Silver Falls Reopens
This was supposed to be a defining year for Naomi and me. We purchased Discovery Passes and Northwest Forest Passes when it was still cold and rainy, before the pandemic shut down most hiking options. We had steadily been working on getting the right gear and conditioning our middle-aged selves to endure two weeks on the train in Europe this summer. Our 25th anniversary was due to be celebrated hiking Tour du Mont Blanc in Europe with friends, starting in late June.
Of course this unravelling has meant our hikes have fallen by the wayside and our runs and walks around the neighborhood taking a more prominent feature in daily coping response.
So a few weeks ago when it was announced that Silver Falls was among the reopened state parks, I was eager to get there. Our exchange student had never been, and even our own family hadn’t been there in a few years since friends from Africa came for a visit. But what we found was just a bit of mayhem as everyone was just as eager to enjoy the warmer weather and eleven waterfalls condensed into the space of a few miles.
The trail is narrow enough that you really can’t easily give a six-foot distance at all. I kinda knew that, but went on the assumption that being outdoors meant we’d be much safer than being indoors confined with potential COVID carriers. And that sense of security, whether false or accurate, made us even forget to pack our masks. When we go out exercising, Naomi and I prefer to use buffs but we even forgot those.
As we arrived on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, May 24th, we noticed a string of cars parked along the highway, despite warning signs not to. Several cars were ticketed already, rangers working overtime no doubt to make back some revenue they were sorely lacking the past few months. But it didn’t seem to stop anyone, perhaps a generous spirit giving way to caution. The main parking lot was completely full, so we backtracked to the North Falls parking lot and found a side road (N Fork Road SE) that was ticket-free based on the number of cars that all seemed safe.
It was a joy to be out and about. Hikers were relishing it! A mix of nationalities and languages floated in and out of range as we overtook or crossed paths with couples, families and the occasional single hiker. Fortunately, two weeks later, our family remains healthy so our gamble seems to have paid off but buffs will be packed for any foreseeable future outings.
