Oregon Daily Emerald
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
“There are things you can’t get in
Vancouver, likeCap’n Crunch."
San Antonio Spur Tony Massenburg on why he didn’t like living in
British Columbia when he played for the then-Vancouver Grizzlies
■ Outdoor recreation
Silver
Scene
Silver Falls State Park offers 25
miles of scenic hiking trails and
multiple picturesque waterfalls
BY ASHLEY GRIFFIN
OUTDOOR RECREATION REPORTER
In a forested landscape filled with mossy
trees and cascading waterfalls, it’s easy to
imagine you’re in a scene from “The Lord
of the Rings” trilogy instead of in a state park
near Salem.
Silver Falls State Park accomplishes this feat
in a temperate rain forest with 25 miles of trails,
multiple waterfalls and an abundance of Dou
glas fir, western hemlock and sword fern. Fre
quent rabbit, bird, deer and beaver sightings
add to the illusion that hikers are in a fantastical
world where nature reigns supreme.
“Students love the waterfalls, and day trips
are easier for most busy schedules,” said
Suzanne Hanlon, the Outdoor Program’s as
sistant coordinator. “This is a great trip rain or
shine. If it rains there is more water in the falls
and the hike is still fun; if it’s sunny, that’s
nice too.”
Numerous trails are suitable for walkers, run
ners and horseback riders. The 80-acre park also
boasts four miles of paved bicycle paths that run
around its ridge and 14 miles of horse trails.
The seven-mile TYail of Ten Falls is arguably
the park’s biggest draw. Also called the Canyon
TYail, this packed dirt path delves deep into the
forest, meanders past 10 waterfalls in the Silver
Creek Canyon and then joins the Canyon Rim
Trail to complete the loop.
Jake Garteand | Courtesy
Silver Falls State Park near Salem offers 25 miles of trails for hiking or biking that take visitors by several waterfalls such as this one. In addition to the hiking
and biking trails, the picturesque park offers 14 miles of horseback riding trails.
“I’ve only hiked the waterfall loop,” Hanlon
said. “It’s so fun, so fulfilling. And the lure of the
next waterfall really makes the miles fly.”
The trail can require up to three hours to com
plete when considering appropriate amounts of
time for nature appreciation. There are ample lo
cations to stop for a picnic, soak in some sun or
take some stunning pictures in front of the falls.
For hikers wanting to experience nature with
a bit more brevity, shorter hikes are available.
Hikers with multiple vehicles can also opt to
leave a second car in the North Falls parking lot
and drive the last two miles of the long hike.
“You can hike a variety of distances to suit your
mood or ability level,” Hanlon said. “Hike one,
two or three miles and see a couple waterfalls,
hike five miles and see nine falls or hike the entire
seven-mile loop to see all 10 falls.”
The falls, as indicated by the park’s name,
are the real spectacle of the park. They
range in height from South Falls’ 177-foot
plunge to the shorter but still spectacular
PARK, page 10a
Danielle Hickey | Photo editor
Senior defensive end Devan Long is a key element to Oregon’s defensive line but
has missed the majority of spring practices with a hamstring injury.
■ Duck football
Ngata, defensive line impress
in Oregon's spring practices
BY JON ROLI MAN
SENIOR SPORTS REPORTER
Defense continues to be Oregon’s
strong point as the Ducks enter their
third week of spring football practice.
Head coach Mike Bellotti has been
quick to sing the praises of his first unit
lately, including its performance during
Saturday’s scrimmage at Autzen Stadi
um. The offense, still learning a new
system, was held to eight first downs in
75 plays and didn’t score until late into
the 1-hour-and-15-minute workout.
“I thought the defense outplayed,
out-hit and out-hustled the offense to
day,” Bellotti said Saturday. “It had
nothing to do with scheme, it was just
attitude and desire.
“I was very, very impressed with the
first-team defense.”
A solid chunk of Oregon’s success
can be attributed to its defensive line
and its anchor — junior defensive
tackle Haloti Ngata. The former
five-star recruit from Utah’s Highland
High School has been wreaking hav
oc in the offensive backfield, blowing
up plays before they ever get started.
Listed at 6-foot-5 and 338 pounds,
Ngata’s nearly impossible to block
one-on-one, and his presence on the
field immediately upgrades a defense.
“Haloti is a great football player,"
Bellotti said. “He makes everybody
around him better, because he at
tracts a lot of attention.”
Ngata is the exception on a defen
sive line built with lighter, quicker
athletes. Lining up next to the mas
sive Salt Lake City native in the mid
dle of Oregon’s front four has been
Matt Toeaina. After starting the spring
at defensive end, Toeaina was moved
to tackle to better utilize his talents.
Listed at 6-foot-3 and 279 pounds, the
junior will surely benefit from the
double teams attracted by Ngata.
While Toeaina said he is equally
capable of playing both positions, he
said it’s been an interesting transition
back to the inside.
“It’s different from being on the end,”
Toeaina said. “You’re more free on the
outside. When you’re on the inside
there’s so much more going on, and you
have to get back into the rhythm of hav
ing contact every single play. ”
On the outside, junior Victor Filipe —
a former high school teammate of Ngata
— has been impressive and has ap
peared to have earned a starting spot at
defensive end. At 6-foot-2, 275 pounds,
Filipe is a high-energy player who will
provide a solid pass rush.
“I’m very pleased with Victor Filipe,”
Bellotti said. “He’s made plays, he’s
played with high intensity and a high
motor. He’s got to eliminate mistakes,
but he’s playing fast, and I’m excited
about his athleticism. ”
Senior Devan Long, who has missed
the majority of spring drills with a
hamstring injury, will be the other end.
The 266-pound pass-rushing threat en
ters his third season as a starter and
has solidified himself as one of the best
in the Pacific-10 Conference.
Senior Darius Sanders has done
an adequate job filling in during
Long’s absence.
Two young players that have shown
promise but need to improve on their
technique are sophomore defensive
tackle David Faaeteete and redshirt
freshman defensive end Devlin Bayne.
While the D line has certainly been
impressive, its leader said there is still
more work to be done.
“I think we need to make a lot of im
provements in certain areas,” Ngata
said. “The D linemen need to work a
lot on pass rush lanes and being
stronger as a whole.”
jonmetman@dailyemerald.com
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