[thxII38]

I had been watching the forecast for a few days. It was looking like Monday was going to be perfect conditions for a trip to Tumalo Falls. The weather was cold, about 20F, and there was a couple of inches of new snow. I got to the Skyliners snow park trailhead at about 9:00am. Once I got the skis on and started toward Tumalo Falls, I was pleased to see that I had first-track in the snow! The trail is filled with small rolling hills all the way to the falls. I was rewarded with a great view of the falls, and when I headed to the upper lookout, the sky parted and it became sunny for a few minutes. I went beyond the falls by about 1/2 mile before the going got too deep to continue. When I got back to the upper observation area, I noticed a strange looking dog accompanying two skiers. As "the dog" got closer, it became clear that it wasn't a dog at all. It was a pygmy goat. How cute. When I headed back, I ran into a dozens of skiers and people hiking in both boots and snowshoes. It's nice to see this was so popular on a Monday, but I was pleased to have the falls to myself for a few minutes when I got there.