A Mostly Driving Hiking Trip

On Monday we decided to enjoy the last of the nice weather for Spring Break and go for a couple of short hikes up off Hwy 12 out of Randle. Printed up driving and hiking directions from a backpacking website, loaded up some food and our camelbacks and set off…

We drove exactly where the directions told us to, but missed the green (not brown) sign on the left (not right) side of the road. No big deal. We just turned around and went the correct direction. Nothing! The roads didn’t seem to exist and neither did the trailhead. Eventually we just got out and started walking up what we thought was the road, but soon realized wasn’t. Then we found another possibility with a giant tree across it. Nope!

However, we saw some pretty things while driving all over creation but not to the Burley Mountain lookout trail…

waterfall on the side of the road

Mt Adams peeking through the trees

   

we crossed this creek a few times

Then we decided to give up on the fire lookout trail and do the Covel Creek trail before it got dark. Thankfully, we had driven by the trailhead on our previous drive through the woods.

We walked a bit down the trail and met a woman who told us that the bridge was out and we’d have to go back down the trail and go the other way to the falls…

Soon we were finally going down the correct trail to the falls…

this bridge wasn’t out

    

 this bridge was a bit primitive but I had a nice gentleman to help me down to the crossing…

and a silly boy to take pictures (this is his first and last selfie)

I made it!

 

make that TWO silly boys!

this seemed more like half a bridge

 

Will waits so patiently

We were a bit concerned when the trail seemed to get away from the creek

  

But before long we could hear the sound of water again…

It seemed like there was just one waterfall after another…

The sun was beginning to set and everyone was getting hungry, but we decided to follow the trail a bit further despite the fact that it seemed to go away from the creek again…

We were so glad we did!

Because it led to Angel Falls!

Walking behind waterfalls is always cool! (literally and figuratively)

   In spite of the “bridge out” warning, we found our own way across. We wanted to check out what we missed… Including the picnic shelter.

this log worked just fine!

It was too late and we were too hungry to do Layser Caves. We’ll save them for the next time…

We were quite impressed by how safe the elk are when crossing the road, using the crosswalk and all…

  Mt Adams gave us one last look

Mexican food in Mossyrock really hit the spot!