The Legend of the Ka-ho-nee

    My first encounter with the Ka-Ho-Nee people came in 1903. I was a young explorer seeking the legendary homeland of a mystical people that were renowned for their seeking prowess. Legend told of one among these oft sought but rarely seen people who heard the call of the Mother Goddess. It was told that Kahonee Joe, as he had become known, had a visionquest telling him to journey deeper into the valley of the falls than most Ka-Ho-Nee seekers had dared to venture. In this vision his spirit guide told him of a place far above the sacred Ka-Ho-Nee Falls, a place of great wonder and mystery. In this place, he was told, could be found all the ancient knowledge of the Ka-ho-nee elders. But the journey to this place could only be made after many moons of careful planning and preparation. Only those who have mastered many skills could achieve the lofty title of Wahe Ka-Ho-Nee, a legendary status achieved by only the most worthy and ambitious of Ka-Ho-Nee seekers. For the journey above the falls is wroth with danger. As the first outsider to be allowed access to the valley of the Ka-Ho-Nee, the only one to make the journey of manhood to the falls that all young Ka-Ho-Nee must make, I was honored when Joe shared his vision with me and requested that I accompany him on his visionquest to this most scared of Ka-Ho-Nee mecca.

Colorado Jones

A collaborative effort by a group of Portland area cachers