Waterfall Wednesday, short hike in Washington State (album)

Spirit Falls, WA

I crossed another waterfall off the list last week. Well, two, actually. That's another post though. The subject of today's Waterfall Wednesday is Spirit Falls, and man... it's a gem. It's a short and steep hike in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. It crosses through private land, so hike at your own risk. I needed to see this place, so I was a bit determined.

The water was blue. Reaaaally blue. Some of the bluest water I've ever seen. The second closest in color to this one is Koosah Falls, down in Oregon. I explored this place for a little while and was mildly startled when some kayakers appeared, lugging their vessels on their shoulders. I thought I was alone in this place. They snuck up in the water and landed just before the falls. They were bypassing it.. this time. I have seen photos of kayakers floating over the edge of these waterfalls before, but not today.

They lumbered down the trail, making it to a safe point to sail away again. I tried to grab some photos of them downstream.

After hiking and slipping around this place for a while (seriously, it was slippery), I headed back up the very steep trail to the car. This image was the last one I took and one of my favorites.

Back at the car, I began the long drive back to Seattle. This waterfall visit was the last stop on a 5 day trek through Oregon, from the coast to the desert. Definitely a nice note to end on.

-Nathaniel