[Bryan K]

After my failed attempt to get to Blewett Pass yesterday I still wanted to get out today so I went to Gold Bar to check out Wallace Falls. There was about 6 inches of wet heavy snow at the parking lot, I did not bring my gaiters . After paying my $5 parking fee I was off. After following the power lines for a short bit I was in the woods. There were a fari amount of footprints already on the trail, most from yesterday it looked like. I decided to take the "Woody Trail" instead of the old RR Grade route. The snow gradually got deeper as I made my way further in. As I navigated my way around the trees, clumps of snow were falling off the tree high above me, I felt like I was being bombed. Some of the chunks were partial ice. The river was flowing pretty strong with the melting snow. As I approached the picnic shelter I got nailed in the head my a snowy ice chunk, OMG that f!@#ing hurt really bad. I stopped under the shelter for a small snack and snapped a few pics. I started getting a headache but I wanted to push on the the upper falls. About a 1/4 mile later my head hurt too much and I turned around so I could get back to the car for some aspirin. My socks were wet from not having gaiters on and my head hurt. Real great weekend for me........ Here are some pics I took.

Early on in the hike

Lazy river

WF 006

WF 007

Lower Falls

WF 010

WF 011

WF 012

WF 013

Snow covered branch

Mossy tree

Snowy river

[dicey]

I thought the $5 state park fees were done Whoops!

[GeoHiker]

That sucks! I got hit with snow bombs yesterday, but nothing that hurt like that. I almost went up that way yesterday in the sun. Figured the snow would be falling big time off the trees and wanted something a bit colder. You don't have to pay there?????

[JimK]

The $5.00 fee is gone. Last time I was there they kept the pay box and marked it for "donations".

[Bryan K]

WEll that was a waste of $5 of course I've wasted more money on worse things I guess.......

[dicey]

Just think of it as a donation eh?

[GeoHiker]

Doh!......well you gave to a good cause. I'm sure the money will go to a good fund like feeding the homeless or something worthy......

[ActionBetty]

Ouch, sounds like you should have had a helmet on.

[Magellan]

Snow bombs, here we come! Glad your melon is still intact.

[wildernessed]

"OMG that f!@#ing hurt really bad." Now that is a timeless quote !

[Quark]

More than once I wished I had brought a helmet on a hike due to hardened phlumpf snowbombs. I saw one fluffy bomb a couple of weekends ago that took out 2 people at the same time. It'd be a hellvua epiteth (sp) on the headstone though. Here Lies Byran This is how he did his dyin': A plop of snow aimed at his head. And now he's dead.

[JimK]

Close, but there is only one "p" in phlumf

[moosefish]

It might not have been a successful trip, Bryan, but compare it to my trip scheduled for this weekend: * High avy danger cancels main plan. * Backup plan was to take my daughter snowshoeing somewhere safe up Snoqualmie Pass... cancelled due to rain at the pass and mild illness we don't want to encourage into full-blown illness. * Secondary backup plan was to wander up the North Fork of the Snoqualmie, but a call from work and then FALLING DOWN THE FRICKIN' STAIRS blew that one out. I'm going back to bed. At least you got some cool pics.

[summithound]

Thanks for the trip report Bryan. I made it to the upper fall viewpoint last weekend and there was absolutely no snow to speak of. Maybe there's something in the air up there. My hiking partner was beginning to feel a little under the weather just past the shelter as well. Thank you for that $5 donation. I didn't donate anything when I went so you can think of it as covering both of us

[Sabahsboy]

As I understood, the $5 parking fee was lifted by the Legislature a year ago and went into affect last summer. I believe the $5 is requested donation for park maintenance, now. I noticed the boxes were still in place at several state parks last year (esp. at Deception Pass S. P.). I will stop by Wallace Falls and check out the fee request. Almost went there Sunday. I was in a water fall mood. We succumbed to an easy access falls, Marsh Creek Falls.