Take your time and enjoy the brilliantly colored rock formations and the roaring of the river. Watch for brown trout jumping in the pools and bald eagles soaring high above. This is a primitive trail,, all on BLM land, and part of a Wilderness Study Area, so tread lightly! There are some steep spots and a moderate descent to the river. Watch for rattlesnakes! They are known to frequent this trail. Also, be aware that there are sensitive bird nests in this canyon, and if you bother them during nesting times, you could screw up entire generations! Take along your best clod hopper boots, your fishing pole and your camera! Though there have not been any "Oncorhynchus Mykiss" in this area in at least 40 years, you will definitely see other non-anadromous fish in these parts. Take a moment to sit down below the falls and soak in the amazing roar of the cataract of water as it succumbs to gravity and falls to the lower river level below. When you're ready to look for the cache you'll be seeking an ammo can. Please avoid going off trail on this hunt as it is a valuable wilderness area and the steep terrain and loose soil lead to easy erosion.
A bit of history: You will see the remains of a crude rock wall...what once was a fish ladder built in 1922 to help the "Oncorhynchus mykiss" and other anadromous fish (those that ascend rivers from the sea to spawn) get past the falls during low flow times. During high flow, the fish had little problem negotiating the falls. The 1930's brought irrigation to Central Oregon, and with that came a decline in river flow. The fish could only get past the falls during peak flow times. Then, later, the downstream hydroelectric dams went in, effectively putting up blockades that prevented the fish from finding their old "stomping" or spawning grounds. Imagine this river once teaming with salmon and other "big" fish at this spot. Seems impossible.
Good news though: PGE and the Warm Springs Tribes, which teamed up to relicense Pelton-Round Butte with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, are working on a system to get fish past the dams. The Deschutes Basin Land Trust and other conservation groups are working on bringing the riverine habitat above the dams back into fighting shape so the big fish can thrive here. If and when that happens, these falls will live up to their name once again.
We did some research on the area and found that there is also a letterbox nearby. Since these don't require (or allow you to use the aid of) a GPS, we had to use clues to find it. FOUND IT! First ones there! For anyone who is planning on seeking this cache, you might be interested in finding the letterbox also! Look at letterbox #2 on this page: http://www.letterboxing.org/or/crookedr.htm