Two-fer Tuesday

Yesterday made up for last week's lack of a waterfall by providing me two along the same stretch of creek. Snow Falls, upper and lower, was my destination and they did not disappoint.

The trailhead is west of Bonners Ferry, just south of the Wildlife Refuge and a shorter drive than my previous adventures. I was surprised that I followed a paved road most of the way, my route only changing to a dirt logging road with a little over a mile to go. But logging road is the operative term. I do not like to see signs like this, knowing how those logging trucks and their heavy loads barrel down the mountain on somewhat narrow roads with no guardrails. Well, it's only about a mile . . . I'll go slow and wide around any corners.

Up until now, the road had been pretty flat but the dirt road quickly gets steep and somewhat switchbackie, second gear stuff. (Yes, I still drive a vehicle with a clutch.) That Falls sign points off to nothing, then as the road curves, there's a turnout on the left for parking, something not evident if directions had not pointed it out.  You can see how far up you've come in such a short ways.

The trailhead is even less evident. Walk a bit farther up the road (as my directions instructed) and there it is, dropping off the embankment with the only signage being a board with various postings. It's a mile to the falls, mostly straight down, which gives one pause about the return trip.

Ok, I can do this, psyching myself up, not for the hike down but the inevitable hike back up. If there's one thing this part of Idaho has plenty of, it's deep narrow canyons which didn't use to faze me. Yeah, a bit out of shape these days. Luckily, this is such a well kept trail making "a gradual descent into the Snow Creek Drainage," passing through "Ponderosa pines, a dry open hillside and eventually to old growth cedar and hemlock," according to my brochure. At several points I caught a spicy scent I couldn't place - maybe the wild ginger the brochure also mentions? There are boardwalks across areas that would have water in the spring...

And a few benches here and there. You're going to need that on the way back up.

And barriers along steep drop-offs, partly to persuade you to stay on the trail rather than try to take a shortcut as the trail switchbacks below.

In half a mile you reach a T in the trail. Right takes you to the upper falls, left down to the lower one. Knowing the long climb I'd have going back up, it made sense to head UP at this point to the upper falls.

This part of the trail is really lovely, a bit of an ascent through open pines, winding along the shaded hillside and over a small creek heading for Snow Creek. They've even placed a "meditation bench" overlooking this little creek. This time of year hardly anything going down it and not worth my while to climb those stairs!

Always at least one tree of interest, this one probably taken by fire and half gutted.

Finally the trail heads down again and I get my first glimpse of the Upper Falls.

This must be a real wonder during spring runoff, but I enjoy also seeing the rock formation that it flows over now that the volume of water is less.

Plus you can see the way the water splits over the rockface. Those dots of yellow? Leaves already turned fall colors and blown from their trees.

The creek flows past the viewing area and around some rather large and lichen-covered boulders.

And makes a sprint over the edge to tumble through the gorge to the lower falls.

Here's a pan of the falls and the creek below to the point of that drop off. I still find myself stunned at the crystal clear quality of the water. And you just know people are heading off the trail and wading or swimming in that pool.

Rested and satiated by the sounds and sights, it's time to head back up the trail and down to the lower falls. 

I think I'll save the lower falls and hike back out for a separate post. After all, this was a "two-fer" trip.