Wallace Falls

Why have I never heard of Wallace Falls before? What a wonderful hike. It was the same group as last Saturday, Emily, Caitlyn, Kylie, Justin, Coen, and I. None of had any idea what to expect. The weather was overcast, with an occasional sun ray peeking through the clouds. It was a little chilly, but we were better prepared for the "riders" Kylie and Coen so they wouldn't get cold hands and heads. The start of the trail is a little ominous. You are welcomed by an eerie buzz of the overhead power lines, and then hike about 1/4 mile down a flat trail through some clear cutting. As soon as we reached the real trail head we were greeted by the roaring Wallace River. It proved to be a great companion as we hiked. There is something soothing about the roar of a river. The forest quickly became dense and damp, moss covering nearly every limb. Only about 1/2 mile into the hike you come across the first waterfall.

The trail consists of mostly flat areas and gentle climbs, with the occasional steep incline. Nothing that Caitlyn couldn't handle.

There are a series of very nice bridges that cross creeks and the river at various points. The girls loved each and every one of them. Eventually we came across a small shelter that is set up as a picnic area, and were greeted with the roar of the middle fall. Here is the view.

Very cool. A bit further up the trail brought us to the top of the middle falls and to a panoramic view of the valley below. Caitlyn led the way, and set the pace up the steepest part of the trail. I kid you not that we all had to struggle to keep up with her. She is 5! What a hiker!

From that point there is another 1/2 mile to the upper falls, but the girls hit a wall. Coen was ready to go home too, so we didn't push it. With about 1.5 miles until we were back at the trail head, Kylie decided that she was going to walk, and walk she did. Our 2 year old hiked the last mile and a half. Occasionally she would get to a step or root that she couldn't get down or over by herself, but she refused any help. She can be a stubborn little thing. She must get that from her mommy ; ). With about a mile left to go, Caitlyn said she couldn't hike anymore because her side hurt, do she rode the last mile on daddy's shoulders. 15 pounds in the pack (since Kylie was walking) and a 50 pound girl on my shoulders. That was a workout! It also started to rain for the last mile. Not too hard, but enough to get us wet. The big trees above also seemed to collect the water and drop giant drops on us. The kids were all troopers, and nobody complained. In fact, Miss Kylie was grinning ear to ear and jumping in every puddle as she proclaimed "Walk!".
Finally we got back to the car just in time for the sky to really open up. We stripped off the muddy shoes and socks from the girls and ventured home. It was a great hike. I would highly recommend it to anyone!