Just wanted to say how glad I am that you posted this. I stumbled upon it and was fascinated. I hiked in with my son who is in his twenty's and not too interested in hanging out with his dad. Finding things he thinks are "cool" or even mildly interesting is always a challenge for me but we had a great trip.
Such a beautiful video. Thank you so much for documenting this. I only got to explore this area this last summer (after 36 Pit and Riverside Fires). Started at the top of Memaloose Falls, hiked up to the top of Clackamas Falls where it looks like the intake for the pipeline was, and then down to the mouth of the S. Fork where we opted to cross the S. Fork and scale up the cliff to the 45 road. I wish I could have enjoyed this hike with you in 2009. Those fires really fried that drainage - but there are still some gorgeous views to be had.
I even made it up on that knob above that first tunnel above Memaloose Falls that you were on! Couldn't quite find a way to get a view of the falls from below... that will be an adventure for next time!
I went here in 2018 but I injured my hand going down the ropes. I only went to the first tunnel and turned around. I regret this so much. Had I known most of it would have been destroyed I would have pushed on. Glad to have video of it at least!
@chiyo9014 I am so sorry to hear this - I understand the feeling. Gloves were necessary for me and I hope you get a chance to make it down again someday. Bushwacking from Hillockburn Spring to the top of Clackamas Falls might even be an option!!!
You should do a follow up video, the pit 36 fire has changed the whole area so much. Wish I had known the work around for the log bridge that is no longer safe to cross.
+Jay Broad Yea, I wouldn't want to try that hill in freezing rain or even light snow without crampons. In fact, Google Earth showed it was snowing there about an hour ago. I think the Memaloose Road (#45) is still closed at Highway 224 due to the 36-Pit fire from 2014, so expect to add an extra 1½ miles to your hike.
We go up on Memaloose Rd, which is one of the places the county sheriff's advocates as a place to target shoot. There are several old quarry's up there and it's usually shoulder to shoulder.
@Scarfacekiller Yea, keep me posted on that one. I live in Mossyrock, WA but typically go to Oregon once every other month (Mom lives in Boring). Getting a history lesson from one of the top guys would be icing on the cake. No more assuming what this did or where this went, etc. Hopefully, I named the intake and settling tank correctly on my video; I was kinda going by the information on the map you had at the beginning of your video. Did you ever find any remains of a dam on the Memaloose?
@bloodscalp65 Funny you should ask, I was in there just the day after Thanksgivng making an attempt at a 3D version of the video. I was curious also, so i brought a 100-foot measuring tape along. Going upstream along the S.Clackamas, (measurements in feet) the lower tunnel is 35, and just 60 feet upstream is another at 75. Just past the log bridge is a 190 shortly followed by a 60. The final upper, narrow tunnel is 370. The one tunnel along the Memaloose is 195 feet long.
Didn't they close the 45 Road to target shooting a few years ago? People were taking old appliances, TV's, etc up there to shoot and not packing the garbage back. Not that the area could ever be worthy of being declared a National Park or anything, but it was getting quite ugly up there in spots. I think some volunteer groups cleaned it up some since. In reality, it was more of a littering problem than a target shooting problem.
is the path you took to Memaloose Falls just after the tunnel or is it closer to the area with concrete structure before the bridge? I went today and I made it to the South Fork Clackamas Falls no problem, but never got to see Memaloose Falls. I think I just needed to climb down the hillside after the tunnel but I thought there would be more of an actual trail.
All three of the waterfalls in this video have a tunnel along side of them, carved thru the same rock that the falls are flowing over. And like the two falls on the Clackamas, access to the base of Memaloose Falls is probably most easily accomplished from just downstream of the tunnel. I haven't been in there since the 36 Pit Fire in 2014, so the terrain might have changed since; but there was a faint path from the trail about 50 yards from the tunnel that headed down and toward the vicinity of the falls. Although, the closer you got to the falls, the more the path faded away. The concrete structure was probably some type of water collector and is about 400 yards downstream from the falls. Access to the falls from that location would not be as steep, but you would essentially be backtracking with a lot more bushwhacking to deal with. Is the 45 Road still closed to vehicles on the other side of the bridge near the highway?
@@KrisMinnear Yeah NF 45 is still closed at Memaloose Bridge. Thanks for the information. I think that the path may be gone but I'll make way down next time.
Just wanted to say how glad I am that you posted this. I stumbled upon it and was fascinated. I hiked in with my son who is in his twenty's and not too interested in hanging out with his dad. Finding things he thinks are "cool" or even mildly interesting is always a challenge for me but we had a great trip.
We go shooting just up the road from here and never knew about all this. Can't wait to do some exploring, Thanks!
Such a beautiful video. Thank you so much for documenting this. I only got to explore this area this last summer (after 36 Pit and Riverside Fires). Started at the top of Memaloose Falls, hiked up to the top of Clackamas Falls where it looks like the intake for the pipeline was, and then down to the mouth of the S. Fork where we opted to cross the S. Fork and scale up the cliff to the 45 road. I wish I could have enjoyed this hike with you in 2009. Those fires really fried that drainage - but there are still some gorgeous views to be had.
I even made it up on that knob above that first tunnel above Memaloose Falls that you were on! Couldn't quite find a way to get a view of the falls from below... that will be an adventure for next time!
I went here in 2018 but I injured my hand going down the ropes. I only went to the first tunnel and turned around. I regret this so much. Had I known most of it would have been destroyed I would have pushed on. Glad to have video of it at least!
@chiyo9014 I am so sorry to hear this - I understand the feeling. Gloves were necessary for me and I hope you get a chance to make it down again someday. Bushwacking from Hillockburn Spring to the top of Clackamas Falls might even be an option!!!
You should do a follow up video, the pit 36 fire has changed the whole area so much. Wish I had known the work around for the log bridge that is no longer safe to cross.
Wow amazing video! I'm heading up there tomorrow I think! Unless we get more freezing rain...
+Jay Broad
Yea, I wouldn't want to try that hill in freezing rain or even light snow without crampons. In fact, Google Earth showed it was snowing there about an hour ago.
I think the Memaloose Road (#45) is still closed at Highway 224 due to the 36-Pit fire from 2014, so expect to add an extra 1½ miles to your hike.
+Kris Minnear Gonna go up there tomorrow! Little warmer weather now, should be ice free. Yup the road is closed, we're gonna hike in from the hwy.
We go up on Memaloose Rd, which is one of the places the county sheriff's advocates as a place to target shoot. There are several old quarry's up there and it's usually shoulder to shoulder.
@Scarfacekiller Yea, keep me posted on that one. I live in Mossyrock, WA but typically go to Oregon once every other month (Mom lives in Boring). Getting a history lesson from one of the top guys would be icing on the cake. No more assuming what this did or where this went, etc. Hopefully, I named the intake and settling tank correctly on my video; I was kinda going by the information on the map you had at the beginning of your video.
Did you ever find any remains of a dam on the Memaloose?
@bloodscalp65 Funny you should ask, I was in there just the day after Thanksgivng making an attempt at a 3D version of the video. I was curious also, so i brought a 100-foot measuring tape along.
Going upstream along the S.Clackamas, (measurements in feet) the lower tunnel is 35, and just 60 feet upstream is another at 75. Just past the log bridge is a 190 shortly followed by a 60. The final upper, narrow tunnel is 370. The one tunnel along the Memaloose is 195 feet long.
Didn't they close the 45 Road to target shooting a few years ago? People were taking old appliances, TV's, etc up there to shoot and not packing the garbage back. Not that the area could ever be worthy of being declared a National Park or anything, but it was getting quite ugly up there in spots. I think some volunteer groups cleaned it up some since. In reality, it was more of a littering problem than a target shooting problem.
is the path you took to Memaloose Falls just after the tunnel or is it closer to the area with concrete structure before the bridge? I went today and I made it to the South Fork Clackamas Falls no problem, but never got to see Memaloose Falls. I think I just needed to climb down the hillside after the tunnel but I thought there would be more of an actual trail.
All three of the waterfalls in this video have a tunnel along side of them, carved thru the same rock that the falls are flowing over. And like the two falls on the Clackamas, access to the base of Memaloose Falls is probably most easily accomplished from just downstream of the tunnel. I haven't been in there since the 36 Pit Fire in 2014, so the terrain might have changed since; but there was a faint path from the trail about 50 yards from the tunnel that headed down and toward the vicinity of the falls. Although, the closer you got to the falls, the more the path faded away. The concrete structure was probably some type of water collector and is about 400 yards downstream from the falls. Access to the falls from that location would not be as steep, but you would essentially be backtracking with a lot more bushwhacking to deal with. Is the 45 Road still closed to vehicles on the other side of the bridge near the highway?
@@KrisMinnear Yeah NF 45 is still closed at Memaloose Bridge. Thanks for the information. I think that the path may be gone but I'll make way down next time.
how to I get there from road please