Posted by Tom Kloster on June 30, 2007 at 10:10 PM
This is a favorite scene from upper Henline Creek, photographed on the first of two trips there in early June. This is "Mark Falls", so-named by Maynard Drawson when he (re)discovered the string of waterfalls here in the early 70s and named them for his children. The falls peeking over the lip of Marks Falls is "Dan Falls", a gorgeous fan that spreads out across a huge slide. This pair are among the most photogenic in the series, but the entire canyon is amazingly beautiful - well worth a visit, though there is no trail to the waterfalls.
Here are a series of web accounts that I've posted over the past several years of visiting upper Henline Creek, if you're interesting in going there. It's a photographer's playground, albeit one that you have to work for. It's a relatively small creek with a lot of winter flow, so the conditions peak in late May and early June.
Tom
Olympus E-300, 11-22mm lens at 11mm, 1/2 second
Posted by Mike Stovall on July 1, 2007 at 12:48 AM
Tom, those are beautiful falls. The delicate color in the pool sets it off. At first, I didn't notice the upper tier, but after taking in the rest of the photo, it was a nice surprise...
By the way, twice now I have googled different locations in Oregon, looking for the best route to approach and found very useful posts on your splintercat.org site. Thanks for your detailed posts!
-Mike
Thanks, Mike - the geology of the Henline drainage (and the Little North Fork country, in general) features a lot of very light rock by PNW standards, and thus the beautiful refraction in the splash pools. The better-known cousin in the area is Opal Creek, of course. The splash pools are also unusually deep on Henline, for some reason - possibly because the rock weathers more easily than our basic basalt - not sure. There are several pools that are literally as deep as they are wide, sometimes even deeper. Kind of dicey when you're passing over them, because a slip into the creek would be a pretty big plunge!
Now that I look at this image in a dark room, it seems a bit dark to me. Might have to lighten it up a bit...
Here's a somewhat brighter version... I think that first one was way dark.
In terms of composition, I've gone back and forth on that maple branch on the left. Having photographed this scene several times, my usual composition was to pull that branch out of the way, but Ned's photo of Sheppard's Dell was in the back of my mind this time, and I left it in place. I think it adds to the scene, though I had about 50 shots of it moving, and only about a dozen where it's reasonably still. I guess I could have gone the dual exposure route, but this time simply went with a LOT of exposures.
BTW, Andy Drumer was along on this trip, too - took some really creative views of the stream from about 4" above the water!
Tom, this shot has been terribly neglected! It is wonderful for sure, with a great view of both the falls. Love that splash pool there, I definitely feel there needs to be some detail brought out of the shadows on the rock and in the upper right forest, but other than that its a winner.
Thanks for the comments! Darren, if you go to the link in my first post, then scroll down to "map" there's a play-by-play in how to navigate the canyon. If you've bushwhacked in the Gorge, it's a fairly similar challenge. It would not be safe to do alone, since your body would probably never be found! There is also poison oak on the slopes above Henline Falls and along the switchback section of the Ogle Mountain Trail. The rest is PO free. No ropes required, but several spots where there's some exposure. Lots of places to slip over a waterfall... some survivable, some not...
Well, it's only fitting that the Weekend Waterfall Warriors continue to find new and interesting waterfalls
I like the shots above, and am envious about your trips. I'd be up for some bushwacking, too, and have been really serious about trying to make it to Apparition Falls - just lookin' for a team to go up with me (maybe next spring). The OPB story on you guys was really awesome!
Hey, Kevin - so you're up for a waterfall bushwhack? Our 2008 trip is (very) tentatively planned for a new waterfall that might be our most complicated to reach, yet... including a hike in, then a significant stream ford, followed by a steep bushwhack. The location is semi-secret, but send me an e-mail and I'll elaborate!
Cast Creek is also a possibility - I'm interested in re-shooting "Disappointment Falls" after the floods of 2006, since the debris at the base might have had a chance to clear (...or a completely new pile formed...). The trip to Apparition Falls is a very manageable bushwhack that mostly requires a lot of log over/under/across work along the way. The climb past "Disappointment Falls" is slightly sketchy, but everything else is just a lot of devils club and salmonberry to push through. Because of the brush, it's best done in late April or early May, just as it's greening up, but before it gets inpenatrable. Do you visit Portland Hikers? My guess is that you'd easily find a group there for a 2008 trip up Cast Creek. There are several hardy bushwhackers over there that regularly put me to shame!
Discussion
9 repliesHere are a series of web accounts that I've posted over the past several years of visiting upper Henline Creek, if you're interesting in going there. It's a photographer's playground, albeit one that you have to work for. It's a relatively small creek with a lot of winter flow, so the conditions peak in late May and early June.
Tom
Olympus E-300, 11-22mm lens at 11mm, 1/2 second
By the way, twice now I have googled different locations in Oregon, looking for the best route to approach and found very useful posts on your splintercat.org site. Thanks for your detailed posts!
-Mike
Now that I look at this image in a dark room, it seems a bit dark to me. Might have to lighten it up a bit...
-Tom
In terms of composition, I've gone back and forth on that maple branch on the left. Having photographed this scene several times, my usual composition was to pull that branch out of the way, but Ned's photo of Sheppard's Dell was in the back of my mind this time, and I left it in place. I think it adds to the scene, though I had about 50 shots of it moving, and only about a dozen where it's reasonably still. I guess I could have gone the dual exposure route, but this time simply went with a LOT of exposures.
BTW, Andy Drumer was along on this trip, too - took some really creative views of the stream from about 4" above the water!
-Tom
looks like a great falls
Tom
I like the shots above, and am envious about your trips. I'd be up for some bushwacking, too, and have been really serious about trying to make it to Apparition Falls - just lookin' for a team to go up with me (maybe next spring). The OPB story on you guys was really awesome!
Road trip, anyone?
Kevin
Cast Creek is also a possibility - I'm interested in re-shooting "Disappointment Falls" after the floods of 2006, since the debris at the base might have had a chance to clear (...or a completely new pile formed...). The trip to Apparition Falls is a very manageable bushwhack that mostly requires a lot of log over/under/across work along the way. The climb past "Disappointment Falls" is slightly sketchy, but everything else is just a lot of devils club and salmonberry to push through. Because of the brush, it's best done in late April or early May, just as it's greening up, but before it gets inpenatrable. Do you visit Portland Hikers? My guess is that you'd easily find a group there for a 2008 trip up Cast Creek. There are several hardy bushwhackers over there that regularly put me to shame!
Tom