PROXY FALLS

1.5 MILES – MCKENZIE BRIDGE, OR

Summer was making her appearance, and there is no better hike to kick off beautiful Oregon weather with than Proxy Falls. I decided I wanted to take Andrew, one of his friends, and the dogs. It was not a long hike, and far enough away where it felt like we were escaping all the busyness of being in town. Andrew is a trooper, he will always get up early if I insist on it, without complaining. I am very lucky!

I have done this hike many times before and I always end up loving it more than I did the time before, and this trip up was no exception. The memory I have every single time I hike Proxy Falls is when I went with my Grandpa, Mom, and Stella. It was at least 10 years ago, and a truly special trip, as it was one of the last fond memories I made with my Grandpa before he passed away. I always make sure I do this hike every year in his memory (and whoever I am with I make sure to tell them). I loved him so much and miss him all the time.

When we arrived we were the first ones to park (surprise, I like arriving early!). It was still a bit chilly since we were at a higher elevation, but once we got moving it was very pleasant. We reached the first fall and hiked all the way down to the stream, trying to get as close to the bottom of the fall as possible. It was very slippery on the rocks and difficult to maneuver. Andrew and his friend made it further than I did, but I also had the dogs and wasn’t going to let them off leash. While the boys were making their way to the base I decided to just take selfies with Lexi. She doesn’t like looking at the camera so I had to take like fifty photos to get one good one. What Lexi doesn’t know is that I am an extremely determined person so I won’t stop until I get a good one of her. On our way back up to the main trail I took a tumble on the rocks and fell into the water (falling on a hike is not abnormal for me). Keep in mind if you do decide to go off trail to be very careful, and there is a reason some trails have signs to keep you on the trail, whether it is for safety or to help with restoration.

We continued on the trail but instead of turning to go back to the car I wanted to explore where the trail went if we went straight. To my surprise, it led to another waterfall and a pool of water. I couldn’t believe I had never completed the loop before. Andrew thought it’d be fun to go for a dip, even though it was definitely not swimming weather! It made for a great memory and possibly a lesson to not get in cold water so early in the morning.

All in all it was a wonderful hike. We were having such a great time we decided to drive home through Sisters, stopping at the Dee Wright Observatory. This was another spot we went with my Grandpa, so I always enjoy visiting while driving on Highway 242. I am very thankful to be able to explore with family and friends in our beautiful state.