Fish Creek Falls (Lower and Upper)

Distance: 0.5 miles round trip to the Lower Falls, 5.4 miles round trip to Upper Falls
Elevation: 1,227 ft
Elevation Gain: 7,530 ft -8,757 ft
Bathroom at Trailhead: Yes
Fees: $5/vehicle or Federal All Access Pass
Tags: #waterfall, #hiking, #coloradooutdoors, #steamboat

Fish Creek Falls near Steamboat Springs, CO

Lower Fish Creek Falls near Steamboat Springs, CO is a perennial favorite with tourists because of its dramatic setting and 280 ft drop. The lower falls can be accessed via a short 1/4 mile gravel path that most folks can access. At the bottom is a bridge over the creek that affords everyone the chance to be Ansel Adams without having to step far from the car. Spring runoff is a particularly good time to visit, just be advised you won't be alone and may have to bump a few selfie-stick holders off the bridge to get your shot.

Nearly accessible trail to the lower falls

Typical rockier segment

Upper Fish Creek Falls is 2.2 miles further up the trail and is a lovely hike for those with the ability. The route wanders in and out of Aspen groves, which makes it particularly pretty in Autumn. The falls themselves are shorter than the lower falls but are much more accessible. You can scramble right up to the base if desired or stand back for an optimal view.

Example of a softer trail segment

The day we hiked to the upper falls, it was snowing and foggy and yet there was still yellow leaves on the trees so we ended up Jekyll and Hyde'ing it between Autumn and Winter every few hundred yards. Humidity is not my friend and I grumbled because my eyeglasses kept fogging up and I expelled my breath with each lurching step upwards. The return trip was better and I could marvel and the gorge the trail follows as well as the Aspen gauntlets that had everyone cooing. Had their been puppies and kittens too, world peace would have spontaneously occurred.

Upper falls

Autumn bling

The trail to the upper falls alternates between soft trails and exposed rock, the latter of which can be quite slick when wet.

Fall colors in the fog

To get to the trailhead, travel north on third street then turn right on fish creek falls road and travel 4 miles to the trailhead. The parking lot is large but can easily fill up.

Clear Creek Falls

Clear Creek Falls is located off of Highway 149 (Silverthread Scenic Byway) between Lake City and Creede. A short trail leads to an observation point but other social trails follow along the gulch to other overlooks. This is a must do if you take this route.

Clear Creek falls 

Close up

Hanging Lake

Distance: 3 miles round trip
Elevation: 6,143 ft - 7,251 ft
Elevation Gain: 1,108 ft
Dogs: On leash
Bathroom at Trailhead: Yes

Bridal Veil Falls form the backdrop of mysterious Hanging Lake

Hanging Lake is a mysterious destination tucked into a crenelation of Glenwood Canyon near the town of Glenwood Springs.  It is mysterious for the aqua and teal color of its waters and for the tropical feel of the two water falls that form its backdrop.  It is also mysterious because it is not easy to get to.  For anyone who has driven through Glenwood Canyon, you know about the two elevated highways that weave around and across the Colorado River. Because of this, there is only one way to the trailhead, and that is from the east bound span.  After your hike, it is necessary to travel ALL THE WAY back to Glenwood Springs to head east again if that is the direction you need to go.  A similar frustrating round-a-bout is necessary if you are traveling west.  You have to travel to Glenwood Springs and then turn around and travel back east to the trailhead.  This destination is so cool, however, that you really won't care that much.

The rest area with its bathroom

Starting out on the bike trail

The trailhead is accessed from the Hanging Lake Rest Area with its picnic tables and restroom.  The trailhead is 0.25 miles up the Glenwood Canyon bike path, which travels the entire length of the canyon (12.5 miles).  The trailhead if obvious.  There is a bike ride and large trailhead sigh, which warns hikers of the strenuous nature of the trail.  It is 1.2 miles from here to the lake.

Moon  next to one of the towers of Glenwood Canyon.  Note the layers of sedimentary rock in the lower  right.  Glenwood Canyon was formed by the Colorado River cutting through layers of Pennsylvanian and Mississippian Sandstone. 

The Colorado River.  I really want to ride the 12.5 mile bike that that travels through the canyon.   Last year (2011) it was closed due to high water.  

The trail to Hanging Lake IS steep, but is certainly no worse than Boulder's Royal Arch or Saddle Rock trails.  Almost anyone with some level of fitness and a full day to spend can make it to the lake.  Dawdling is for Texans however.  Coloradans should bag the scenic nature of the trail, grab a defibrillator, and hustle up the trail as fast as possible.  You can gaze at pleasant Dead Horse Creek and looming rock walls on the way down.  Maximum burn and cardiovascular distress should be your goal on the way up.  Since I was on my way back from Arches National Park and did not bother to bring any water with me, this was my plan.  I definitely smoked the numerous families and occasional grand ma mas that littered the trail like beer cans after the Sturgis Bike Rally.  Hanging Lake may be mysterious but it is certainly not undiscovered.

The early part of the trail is exposed and traverses a large tallus pile. 

The trail follows pleasant Dead Horse Creek.  Several bridges take the hiker back and forth across it.  

Most of the trail is rock steps with a few bridges that traverse the creek.  After 1.1 miles, a tall, precipitous staircase takes the hiker the last 50 vertical feet to the lake.  If you are not freaking out over the drop off, take a second to admire the view of the canyon walls.  The geology of Glenwood Canyon is a wonder of Colorado.  I for one was gasping and grasping at the handrail, having forgotten this short but nerve-wracking pitch.  The ascent takes seconds, blessed be, and then you are at the lake.

Much of the trail is in the trees

A small shelter hugs one wall of the canyon

A nice Trex deck with equally pleasant benches lines the lake so you can gaze at the pond scum that lines the border.  What eery denizens live in these wildly colorful waters?  Stay at the lake after dark and you may find out the hard way!

A more manicured trail segment

There is a large log that bisects the lake and in my short time there I saw more than one crazy tourist try to walk out on it.  While certainly damaging to the psyche, a fall into Hanging Lake is more likely to affect the local critters so please be kind to the green slime that really doesn't want to be bathed in human excretions.

The view of the Dead Horse Canyon from the stairs

Heading up the narrow, rough cut steps

I did see people climbing up above the waterfalls, so there is a route up there, but I was in a rush, so I did not try to find it  It was actually cold the day I did this hike, and breeze became colder after blowing across the water.  So don't let the tropical ambiance fool you.  This destination can be nippy so plan accordingly.

"Pond Scum" adds to the colorful nature of Hanging Lake

The right side of the lake is dirt.  Note the Trex deck along the far edge.

The shelf holding the lake against the walls is formed by Travertine, a limestone deposit that is known to form shelves near hot springs (think Yellow Stone National Park or Havasupai Falls).  It is extremely fragile, which is why the deck was built and tourists are asked not to enter the water.

Heading back down the steep staircase.  Those handrails come in handy.  

A couple of Golden Mountain Ground Squirrels in the parking lot.  

Hanging Lake is one of the 100 classic hikes of Colorado.  In 2011 it was made a Natural Natural Landmark.  Don't pass this up if you are in the area.

Washington: Snoqualmie Falls

Snoqualmie Falls from the lower viewing
platform. A local energy company is
building a hydroelectric plant on the site,
so the trails to the bottom are closed and cranes 
marred the landscape.

The second day of our Washington vacation we went to Snoqualmie Falls. This was very close to Issaquah where we were staying and would certainly be within day tripping distance from Seattle.

The falls themselves were quite impressive but this was not a wilderness experience.  Getting a parking spot in the long, ergonomically incorrect parking lot took fortitude, the ability to curse like a sailor, and the willingness to run over aged grand parents  from three continents.

There are multiple view locations that provide slightly different angles to the falls.  They can be reached via stairs or long handicapped ramps, which was great from my aged mother who could not do stairs.  Each of these platforms was seething with humanity.  The aged grandparents I almost killed in the parking lot had brought along their entire extended families from India, Latin America, and China and they were not about to give up their spot on the railings until Uncle Beezlebub had taken every possible combination of photos of the smiling brood.   I think our mistake was visiting the falls on a weekend and a sunny one to boot.

Next to the falls is the Salish Inn, which a friend had reported had a wonderful Sunday brunch.  We could not get anywhere near the two restaurants and so bolted out of there back to our rain forest oasis as quickly as possible. Still, the falls are worth seeing, just go mid-week and avoid the hordes. 

The view from the upper platform

Oregon: Silver Falls State Park

South Falls

Silver Falls State Park is a phenomenal destination only an hour northeast of Salem on highway 214. It is located in a temperate rain forest in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. 100-year old moss, ferns, and raging waterfalls are just some of the sites one can expect in the park.

South Falls Close Ups

I was traveling with my parents so we visited the falls that could be seen from the road or on short walks an level terrain.

Winter Falls

North Falls

Taken with a telephoto lens from the North Falls view point on Hwy 214 going towards Silverton

On this trip I was continuously amazed with Oregon weather. In the several hours we were at the park, we were hailed on twice and between each deluge, we had warm sunny skies!

The rain forest

The trail heading down to the bottom of South Falls. Every inch is covered with something growing!



Flowers

Mosses

Day 4: Hike to Chapel Falls, Lake, Rock, and Beach...Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Distance: 6.1 miles round trip


Chapel Falls
There is a great 10-mile hike around the entire Pictured Rocks area, but since it was quite cold and threatening rain, we opted for the shorter 6.1 mile journey down to Chapel falls, Chapel Rock, and Chapel lake. This was a surreal hike through very dark and dense trees. We kept asking each other how would they describe the sensation of being there. It was not sinister per say but nor was it bucolic. I was reading Last of the Mohicans at the time and I could not help but imagine that just out of sight were wigwams filled with Indian warriors just waiting to erupt through the trees like fire ants from a disturbed nest. I certainly would not have wanted to leave the trail in that forest. Without landmarks, it would have been difficult to find ones way back. In Colorado, it is much harder to get lost unless stuck below treeline. There is almost always a peak of some sort visible.


The road to the trailhead hinted at the density of the trees we would encounter.

Elaine is almost engulfed in the trees less than 50 yards from the trail

Chapel falls is very picturesque being in a deep bowl surrounded by dense and dripping vegetation. I took way too many pictures and without a tripod, they only hint at peacefulness of the lightly flowing water.


Freeze frame of a Chapel Falls rivulet

Detail of Chapel Falls

An blurry attempt to slow down the falls. The two Germans each had tripods. I almost threw some slimy fungus at them in an attempt to make off with one.

The slimy fungus mentioned above. These shrooms looked like they had been coated in goo from some Alien movie
Chapel rock is very interesting and is probably more so on foot than via the boat tour, which a small craft advisory prevented us from taking. It is an eroded sandstone edifice upon which is perched a large tree. The rock has eroded out from under the tree roots, which stretched across the abyss like an anaconda rope bridge. The edifice is gouged out in many places, forming arches and holes through which the tumultuous waves can be seen.


Shelf fungus was ubiquitous in the forest. This species was covering a downed tree trunk.
There are many nice campgrounds in this area and to escape the relentless and biting wind we snuggled up in one to quickly eat our lunch. In the trees, we were not miserably cold, but out on the exposed shoreline of Lake Superior, it was cold and we did not linger on the sand.


Chapel Rock and tree with its exposed root system

Chapel Beach. The 10 mile trail continues on to the right around the headland. Our trail cut back inland at the end of the beach.
The trip back up the Chapel Beach trail takes the hiker by a small lake that is quickly becoming meadow. Here we chatted with two photographers from Germany. They pointed to the meadow and said “Moose…perfect place”. It sure would have seemed so but Moose are in fact rather rare in the UP and have only recently been reintroduced.


Chapel Lake
A little farther up the trail is Chapel Lake, which glittered in a freakish break in the clouds. It is far below the hiker, however, so no waterfowl sightings are possible without a seriously big lens.


Jelly Fungus (Tremella mesenterica). Despite its bizarre appearance, Jelly fungus are not poisonous.
While most people visiting the Pictured Rocks area opt for the loop that takes you out by the rocks and on to Mosquito Beach, this loop was very interesting, particularly to us Coloradans who have spent little time in the hardwoods. While we saw no fairies, we did see lot of fascinating mushrooms, even one that looked like Cheese Wiz. Surreal indeed!