Silver Falls Water Level Comparison Hike

North Falls. This was our Lunch spot. 
In the Cave under the falls out of the rain.

We had a very dry summer this year. No measurable rain since June. So even though the spring was extremely wet, we still ended up with very dry rivers and yards here at the end of October.

Usually for Halloween, my yard is green and alive. We have had now a couple of days of rain on the 24th, but the yard is still brown. Maybe it will be green by the weekend. My friend Chip and I headed out to hike Silver Falls today. Even though it rained on us for the entire hike, the rivers and Falls themselves were lower than I have ever seen them. I thought it might be educational to show a few pictures of high water and low water on the falls. The big flow pictures come from a hike that my partner and I did out there last December. 

I was also trying out my new raincoat. It seems that Gore-Tex has released a new color, because all of a sudden some of my top providers of rain gear (Arcteryx, REI, and LLBean) all have very similar Gore-Tex jackets out in orange. I got the Arcteryx and the LLBean and compared them and decided to keep the Bean because it fit me a little better than the Arcteryx, had more pockets, and cost half as much. The REI jacket was cheaper still, but it was made from the lighter 2 layer version of Gore-Tex and I was looking for something heavier. 

As Chip and I headed down the trail to the first waterfall on the clockwise loop (South Falls) we ran into a bunch of guys that were working carrying fence railing down the trail to the bottom of the falls. They were all wearing jackets and shirts the same color as my jacket. Turns out it is prison work release program Orange. I still love it. And I am very easy to see in a crowd. Except a crowd of inmates.

Chip says I should have waited and gotten one of the new Black and White striped ones that are coming out next year. 

A little trivia about the trail we are hiking today:

1) Silver Falls State Park is 90 years old this year. 

2) It is a park built around 2 rivers, North and South Fork of Silver Creek. 

3) There are 6-10 large waterfalls in the park (depending on season and rail fall.)

4) The 7.5 mile loop trail crosses river 4 times but there is only 1 bridge. The other 3 crossings are under the river. Really.

5) The little lodge has a nice fire place with a log fire and coco or coffee. Since it seems to always be raining and cold when I go there, this is a good fact to know. 

A lot of water running around on the trails today, by the end of the hike. The ground is still hard from the summer. 

When we needed a place to stop for lunch (at about mile 4.5) we decided to stop in the under cut of North Falls, where the river passes over you. There are benches in this large cave dug by the falls and we could sit there and watch the fall and not be in the rain. 

OK, here are some pictures...

Lower South Falls

I forget the name of this one.

Upper South Falls.

I don't have before and after off some of the other falls as I took different loops these two hikes. Anyway, I think this shows the difference a  little rain can make.