#6 Thundering Waters Highway 138, Douglas County, Oregon

Hike #6  Toketee, Watson, and Fall Creek Falls
#52HikeChallenge

Date:  February 29, 2020
Distance:  6ish miles or so.  Fitbit and Maps never agree!
Weather: Sun, Rain, Snow....all over the place!  Guess MoNa didn't know what to do with an extra day!
Type: Waterfalls...as in 3
Company: Me

Reflections: Woke up this morning and decided to take advantage of the bonus day (leap day) and take a little
solo hiking day!  After a quick stop to see my granddaughter, I headed out Hwy 138 to see what I could see!  My first stop was Toketee Falls. This is the iconic Umpqua Highway Waterfall.  The pictures of this fall graces the pages of most travel brochures for the Umpqua Valley. Loved by both locals and tourists alike it is the primary stop for visitors (do I sound like one of the travel brochures?)! The hike ends up at a viewing platform that overlooks the falls. The two (or is it three) tiered waterfall is in a word BREATHTAKING! Words can't even begin to express. I guess there is a reason it is the iconic waterfall of this area.  I, personally, rank it right up there with Multnomah Falls. As in, Multnomah Falls is often the iconic image of Oregon waterfalls and Toketee is the face of the Highway 138 waterfalls. Other evidence of that theory is the fact that even though the day was a little misty the parking lot was packed with adventurous souls ready to get out and enjoy the sights! Seems like leap day really was the perfect day to get out and explore!  Word of caution: The extremely adventurous...or careless as it would be....sometime bypass the platform and make their way down to the base of the falls. There have been several injuries and dramatic rescues as a result of those curious or foolhardy souls! So If you are in the area....definitely go check it out! You won't be disappointed!  But, please, stay on the marked trails and be safe!

After the crowds at Toketee, I headed over to Watson Falls and found the parking lot delightfully empty!  BLISS! Watson is equally beautiful and much less populated than Toketee. But trust me it is really cool and well worth your time! If you hike up to the final lookout point you can actually feel the spray from the waterfall! On a good day that is.  The day I went was not so good--weather wise that is. After a bit of a misty start at Toketee it started snowing on me at Watson.....let me say that again...SNOWING! What is that about?  I wasn't prepared for the snow. I mean I was prepared for most contingencies gear wise but that doesn't mean I was mentally prepared for or happy about it! Actually, funny story. On my way up the  trail to Watson I had taken a picture of a little patch of snow and was going to include it in this post with a little blip about how that was the way I liked my snow. WELL, apparently the universe wasn't amused! As I headed higher up towards the falls the light rain turned to snow! SNOW!!  While I did make it the upper viewing platform, I had to turn right back around and head back down to my car because of the SNOW...did I mention there was snow?! If you come...definitely go! Hopefully, you won't get any snow.

On the way back to Roseburg, I decided to stop off at Fall Creek Falls. This one is my absolute favorite in the area. I absolutely LOVE this hike!  It is not usually crowded and allows time and space to just enjoy nature. So beautiful. The first part of this trail leads to the base of the waterfall by winding through a crevice,  past some cool rock formations, and following a beautiful stream.  Once you make it to the base you can play in the water, feel the spray, stop for a picnic, marvel at the beauty...or as in the case of the day I went, follow the trail past the base to the second tier and eventually the very top.  I only went to the second tier. It was getting late and I was tired! No judging.  I will make it to the top and and I will take the detour to see Job's Garden (rock formations) but this day was not that day-- so I will save that part of the adventure for another day.

I am forever blessed to live in such a beautiful location. I am amazed everyday that these marvels are within my grasp!  I will be honest and admit that I wasn't in love with Oregon when I first moved here. I was sad and shocked by the reality of raising my children away from family. I was fortunate to grow up surrounded by extended family--parents, siblings, great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins,1st, 2nd, and 3rd! In my wildest of dreams---and believe me I had some wild ones-- I never imagined a world where I would have to raise my children away from that supportive environment. So, I didn't love it.l It was hard. During those early years, I focused on my children and never really explored this area or built a life for myself. As my children grew up, my marriage crumbled, and my life started changing---I realized I needed to find my own place, my own way.  I tried out a few ideas and had few false starts but I finally realized that Oregon is my home and I needed to learn to embrace it. Once I put some effort into making friends, figuring out my own interests, getting outside, and learning to appreciate what was around me I realized how incredibly lucky I was! In a weird twist, I remembered that as a child I was fascinated with Oregon. Back in the days that Disney showed the Sunday night movie, I waited all year for the showing of 7 Alone (or On to Oregon--one was the book and one was the movie). Next to Where the Red Fern Grows, this was my absolute favorite movie! I was obsessed with tails of the Oregon Trail and read or watched everything I could find about it. So, in hindsight, moving to Oregon was inevitable and perfect!  It just took me a while to remember and embrace.  Now, I am proud to say that while I was not born or raised here (California and Texas respectively) I am an Oregonian through and through.

On that note, I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes (which I am sure I have shared before).

Of all the roads you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.   John Muir

#blessed #everydayadventures #thingsthatmakemehappy #52hikechallenge