Hello, hikers,

Decisions, decisions! The original plan was to head North for a day along the Sauk River. Since there were only two of us hiking, the decision was made not to make the long drive to the Darrington, instead staying here "in our own back yard". Where does one hike on a rainy day when the snow levels are low, the forecast is for rain, and storm damage and downed trees make some of the favorite trails impassable?...Bridal Veil Falls, of course! Jen and I got an early start, and it paid off as we were the only car parked in the lot at the trailhead...ah, the place to ourselves. Donning rain gear and Gore-Tex boots, and trekking poles in hand, we headed up the trail, not knowing what we'd find in the way of damage from the earlier storms of the season. The moss covered the surrounding trees, giving the area a magical look. Oops, our first run in with the remnants of winds and heavy rain....the trail had been washed out in two places, however, we found it quite easy to pick and choose an alternate route to join the trail on the other side. Now, we start to get views of the areas above, covered in what looks to be fresh snow. Soon at the cut off to the falls, we look forward to a bit of uphill, stairs to climb, and some rocks to teeter over. There is water everywhere, spilling over from above, running down and over our path. Patches of snow greet us as we near the falls. Prepare yourself, Jen, for your first visit to these rather spectacular falls. As we round the corner, the sounds of the water crashing down over the rock cliffs above, and the spray from the massive volume, made us in awe of this beauty. For those of us that wear glasses, the spray at times was blinding, as the wind picked it up and blew it our way. Again, we have this wonder to ourselves (:-)! Finding the perfect lunch spot we enjoy and array of snacks, nibbling away as the sights and sounds of Bridal Veil Falls mesmerize us. Photo time as Jen takes out the camera, having to wrap it in a cloth to keep it from getting wet. Snow pellets begin falling, as the temperature near the falls is quite nippy. Alas, it's time to pack up, as our faces were beginning to feel the cold...sigh! As we head down, others arrive, but not in time to spoil our time alone with this beauty. As we arrive at the cut off to Lake Serene, we decide to hike a bit more to take in a few other perspectives of the falls. From a bridge below, the view affords us of the falls in triplicate crashing over the rocks high above our vantage point. Further on, the water is spilling over in to a pool at trailside...wow! The trail is getting crowded with none other that hikers in..what!...tennis shoes....so we head back. A truly wonderful day was had by the two of us, right in our own back yard! The trip would not have been complete had it not been for a stop at the Sultan Bakery for some pastries and hot chocolate on the way home...the perfect finish to a day in the woods. Stay tuned for next month's hike information: Poo Poo Point, and Little Si.

Happy Trails,
Kathy