After mostly taking a few years off from the Mount Jefferson area after the publication of 101 Hikes in the Majestic Mount Jefferson Region in 2016, I decided to go back and begin exploring the area again in 2019. I will be writing about some of these experiences here.
Franziska of Hike Oregon and I had been talking about finding a good winter hike for awhile. A series of snowstorms in January and February of last year gave us a chance to meet up for a winter exploration, that ended up being more than was expected. Winter adventures are some of the most fun you can have outside, so long as you are prepared for almost any kind of conditions.
We met up at the junction with the Little North Fork Road and carpooled up the canyon to the Willamette National Forest boundary, where winter plowing ends. Here we parked. There was about 2 feet of snow on the road, at least six inches of it fresh snow. When I was growing up in Salem, we spent a lot of our time in the winter exploring the Little North Fork Canyon, and I’ve certainly seen this area in the winter many times before. But it never gets old, and this was one of my better winter explorations here.
Once on the road, we made our way up the road to the junction with Forest Road 2207, which branches off towards Three Pools, Cedar Creek, and eventually, Detroit Lake.
The junction of Forest Roads 2209 (which goes to Opal Creek) and 2207 (which goes to Shady Cove and beyond) in the snow.
Winter in the lower elevations of the mountains is a funny thing; a small difference in elevation can mean a huge difference in snowfall. As we began to walk down the road towards Three Pools, the snow depth got lower and lower. By the time we reached Three Pools, we were down to several inches, which made for easier walking conditions. I’ve been to Three Pools many times, but up until this day I had never been there in this much fresh snow. It was a dream come true in some ways, even though the bright skies made for more challenging photography conditions.
Three Pools with a coat of fresh snow.
After a long time spent taking photos, we walked back up the road to the 2209 junction and and turned right. It’s only 100 yards or so to the Henline Falls Trailhead from here. As we began to trudge through increasingly deep snow, it quickly became apparent that this was not going to be as easy as the walk down to Three Pools. See what I said above about small differences in elevation meaning huge differences in snowfalls; as we hiked the Henline Falls Trail, some parts of the trail were buried in as much as three feet of snow. Thankfully not all of the trail was like this; other spots were fairly easy going.
The Henline Falls Trail in about a foot of fresh snow.
Thankfully, it isn’t a very long ways to Henline Falls, and before too long we found ourselves approaching the falls. Here the trail got a little sketchy, as snow had been falling from the narrow canyon walls and piling up next to the trail. Franziska and I both strongly believe in safety, so we stayed a good distance back from the falls. We found a nice spot to stand and photograph the mesmerizing winter scene. I had never been to Henline Falls in this much snow before, and it was a sight to behold:
Franziska at Henline Falls.
After taking a lot of photos, we had to make our way back to her car. It was a nice walk back in the snow, full of good conversation and planning. Cherish good company when you have it!
I’ve been to this area so often in my life that you would think I take it for granted, but I never do; there is something so magical about the Little North Fork canyon. And every time I go back, the magic takes hold of me and I am captivated once again.
It was another excellent day in one of my favorite places.