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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Second suspect pleads guilty in cartel grow case Jackson County commissioners take pro-gun stance Ashland may restrict outdoor pot growing Trail man allegedly hit mother with hatchet Child molester sentenced to five years prison Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Second suspect pleads guilty in cartel grow case Trail man allegedly hit mother with hatchet Child molester sentenced to five years prison Man jailed on sex abuse charges Clash with officers lands Medford man in jail on multiple charges Politics and Elections Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Gov. 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OUT THERE: MCKENZIE BRIDGE Proxy Falls is a different place in winter By Zach Urness Statesman Journal MailTribune.com By Zach Urness Statesman Journal Posted Feb. 6, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Zach Urness Statesman Journal Posted Feb. 6, 2015 @ 12:01 am --> IF YOU GO General location: East of McKenzie Bridge, southeast of Santiam Junction Elevation: 2,100 feet (trailhead) to 3,200 feet (waterfalls) Inform... » Read more X IF YOU GO General location : East of McKenzie Bridge, southeast of Santiam Junction Elevation : 2,100 feet (trailhead) to 3,200 feet (waterfalls) Information : McKenzie Bridge Ranger District, Oakridge, 541-822-3381 Activity : Snowshoe, cross-country ski or hike Distance : 7 miles out and back Elevation climb: 1,100 feet Route : 2.6 miles up closed McKenzie Pass Highway 242, 1.8 miles on Proxy Falls Trail, 2.6 miles back down McKenzie Pass Highway. Directions : From Eugene, follow Highway 126 east, past McKenzie Bridge and Paradise Campground, and turn right onto McKenzie Pass Highway 242. Follow to the gate and park on the right. Trailhead coordinates : N44 10.062 W121 57.966 » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> If you take a hike on Proxy Falls Trail during summer or autumn, there's a good chance you'll have company. The two waterfalls on this easy hike off McKenzie Pass Highway are among the most frequently photographed in Oregon and often draw a crowd on weekends. Come back in winter, though, when the highway is closed to vehicles and the preferred mode of transportation is skis or snowshoes, and it's a far different experience. The journey to Proxy Falls is longer, colder and sometimes requires a bit of route-finding during winter. But it's also more rewarding, offering the chance to travel a highway that becomes a tunnel through snowy forest and experience Upper Proxy Falls (126 feet) and Lower Proxy Falls (226 feet) ornamented by icicles. The route, which includes stretches of highway and trail, is seven miles out and back with 1,100 feet of climb. On the right day — after a fresh dose of snow — a winter trip to Proxy Falls Trail is far better than anything you'd experience in summer. WAITING FOR SNOW One of my favorite activities during winter is a sport known as "Winter Waterfall Hunting." The idea is pretty simple: Visit as many waterfalls as possible covered with ice and snow during the year's coldest months. The spray of a winter waterfall is so refreshing it clears all the cobwebs from your brain. It makes a fun scavenger hunt when combined with snowshoeing, skiing or snowmobiling, and for photographers, it creates unique scenes. The problem last season and the beginning of this year has been crummy snow conditions. Proxy Falls — along with many of Oregon's great waterfalls — sits at the 3,100- to 3,200-foot range, which these past few seasons has been too low for consistent snow. I planned winter trips to Proxy Falls multiple times last year, only to cancel them when the weather brought rain instead of snow. And so, when a system of mid-elevation snow finally arrived at the end of December, I decided to spend New Year's Day fulfilling my resolution to see Proxy Falls encased by snow and ice on the first day of the year. THE JOURNEY The trip to Proxy Falls during winter is simple enough. From Highway 126 — coming from either Santiam Junction or Eugene — simply turn onto Highway 242 and follow it until you hit the snow gate. There's a small parking area on the side of the road. The trick once you arrive is deciding what equipment to bring. The snow gate's elevation is 2,100 feet, but the waterfalls are at 3,200 feet, which means you're likely to pick up a fair amount of snow during the trip. When snowpack is minimal and there's a good path, all you really need are waterproof boots. In deeper snow — when there's significant coverage at the gate — snowshoes or skis are best. "Many times the snow line is not all the way down to the gate, which makes it more like a hike," said Tyson Cross, winter recreation programs manager with Willamette National Forest. My day started with plenty of snow, so I tossed on snowshoes right away and kept them on the entire time. From the gate, the route follows the highway for 2.6 miles before you arrive at Proxy Falls Trailhead, marked by signs and a restroom. The loop trail branches off to both the left and right. I headed left, the quickest route to the waterfalls, and started breaking trail among forest and lava fields. The trail isn't marked by blue diamonds, so if you're the first one out after a big snow dump, as I was, staying on the correct route is a challenge. I was also glad to have snowshoes, because there were many downed trees that would have been a major hassle on skis. At the first junction (0.4 miles from the Proxy Trailhead), stay left to visit Upper Proxy Falls, a 126-foot cascade. Fed by a spring, this waterfall doesn't thunder but rather slides down mossy tiers into a pool below. Back to the junction, I headed right and reached a viewpoint of Lower Proxy Falls, a more dramatic 226 feet. It fans out in summer, but was a thin string of silver covered in icicles on my trip. I made my way carefully down to the base of the falls — the creek had a mostly frozen top — and snapped some pictures, enjoying a winter waterfall that had eluded me for more than a year. The cool spray, drifting off icicles into a forest of white was so refreshing it didn't take long for my brain to feel clean and cobweb-free.   By Zach Urness Statesman Journal MailTribune.com By Zach Urness Statesman Journal Posted Feb. 6, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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