On the Rocks at Silver Falls
Aug. 14th, 2022 04:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerA week ago Saturday we hiked Silver Falls at Mt. Rainier National Park. After a pleasant start crossing through the forest the trail broke out on the edge of canyon above the Ohanapecosh River. Numerous little side trails darted down the canyon sides to overlooks closer to the river. We considered visiting them but decided to hold off until we'd seen the main falls first. Then we'd decide which side trails to visit on the way back.
There was one side trail we went down before reaching the turnaround point on the trail, a bridge over the canyon below the falls, and I'm glad we did. This perch on the wet rocks just opposite Silver Falls (photo above) provides the nicest view IMO. Plenty of hikers lined the switchbacks above the bridge a bit further downstream shooting pictures of the falls. Their longer-distance vantage point wasn't as nice as this. I know, because we tried it, too, before coming back. 😅
Once we made our turnaround above the ridge we climbed back out onto the rocks along the river's bank. We found that a spry enough person doesn't have to go down lots of the side trails individually; she can just scramble and rock-hop from one to the next to the next. Even if having to scramble and rock-hop with a cane in hand.
In planning for Saturday we had prepped for this to be a 3 mile trail with several hundred feet of ascent. From the trailhead we began at it was about half that. Nevermind; we put the extra time and energy we allocated to it to good use climbing and sitting on the rocks. We returned to the trailhead about 2 hours after we left, satisfied with this trail and ready to begin the next.
In beauty I walk.
There was one side trail we went down before reaching the turnaround point on the trail, a bridge over the canyon below the falls, and I'm glad we did. This perch on the wet rocks just opposite Silver Falls (photo above) provides the nicest view IMO. Plenty of hikers lined the switchbacks above the bridge a bit further downstream shooting pictures of the falls. Their longer-distance vantage point wasn't as nice as this. I know, because we tried it, too, before coming back. 😅
Once we made our turnaround above the ridge we climbed back out onto the rocks along the river's bank. We found that a spry enough person doesn't have to go down lots of the side trails individually; she can just scramble and rock-hop from one to the next to the next. Even if having to scramble and rock-hop with a cane in hand.
In planning for Saturday we had prepped for this to be a 3 mile trail with several hundred feet of ascent. From the trailhead we began at it was about half that. Nevermind; we put the extra time and energy we allocated to it to good use climbing and sitting on the rocks. We returned to the trailhead about 2 hours after we left, satisfied with this trail and ready to begin the next.
In beauty I walk.
