Two Tiers

Multnomah Falls, Columbia Gorge, Oregon. The first view of Larch Mountain is it's lowest cliff, 620 feet to the second drop, and the water comes down the face of it in two elegant tiers. The trail up is graced by a footbridge across the upper pool, a flat spot to catch your breath and stand in the spray. This is nearly the end of Multnomah Creek, starting some miles above and washing into the Columbia River, not that far behind me. It is a green place, dense with life, nurtured by the constant shower and the frequent storms that roll inland from the Pacific. After this I will climb to follow the fall's source, into the green to let it crowd some of the desert out of me. And maybe when I come back, hot from the exertion, I'll stand on the bridge and let the mist from the first tier wash me clean.
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