Hiking On Sunday With The Ladies

“Catzia, Ldyblade and I decided that be there rain or not we needed to get outside this morning. So we left early. Our goal for the day was Lipsy Lake/Otter Falls along the Taylor River here in Washington State. The lovely MFK road was in the best shape I have yet to see it in. We did 35 mph instead of the usual moontastic avoid-the-car-swallowing-potholes. We made great time to the end of the road.
It was there I noticed I somehow had left my jacket at home and my backup emergency poncho. On a day where it was supposed to be howling with rain. Oh well. I had a pack cover. I wasn't turning back.

It was only a generation ago this area was stripped of every log they could carry out. 5 years ago this area wasn't family friendly-it was full of ne'er do wells, stolen cars, drug labs illegal offroading and everything else one needed.

The whole area is an amazing example of what people can do for an area.

The Taylor River (Or as Synchro would say, the Taylor Creek):


Glacial erratics in the woods:


Marten Creek, which pours from the not-so-easily reached Marten Lake high above. The photo doesn't show it, but it was a pounder of a creek:


The old road bed is becoming more trail every winter:


After a good 4 1/2 miles we found the cairn markers for where the turn off for Lipsy Lake was. Yes, someone painted "cairn" upside down.

When we came down, someone had decorated it more, building a fancy entrance with more rocks and sticks. Catzia got a great shot of it!

We headed up, or at least Ldyblade did:


It is a short steep hike up thru a second growth forest. You pop up on a ridge crest, where we encountered a circus that had set up camp-in the middle of the trail. They had even left a 12 pack of wieners for us to dance over :p Mmmm....processed hot dogs! The trail then shot down to the lake. Now Otter Falls? Well, in photos it doesn't look big-but that wall is at least 500 ft high, shooting down:






Otter Falls can be seen from a summit across the way, where the waterfall is over 1,600 ft long. That is a waterfall.

L set up her new OR Awning and we sat under it, as the rain started, eating hot lunches. I had mushroom bell pepper pesto spaghetti, L had massive burritos and Catzia had these tasty potatoes. L proved you can dehydrate cake and rehydrate it. And you will drool. We packed up, jumped over the hot dogs once again, and nearly fell into the fire pit the idiots had in the middle of the trail (yes, I kid not).

We had a flowing hike out. The rain sputtered a bit, but it held overall. The truck was reached. And then......oh yeah, it is good. L gets in the back seat and says "what is this?". And it is my jacket stuffed under the kids car seat. *&^%$
Oh well. And not long after, the skies opened up and dumped. It is still dumping. Nice of old mother nature to be nice to us for those 5 hours. We owe her.

Beta trips for summer are ones I love. It was a good day!”

“A great trip report with outstanding photos. And yes the creek looked like a "pounder" .”

“Nice waterfalls. Nice state.”

“Nice trip, Girls!”

“Gorgeous pictures. I need to see Washington.”