Rocks thrown into Tanner Creek (Steve Hart)

The source of the slide (Steve Hart)

• Hikes including this location:
  • Wahclella Falls Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)

• Weather forecast: NWS/NOAA
• Maps: Oregon Hikers Maps Google Maps
• Latitude, Longitude: 45.61997, -121.95211
• Elevation: 130 feet

Description

We typically think of flora and fauna as changeable. We see flowers in the spring and red leaves in the fall. On the other hand, we usually expect the creek beds and canyons to not change. On the scale of human lifetimes, erosion usually happens very slowly.

But that's not always the case. In 1973, a big chunk of the Tanner Creek Canyon wall gave way and came crashing down into Tanner Creek. The rockfall dammed the creek for a bit, but water soon found a path through the rubble. Today, the lower leg of the Wahclella Falls Trail works its way through the debris field. Take a good look at the boulders in the creek below the trail and the rock faces high above the trail to the west. When will the next piece fall?

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Contributors

• Stevefromdodge (creator)