North Fork of the Santiam River

The first place that comes to mind for me when thinking of a place where I feel connected and grounded is the North Fork of the Santiam River. More specifically, a place that not many people know about. On the way to the more popular areas of the North Fork there is a shoulder where a maximum of three cars may park. The hike down to our spot is about 20 min. At one point you stop at the top of a waterfall where there is a calm, shallow pool of water. We take a break at this point and take it all in. Next we continue our hike down, under and over logs, until at last we arrive at “our spot.” There is a rock ledge we must climb down and then there is a large open and flat place for us to unpack for the day. There is a swimming hole, then some rapids, and down around the corner another swimming hole with big rocks to jump off. We love to eat, drink, swim, talk, relax and hike. This is my favorite place to be, absolute heaven! It is unfortunate that I can no longer think of this special place in the same way that I used to. About five years ago, a group of us were at this spot. One girl went over to the area with the rapids (after being warned to stay away from this area) and ended up getting sucked into the water, another friend nearby tried to help and ended up in the water. The girl who originally went in was sucked down and spit out of a hole into a lower area and she ended up fine (just shaken up). My boyfriend/husband jumped in after our other friend and in saving her life almost lost his own. Everyone came out okay physically but it changed us all. The girl who first got sucked into the water never wants to go back. But for us (my husband and I) this special and sacred place is a part of our souls and we feel rejuvenated each time we get the opportunity to be there. The geography of the land is awe inspiring. Despite a negative association, we love, respect and appreciate this special place and we always will.