Postscript
So what comes next for Apparition Falls? The first step is to submit an application to the Oregon Geographic Names Board (OGNB) to establish the falls on maps - a two year process, at best. The OGNB asks that proposals be researched with land management agencies, such as the Forest Service in the case of Apparition Falls, before submitting an application. But since I have had twenty years to research this falls, that step will be a formality. The falls is unquestionably undiscovered and unmapped. In 1983, I asked Howard Rondthaller, a living historian who knew every inch of the Mount Hood National Forest, if he had heard of the falls - and he was amazed to know they existed!

How Tall is Apparition Falls?

We ran out of light before we could make the ultimate measurement of the falls by dropping a rope over the side. However, by creating a rough scale based on vegetation around the falls, I've conservatively estimated that Apparition Falls is at least 100 feet high (though I believe it to be higher). Only a return trip will establish the true height, and the group is already talking about that!

This height would place Apparition Falls near the top of the list of the many waterfalls in the Mount Hood area. But the most unique feature of Apparition Falls is the twin form, which puts it in a special league with some of the most distinctive waterfalls in the Pacific Northwest. Both segments of the falls flow year-round, and this unique form would make Apparition Falls especially attractive as a hiking destination.

A Trail to Falls?

I plan to work with the Forest Service to explore the possibility of a trail to this falls. Unlike other waterfall adventures, the group consensus was that this would be a fine candidate for a formal trail. The route would be no more than a mile long and perhaps 600 feet in elevation gain. It could easily be built along the east canyon rim, but stream-level routes along the east bank are also quite feasible. Even better, a route all the way up to Cast Lake would make a wonderful alternative for hikers to the horse trail that now follows Cast Ridge. Who knows, maybe there are more waterfalls upstream to be discovered?

I will propose that the Forest Service provide the survey and design services needed to allow volunteers to build this trail. I suspect that outdoor organizations like the Mazamas and Chemeketans would jump at the chance to build an easy trail that would allow families to expose young children to the joys of hiking and exploring the outdoors. In fact, I hope that one day soon the members of this expedition will be able to take their own children on a hike to a falls that they helped discover!