Columbia River Gorge, Wahkeena Falls
We are back to the hotel after being drenched! Today, our group split up. Some drove east with Dr. Davis to seek dry land and windmills. A few brave water-lovers drove west with me to hike the glorious waterfalls of Columbia River Gorge. Our first attempt to get to the famous Multnomah falls ended in a no-pass of the walkway, it was flooded out. The water in my camera lens speaks of the rest of our adventure.
We had to drive the long way around due to landslides. The trails we were considering hiking were closed due to mudslides. When we got to the visitor center and asked a park ranger what she suggested doing today she said, "curl up with a good book." They are calling this a "flood day."
In spite of the heavy rain, we still thought the area was beautiful, lush forested ravines covered in a dense fog. Here, John and Marta stand in the spray of a waterfall. What's a little more water when you're already soaked?
On a normal day, Multnomah Falls flows a volume of 75 cubic feet per second. Today, the volume was 500 cubic feet per second! The waterfall is 620 feet (we noted these numbers for a later calculation of power output). A worker at the lodge said she had never seen the falls this heavy in all her years working there. 
What an adventure! Back at the hotel, we are taking the Park Ranger's advice and curling up with our books.
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