Sisters Off The Beaten Path

Less than a half mile south of the Sahalie Falls is the equally beautiful Koosah Falls This 80-foot waterfall splits into two or three segments, depending on the water level. The name "Koosah" is Chinook for "sky." Perhaps that is because the deep pool of water below the falls reflects the blue of the heavens above.

Koosah Falls has its own parking area for easy access. However, we thought it was more fun to walk down the trail along the McKenzie River from Sahalie Falls and back, a scenic round trip hike of about eight-tenths of a mile.

Travel brochures say the best time to visit Sahalie Falls is during the snowmelt of Spring. We were there in August, and I can't imagine the falls being more spectacular - or more lovely.

This thundering falls plunges more than 100 feet over a lava cliff to form a glorious display. On the day of our visit there was even a rainbow in the mist. The waterfall is reached by an easy paved path from a parking area to a an overlook with guardrails. We took the dirt trail downstream below the main waterfall and discovered another very interesting cascade of 30 to 40 feet which was impressive in its own right.

Sahalie is a Chinook Indian word meaning "high," and we found visiting the falls to be a high experience in more ways than one.

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Our first stop along the McKenzie Pass - Santium Pass Scenic Byway was the Belknap Crater Viewpoint. This is an amazing place. Immense lava fields stretch as far as the eye can see, interspersed with patches of conifer forests and punctuated with snowcapped peaks.

A short half-mile hike leads up to the Dee Wright Observatory and another half-mile walk on the Lava River Trail leads to the Windy Point Viewpoint. Here, at an elevation of 4,909 feet, we got the most picturesque view of the lava flows and volcanic peaks.