The trail is easy to follow with large stretches of snow and ice. "Give me a sense what it meant for you and for Rhonda," Van Sant asked Nichols. "He can be very charming," she said. Hikers should stay away from the edges of the trail, where possible, and should avoid leaving the trail for any reason. You have an attorney who's representing the state on this matter. Dec. 18th 2022 to Tunnel Falls The trail enters a lovely amphitheater, dripping with moss and maidenhair fern, where Tunnel Falls plunges 175 feet to a shallow pool. 2016 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Meaning, Arnold contends, that Rhonda slipped feet first, because if she'd been pushed, she would have tumbled head over heels, sustaining injuries over her entire body. Looking for the best hiking trails in Eagle Creek? But there's a problem -- something that could throw the entire case into doubt. And I told her, 'I am going to propose to you.' Once you exit the highway, drive the short ways up Eagle Creek Loop, past the salmon hatchery, to find the trailhead parking. "She got treated badly, and he tried to cheat on her several times," Julia Simmons alleged. About 3 miles up, hikers will encounter the aptly named High Bridge, which traversesa narrowgorge150 feet above the creek. Some brave trail runners present! Indian mount summit was worth the day hike for the views of hood. (This is a section of trail sometimes called the "The Potholes".) As ever, there are a million things to appreciate about the trail, including the autumn colors, walking the edges of high cliff faces and views of the endless waterfalls Punchbowl Falls chief among them. Oregon Hikers Field Guide is built as a collaborative effort by its user community. I don't think I've ever threatened anybody with physical harm," said Nichols. Wear some good shoes, hiking boots are best if you are walking more than 1 mile. Many hikers choose to backpack as far as Tunnel Falls, about seven miles up the trail, where they can pass behind falling waters. You'll reach the location of Tenas Camp, the first area of permitted camping on the Eagle Creek Trail (but campfires are not allowed). (7mi in) All rights reserved. Jessica Colburn first met Rhonda when they were in high school. Eagle Creek was overcrowded before the fire, and the pent-up demand after a three-year closure will likely result in big crowds for the foreseeable future. This is still the same scenic trail it has always been - all the same waterfalls! A path leads up to some sites on a bench above the trail, and there are more campsites below. There are three parking lots on-site including one for larger trailers, and a valid recreation pass or day use fee is required. It is not safe to pass at this time. But Rhonda didn't have to say a word to make an impression. "So I tried to call her, and I got no answer," Julia Simmons said. Looking up or around you as you walk can sometimes result in a loss of balance, and on the Eagle Creek Trail that can be deadly. ", Mike Arnold: "Perhaps it's time to see what a panel of citizens will decide?". "And then she asked me again and I said, 'No, thank you. "I feel like there is enough evidence to convict him," she continued. You may recognize this viewpoint from photos and postcards. Challenging with spectacular rewards of amazing views! After the devastating 50,000 acre 2017 fire that swept the gorge, Eagle Creek Trail . "She was super protective and just -- like a new mom, you know? Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Aside from having proper footwear, maintaining physical awareness is key. Later this month the judge will consider reducing Nichols' $2 million bail. The negative, mostly rocky, little shade due to the burn, and tons of mosquitos the last 3 miles to Wahtum lake. Travel east approximately 1 mile on Interstate 84 to exit #41 which is just past the Interstate tunnel. Download a Trail Description and Map (pdf). It was. Julia Simmons: I'm not doing anything right now. You'll know when you are getting close when you pass by a section known as "the potholes" which look like smooth steps carved into the trail by an ancient waterfall. That's all he could say. He passed the couple on the trail possibly minutes before Rhonda's fatal fall: Mike Arnold: And what did she look like? "I -- what was in his wallet, 'cause I know that she didn't like his personality after she had been with him a few years and saw how he -- he tortured her mentally," said Simmons. "Do you think that's a true statement?" DO NOT try and use the trail by WyEast as a way to loop it back. The Statesman Journal covered the story of the escape from the Eagle Creek Fire which you can read at StatesmanJournal.com. "He had lost a bunch of money the year before. Deputy Matt English with the Hood River County Sheriff's Office, says their 911 center received a call at 6:09 p.m. from a man who had accompanied the woman on the hike. This is one of the most popular trails in the Columbia River Gorge and can be a crowded experience on summer weekends. You'll encounter eight major waterfalls along Eagle Creek and its tributaries, with lots of smaller and seasonal falls in-between. "He pushed her down on the stairs and left bruises on her back," said Simmons. Cables are still bolted into rock walls at some points, but thats about all the help youll get. It was along the Eagle Creek trail that Rhonda Casto, a 23-year-old mother of a nine-month-old girl, set out with her boyfriend, Stephen Nichols, back on March 16, 2009. If you still feel like you still have some energy, the last two major waterfalls, both on the West Fork Eagle Creek, can be seen in the next half mile. On Oregon I-84 Eastbound, take exit 41 toward Fish Hatchery/Eagle Creek/Rec. But I just think that she's just absolutely beautiful," Julia Simmons said of her daughter, Rhonda. Van Sant asked Simmons. Not the trails fault that people dont know how to dig a hole or pack it out. Eagle Creek Trailhead & Trail (#440) Area Status: Open This spectacular cliffside hike passes through a forested basalt cliff overlooking Eagle Creek. "They were a delight together. Popular trail. Besides life insurance money, the prosecution will argue yet another potential motive for murder -- a love triangle -- claiming that Stephen Nichols was in love with Rhonda's younger sister, Melanie. "That has nothing to do with me, but I think a grand jury looked at the evidence and said there's enough here to go to trial. Across the creek, you'll may notice little Tenas Falls, where a tributary splits around a rock to make a twin plunge into Eagle Creek. Metlako Falls comes first after about 1.5 miles, though after the waterfall viewpoint washed out in 2017, the view is distant from the trail. The next set of campsites, at . Eagle Creek Trailhead approach and fee station information board. Here you will cross a high bridge just past Loowit falls and just over 3 miles into the trip. His daughter was sent to live with Rhonda's family. In 2008, three years into their relationship, the couple became parents when their daughter was born. Arnold has tracked down a witness that investigators and prosecutors overlooked: John Whaley, the last person besides Stephen Nichols to see Rhonda Casto alive: Mike Arnold: So do you recall hiking up Eagle Creek Trail back on March 16th, 2009? Pretty falls. Trail was moderately busy until after punch bowel falls then slimed down significantly. People think of all the days, why would you choose that day to hike?" Carrie Rasmussen [reading]: "With all this being said perhaps it is time to see what a panel of citizens will decide. According to court filed documents, Melanie Casto will allege she began having sex with Nichols when she was just 15. "She said he'd been kinda buggin' her to go hiking for like two or three weeks--like a month," Simmons said. Given the narrow trail and the crowds, theres simply no way to hike Eagle Creek without coming within six feet of another person. One key to the prosecution's case will be the credibility of the woman making so many of the accusations--Rhonda's mother, Julia Simmons: Mike Arnold: What do you do for a living, ma'am? The Eagle Creek Trail runs 13.1 miles one way, from the main trailhead to a junction with the Pacific Crest Trail at Wahtum Lake, though few hike the whole thing. Loowit Falls is framed by two small drops on Eagle Creek itself. The defense will have much more to deal with than just Steve Jackson. This is a nice out and back hike with great scenery of waterfalls, ferns, and rocky outcroppings. Watch social media channels from the U.S. Forest Service Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. very easy extremely well-maintained trail. He accuses Simmons of painting Nichols as a murderer, so she could one day collect Rhonda's life insurance policy: Mike Arnold: And did you say, "I wanna lay claim to be the beneficiary of my daughter's life insurance claim?". "Attraction right away?" Then you'll negotiate another cable-railed cliff face on hexagonal "paving stones", actually columns of basalt sheared off by the original trail builders. Distance: 4.2 miles (round trip) Elevation gain: 525 feet. What changed?" Even though its been five years since the fire, there is still a lot of danger or at least things to look out for especially after big storms., More:Oregon's 'Green Friday' brings free fishing and state parks entry, waterfalls, tree cutting. Michael Arnold: Who's that laughing that "she lost her guts"? Nichols would soon find out for himself, when there was an unexpected knock on his bedroom door. Take a right at the end of the off ramp and follow the signs to theEagle Creek Trailhead/Picnic Area. Nichols and his daughter, now 5, moved to Wuxi, about 75 miles from Shanghai. NOTICE: This trail is closed until further notice because of damage from the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire. "She'd call me, or she'd be over at my house.". Authorities declined to declare the death an accident, but Stephen Nichols was not charged with any crime. Then 8 o'clock rolled around and nothing.". At this hearing, she doesn't want to talk to Mike Arnold, either: Carrie Rasmussen: Sustained means sustained. The trail is also something of an engineering marvel. The trail turns into a gully and passes over the Fern Creek Bridge, one of two bridges on the trail that had to be replaced after the fire. At 4.5 miles (name of the bridge) you'll pass over Eagle Creek again but this time you will only be about 5 feet off the water. The hike was beautiful though. This was one of Oregons gems, it was almost too sad to do the hike. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors. This trail is truly one of the most beautiful and well maintained in the northwest. The hike to Tunnel Falls is one of the most storied day trips in the Pacific Northwest (see the long list of guidebooks below). From Portland, OR: Travel east on Interstate 84 to exit #41 which is just past the interstate tunnel. I was crying nonstop. I just love it because she just looks amazing in all of those pictures," said Colburn. Their romance quickly blossomed, and before long, Rhonda joined her mother in the condo; not as a roommate, but as Nichols' girlfriend. I would definitely do the first seven miles again through the falls. "Steve, you have been accused of a despicable crime, that you pushed your girlfriend -- the mother of your daughter -- off of a cliff. Pretty dusty this late in the season, water is low. 2.4M views 5 years ago Join us on this amazing backpacking trip into the hills bordering the Columbia River Gorge! These are both worth visiting, and the trail grade continues to be gentle. That's what responsible parents do. I made that very clear. Arnold, having obtained the video through discovery, hopes to use their own demonstration to turn the tables on the prosecution. Stephen Nichols says this is how the tragedy unfolded: they're heading down the trail. Her autopsy seemed to support Nichols' claim that she may have been high that day. It follows Eagle Creek through the forest and along paths carved into basalt . And Arnold says accidents like Rhonda's are more frequent than people realize. Dozens of search and rescues are done every year. Rasmussen told "48 Hours" she will not discuss this case until it goes to trial. Consider, as you enter the tunnel, that work to build trail was completed before 1920, and the trail bench has been virtually unchanged since! This will be your best sighting of Metlako Falls as the former overlook, on a now abandoned spur trail off the trail ahead, disappeared in a landslide in December 2016. Browse the most recent Eagle Creek, Oregon obituaries and condolences. You'll be hiking through a temperate rainforest. But what if, as Rhonda's family and friends believe, it wasn't an innocent fall? This is a very popular area for backpacking, camping, and hiking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. There are moments on the Eagle Creek Trail when you completely forget that it was the birthplace of one of Oregons largest and most high-profile wildfires of the past decade. It was a chaplain sent by the local fire department. It is also a popular alternative route to the Pacific Crest Trail. Van Sant asked. Now retired, Tiffany was the lead detective following Rhonda Casto's death in 2009. "I sort of wanted a fresh start," he said. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Eagle Creek Trail Moderate 4.5 (800) Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Photos (5,435) Directions Print/PDF map Length 25.8 miElevation gain 4,829 ftRoute type Out & back Explore this 25.8-mile out-and-back trail near Cascade Locks, Oregon. "My daughter was absolutely thriving," Nichols said. Beautiful! Start point: Harvey Road Trailhead. The upper parking area is found beside the Cascade Salmon Hatchery just off the interstate and has room for about three dozen cars. Most people who live in Oregon know the story of how the Eagle Creek Fire ignited a teenager tossed a firework off the trail on a boiling hot day in early September 2017. It could potentially be a criminal act. Gerry Tiffany: No, it was there when I left. Gerry Tiffany: Pretty much the next morning. For a quick, easy and semi kid-friendly trek, hike 2.2 miles (4.4 round-trip) to Punchbowl Falls. ", "I'm the most non-violent person you will ever meet," he said. "She was, like, it for me. Restroom at Eagle Creek Trailhead and Day Use Area. The Eagle Creek Trail is a GREAT hike. Very popular. He wanted to write a book. With no cell phone signal, he returned to the trail parking lot and called 911. Start by hiking up the Eagle Creek Trail 13.3 miles to Wahtum Lake.
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