Trip Report: Pup Creek Falls Hike
There were oysters, lobsters, coral and salmon along the trail.
We weren't at the beach, but hiking the Clackamas River Trail on Mount Hood National Forest.
The salmon were genuine salmon that had migrated upstream from the ocean, but the rest were actually mushrooms.
Left to right are Oyster, ... Lobster ... and Coral mushrooms (yum!):
We hiked from riverside to viewpoints high atop basalt cliffs. Meandering through old growth groves, Julie climbed inside a hollowed-out cedar for a tree's perspective. We lunched below plunging Pup Creek Falls and craned our necks to see the columnar basalt cliffs painted neon yellow by lichen. We shared some Haloween candy, and Joey practiced his slack-line skills on a mossy log.
A rough-skinned newt showed up by the trail on the way back. Duffy-brown amphibians that can be hard to see from above, their bellies are bright orange. Usually docile and calm, they can secrete deadly poison from glands on their back. Definitely NOT finger-lickin' good.
While hiking the trail, also saw other uses of the Clackamas River. We watched a father and son land a big one fishing on the far bank, and kayakers took boats out to play in the roaring whitewater.
It was a beautiful fall day, and we enjoyed Next Adventure's last scheduled hike of the season amid the reds and yellows of changing leaves.
Next Adventure has more outdoor adventures in store for you this winter. We're going snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and cat-skiing.
