Falls Creek Loop Trail, Olympic National Forest, Washington
2013.09.08
After visiting the lodge, we set out on our first trail, which started just across the road. The Falls Creek Loop Trail is about 1.6 miles, and crosses Falls Creek and Cascade Creek.
Along the trail are towering trees covered in moss and ferns large and small. We only encountered a few people occasionally, so for the most part all we heard were birds and bubbling creeks, and our own crunching feet.
We enjoyed the hike, but it must be said we were underwhelmed by the falls themselves. These are just small creeks, and are more like “cascades” than “falls”. It seemed that the trail was not placed to give the best viewing positions either. Each creek was crossed by a wooden footbridge that was practically on top of the falls, partially hiding them from view.
Sometimes along the path, there was a spicy smell like cinnamon, which we decided was coming from clumps of ferns (though the understory is so dense, it could have easily been something else). Puzzlingly though, distribution maps of the Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) show their range only in the eastern United States and Canada, and they are named for the color and shape of their stamen, with no mention of scent. The source remains a mystery to me.
About halfway through the trail, my camera began to blink the battery icon. Oh no. I turned off the display to conserve power. Must remember to recharge the battery every night just to be sure.
Lake Quinault II