[obol] Linn County Waterfall Hike

[Jeff Harding]

Yesterday Jeff Fleisher and I walked to a waterfall on Rock Creek on the
south side of Snow Peak in Linn County. This was sort of a scouting trip, to
see if the waterfall was substantial enough to host Black Swifts. I had seen
the waterfall once from a distance, and thought it might be a good one, but
had not taken the time to get closer. The falls (the USGS map shows several)
are above Snow Peak Camp, marked on many maps, on the Snow Peak Mainline
Road. 

We did not find swifts there, but to us it looked like a good waterfall for
them, with the possible exception that it faces southeast. Even now it had a
substantial flow, and is very tall - on the order of 30-40 meters. We
reached the falls at about 10AM, so we really did not expect to see them,
because of the time of day. As I say, the point was to scout it, and see if
it might be worth trying to be there at dawn or dusk.

On the way, we did see some good birds, including a group of PURPLE MARTINS
(at least two pairs) nesting in a snag above Snow Peak Camp, a couple of
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS at the same place, and a male MOUNTAIN QUAIL standing in
the road.

The problem is that the road is gated about three and a half miles from Snow
Peak Camp, and getting a key is a hassle. So for scouting, we parked before
the gate, where the road crosses Crabtree Creek, and walked. The road was
fine up to Snow Peak Camp, (the site of an old logging camp, long gone), but
the road going up from there - the old 'B Line' - was out of service, and
walking was hard at times, with logs across the road, grown-in alders, and a
difficult crossing of Rock Creek. Above the crossing it was not so bad, and
there would be better access on some of the higher roads there. We followed
Rock Creek up to an old Quarry, where we crossed back over Rock Creek and
found old skid roads that we followed to the falls. Once there we found a
gorgeous waterfall, on an open rocky cliff. In all it was a very nice hike,
through some beautiful second-growth. But I'll have to recover before
considering whether to make the effort to be there at the right time to see
Black Swifts.

Good Birding,

Jeff Harding

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