5/19/16: Eagle Creek Trail, Multnomah Falls Loop, and Seaside, OR

This morning, I woke up at the TA Travel Center in Troutdale, Oregon.  The first hike of the day was hiking from the Eagle Creek Trailhead to Punchbowl Falls.  The round trip was approximately 5 miles and followed the creek the entire way to Punchbowl Falls and back.  The trail was relatively flat, with most of the elevation descending/ascending at the waterfalls for riverbed access and viewpoints.  Because I was originally intending to also hike Mcleod Point  near Mt Hood, I thought it would be a better idea to not hike past Punchbowl Falls.  Once I arrived back at the car, I researched more about the Mt Hood Hike, and realized that the peak isn’t accessible until July.  Therefore, I decided to spend additional time at Multnomah Falls.

Also, when I arrived back at the car after the Eagle Creek hike, I noticed that my car keys weren’t in my possession and were likely still inside the car.  Realizing my phone didn’t have cell service, I needed to find a way to call Cruise America or AAA to open the door of the RV.  I used an internet phone call app in order to reach AAA and after an hour of waiting the tow truck finally arrived and was able to open the door.  Then I was on the way to Multnomah Falls with the plan of hiking to the top of the falls.

While walking from the parking lot to the area of the waterfall, I noticed a simple map showing additional trails and attractions within walking distance of Multnomah Falls.  I decided on hiking “Loop 1,” which I was really enjoying in nice, cloudy weather until reaching Ecola Falls.  Around the time I reached Ecola Falls, it began raining heavily for about an hour through most of the rest of the hike.

Instead of retracing my steps about a mile back to the trailhead, I stubbornly decided to continue on through the rain. For the first few minutes, the rain was fun and added a lot to the adventure/fun.  However, as the weather became increasingly colder and I became increasingly soaked and cold, I started to increasingly regret the decision to continue hiking the four remaining miles.  Even after it stopped raining and it became sunny, water was still dropping from the leaves in the forest, so it felt like it was raining even after the rainy weather ended.  By the time I arrived back at the car, I was freezing and had to change my sweatshirt, t-shirt, shoes, socks, and shorts.  Once back inside the RV, it felt great to turn on the heater and relax in the comfort of the RV.

After hiking the Multnomah Falls Loop Trail, I drove straight to the coast and planned to spend the night in Seaside, Oregon, a tourist town about 20 miles south of Astoria.  Seaside reminded me a lot of Atlantic City with the simple beach boardwalk, souvenir shops, and tacky carnival food/atmosphere.

Based on a conversation earlier in the day, I was told that there was one place in town I could park at where the cops wouldn’t wake me up during their 4AM rounds:  Klootchy Creek County Park.  Klootchy Creek County Park is a park located on the outskirts of Seaside, Oregon, in a residential area (https://roadtrippers.com/us/astoria-or/nature/klootchy-creek-county-park?lat=40.80972&lng=-96.67528&z=5).  During 2006, a windstorm blew off the trunk of the tree from a height of 80 feet upward.  Due to possible danger hazards, the park cut down the entire tree except a portion of the trunk about 20-30 feet high.  Therefore, the park is a sort of awkward attraction with nothing really to see but it made a convenient, quiet place to sleep for the night.