Memaloose Creek (Columbia River Gorge)

A very short seasonal creek between Mosier and Rowena in the Columbia Gorge. Memaloose is not a high-quality objective and is best to visit very early in the season when everything else is running high and you need your rappel fix. Very mellow. Fine for beginners. Note that this creek only has flow / run-off in the very early season is dry the rest of the year. Going early season is also a good way to evade the poison oak. Do not expect greatness. It's easy to park at the mouth of the creek (I-84 eastbound only) and check water conditions. Don't bother if there's no water running.

Take I-84 east of Hood River for 8.2mi to the Memaloose Rest Area (eastbound exit). Park at the far eastern end of the parking lot. From the east end of the rest area locate a paved trail and follow it east. Note entertaining signs about poison oak and rattlesnakes. At the easternmost point of the paved loop, break off and head east on a faint trail. The trail comes and goes, but generally heads eastward and trends south. You may need to detour to get around occasional thickets of poison oak. Follow through rock meadows about 0.4mi before trending southeast. Reach a small creek (not the one you're looking for) and cross it, heading upstream on the far side. You might intersect an old road grade heading the right direction. Eventually pop out on an actual road that leads into a local rock quarry. Follow the road up to the crest of the hill before breaking off and headin gover to the picturesque top of Memaloose Creek. R1 is immediately downstream.

Notable hazards on R1: 1) Remnants of a barb-wire fence is hanging in the water DCL at the top of the falls. Would be good to get some wire cutters and get that out of there. 2) Loose rocks on the lip. Below R3 the creek enters the trees and becomes a little overgrown. At the bottom, pass through a short mossy narrows to a final 6ft step. Downclimb or rappel.