Upper Ruckel Creek Falls

Upper Ruckel Creek Falls is, thus far, the largest waterfall documented along Ruckel Creek. I honestly would not be surprised at all if it turns out there are taller falls upstream of here, but to my knowledge, very little of Ruckel Creek has been documented above this waterfall. This fall occurs where the creek runs into one of the ubiquitous basalt flows that make up the south side of the Columbia River Gorge, and plunges about 100 feet over an undercut cliff. Perhaps the most noteworthy feature of this waterfall is the cliff has fractured such that there is a natural pathway about halfway up the falls that encircles the entire alcove. Apparently there are some mining relics to be found for those that make the precarious journey to the falls.I saw several pieces of large steel cable around the base of the falls, and a group who visited the falls about a month before I did found a pick ax on the "pathway" behind the falls, among other things. I have to imagine there may have been a trail of some sort to the falls at one point. It may have even been named once.