eagle creek trail: tunnel falls

Yesterday I celebrated my birthday by going on a hiking trip to Tunnel Falls at Eagle Creek in the Gorge. It is one I have never been on and I wanted to explore a new place. Aaron and I got off to a late start and didn't make it to Eagle Creek until around 1pm. The initial plan was to go all the way to Tunnel Falls, from the trailhead to the Falls would be 6 miles. Because of our late start I told Aaron that we should just go as far as Punch Bowl Falls, which is about 3 or so miles in and reserve the Tunnel Falls for another date. 

The beginning of the hike, as any other hike I do, I am slow and tire easy. I eventually have to use my inhaler and take breather breaks. We did notice however, that the amounts of my breaks have decreased quite a bit since I have started CrossFit. I am much better shape now than I was a year ago. We reached Punch Bowl Falls around 4 or 4:30pm and did not expect it to be as crowded as it was. There were a lot of young people there diving into the water from cliffs, some were sunbathing, and others were just hanging out. We hung out a bit and than finally decided to head back onto the main trail.We sat on a log so that I could rest, we chatted, and took in our surroundings. It was at this point Aaron suggested that we keep going and head for Tunnel Falls. He believed I could make it and we'd be fine. Feeling pretty good, I said sure, and off we went. 

Once we passed the entrance to Punch Bowl Falls the trail became a lot more quieter. We'd only come across people every once in a while and the majority of them were back packers. At some point passed the Punch Bowl Falls I found my stride and didn't require any breaks except for sips of water. The scenery was absolutely glorious, and so quiet. A few times the trail would come out from the protection of trees and we could feel the hot sun beaming down. At some point I became acutely aware that I was running low on water and that I will definitely run out before we made it back to the trailhead. We still pushed forward. Eventually at some point Aaron became concerned that we hadn't reached the falls yet but every time we'd run into another person they'd say it wasn't too much further. I swear everyone was lying to us. 

The trail on Eagle Creek.

The path in general is moderate, some easy spots, and than some areas that slow you down due to lots of lose rocks. It is these rocks that I despise! Knowing full well that I am a magnet for injuries and easy falls I was focusing mostly on my footing as we trekked along. At times I think I don't give myself enough credit, and truly get that I am stronger and fitter. I am more than capable of completing this hike injury free, well serious injuries. We finally decided at some point to stop and rest, snack on bars that we brought with us and I had the last of my water. Aaron is good at rationing his, but I drink so much water in general that rationing wouldn't have done much, especially since taking allergy meds and meds for my tummy cause me to have dry mouth. We chatted and almost decided to turn back when Aaron saw someone and asked once again. Tunnel Falls was right around the corner, so we trekked on. We reached it. What an absolutely beautiful Fall it was. We went through the tunnel behind it and out to the other side and could feel the spray from the rushing water. It felt so good against my sweaty dirty skin. We took a few photos and just stared at the beauty of it. But than the reality of our situation took priority. 

Tunnel Falls

It was now around 6pm, I was completely out of water, and we had 6 miles to hike back. This time I lead the hike and I must've caught my second wind or the drive for cold fresh water was strong because we were making good time. We also realized that we may have to hike the later half in the dark as the sun was heading down behind the mountain. We clearly did not plan this out very well. All went fairly well until we hit the area with rocks again. A couple of times I stepped wrong and rolled my right ankle. At the moment it felt fine, it was probably adrenaline of wanting to get out and get to water. I began to slow down after we reached Punch Bowl Falls but it was a relief to know that we only had about 3 miles left to go. Water was getting closer and the sun was still out. 

When we reached the end I was so happy, water never tasted so good. I was tired, sore, and plenty thirsty. The car ride back into town gave me time to reflect on this experience. I am thankful for it, I do not regret one moment of it. I most certainly will be more prepared next time but glad to have been with Aaron who gave me enough motivation to keep a positive attitude through it all. 

Today I am feeling pretty sore and beat up. I have a massive blister on my right pinky toe, my right ankle feels jacked up, and my right knee feels tight. I'm taking it easy today but if asked to do it again, I wouldn't hesitate for a moment!