Since reading this post on portland hikers.org, I have been wanting to search out the elusive Nesika Lodge. It is run by the Oregon Trail Club and entry is members only – even so, it’s proximity to the popular Multonomah falls, yet hidden location intreagues me.

Unfortunatly, we didn’t find the lodge this time.

Mike had a dentist appointment, so we did not get out of the city till the afternoon. After climbing the first switchback, we headed out on gorge trail 400. Quickly we crossed a slide. This presented a problem – since we were not sure which slide was the noted “elevator”. So, I climbed up this first one and we lost about an hour.

Regrouping back on 400, we found found the faint/overgrown trail heading up the far side of the second slide.

This “official” trail is still quite steep and moss covered and unstable. I would not recommend it for inexperienced hikers. Near the top the trail petered out again and it took some searching to find it. From that point on the trail was little more then a deer path. And soon, it became a snow-covered deer path.

Eventually we made a wrong turn. We quickly figured out our mistake, but opted to continue on this path toward the Larch Mt/Multonomah falls junction. From there, we descended  the falls trail all the way back to the car.

Next weekend I plan to try again.