[Elvis]

This was my second hike for today.
I started out with the Heybrook Lookout and then headed to the Lake Serene Trailhead with the intention of visiting Bridal Veil Falls.

Upon arriving at the trailhead there were three other cars in the parking lot, with 2 or 3 inches of snow.  Again, I left the snowshoes in the car, not expecting them to be necessary.  Probably a good choice.

There were a few spots where the trail had been wiped out, presumably from the recent floods.  Additionally, there was a lot of silty-type sand/mud over early sections of the trail and you could clearly see the impacts on the trail.

One such small washout actually had a hole where underground water was rushing out and you could hear it cascading and bubbling from deep under the trail shoulder. 
While pondering the realm of possibilities that could develop with unknown amounts of water underneath my feet, I continued onward, enjoying the distant views, the close views and also the solitude.

Eventually I came to the trail junction where I could continue toward the Lake, or venture upwards toward the waterfall spur trail.  All the footprints in the snow continued toward the lake... but I really wanted to see the falls up close, so I started breaking trail on my own.

Fortunately, the route was easy to follow and the frequent encounters with the wooden steps on the trail kept me comfortable in knowing I hadn't made a wrong turn along the way.

Eventually I crossed the avalanche gully (as others called it) - being overly cautious even though I couldn't picture an avalanche occurring with these conditions in this location.  (Patting myself on the back... oh, I am so brave!) 

The trail reentered the woods and there was a lot of cedar branches on the ground from the recent storm.  Quite a sight - but moreover, the smell of fresh cedar generated from mother nature herself was sublime.

Suddenly... I was at the falls.      With all the water cascading over the falls it was hard to keep the camera dry, so I didn't take the time to set up a tripod and compose better shots.  Maybe another day.  Here is what I did end up with:

Uneventful on the return trip, except I caught mother nature sending out spies to check on the climate:

Finally, back to the almost empty parking lot at 2:15pm.

Trail (parking lot to waterfall spur and to waterfall) was about 2.2miles each way.  Elevation gain estimated to be 1,130 feet.

Off to my third and final destination for the day:  Wallace Falls

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Sedro-Woolley:  Where butter is a spice and gravy is a beverage.
"Ill habits gather unseen degrees, as brooks make rivers, rivers run to seas."  ~John Dryden
My Trip List

[ree]

[Elvis]

My not-so-secret attempt to boost my post totals has been thwarted. 

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Sedro-Woolley:  Where butter is a spice and gravy is a beverage.
"Ill habits gather unseen degrees, as brooks make rivers, rivers run to seas."  ~John Dryden
My Trip List