right fell off the cliff in the 1970s, causing cold water and stones to rain on a wedding photo taking place on the bridge at the time. No one was seriously injured.

On the trail to the Benson Bridge

A 620-foor waterfall casually looks on