Afternoon Hike to Spruce Flats Falls

Needed to get out today, so went back up to Spruce Flats Falls. You might recall my earlier hike up there. Well, today was different. After all the rain we got, I expected the falls to be pretty wild, and they were. There was so much water, in fact, that I couldn't get to the same angles I had previously. All Spruce Flats Falls entries.



Anyway, in addition to all the extra water, the trail up close to the very base of the falls didn't seem safe, and since I was alone, I did not feel like risking it.

The falls were COLD today! I think the ambient temps were in the mid 30s, but I suspect the falls were low 30s with all the spray in the air.


It was a pretty successfully photohike - out of 256 shots (wtf?!) there were 36 I considered worth saving.

After the hike, I still had some time to kill, so I headed up to the Foothills Parkway. Fairly unremarkable - I had been hoping to end up there around sunset, but I was easily an hour too early. The only really cool thing I saw was a ginormous woodpecker (big enough for me to wonder WTF it was, turn around and drive by it again!). I can't be sure, but I think it was either a Pileated Woodpecker or a Ivory-billed Woodpecker. I can't be 100% sure - I didn't get a great look at the wings. Given the scarcity of the latter, it was likely the former. Being in the car, no pics :(

Critter count:

- Ginormous woodpecker: 1
- Centipede: 1
- Other hikers: only 2!

Photos still uploading, will link later I guess.