Driving towards Lake in the Woods, I saw one lone tree on a hillside amid a clearcut. Talk about not seeing the forest for the tree.

My first hike was Hemlock Falls, which was just as gorgeous as ever. I then went to Yakso Falls. I spent quite a bit of time talking with two rangers who happened to be checking a couple of bridges on that trail.

I’ve known about the upper falls on the Hemlock trail for many years, but until today I hadn’t had time to visit them. I knew that there was going to be either limited viewing or difficulty getting to a good vantage. The trail is steeper than someone with my knees should be on, but my knees have actually been in somewhat better shape the past couple of days, so I went for it. I did not attempt to get to a view of Middle Hemlock Falls. When I got to Clover Falls, I could hear it, but I couldn’t see anything. There was a steep hillside with obvious paths, so I knew that I was in the right place. The location was also marked by a huckleberry bush loaded with berries. I went partway down the hill, but I decided that I just wasn’t going to push my luck any farther. That doesn’t mean that a view of the falls is inaccessible. It’s just more than what I felt was reasonable with my current limitations. Upon climbing the hill I noticed that the bush was no longer loaded with berries. I’m not admitting anything, but the other huckleberry bushes I saw today also featured vanishing fruit. Once I got back up to the trail I walked a few more steps and was able to sort of see the waterfall through the trees.

On my return I occasionally stopped just to enjoy the feeling of being in the forest. Some of that included areas that strangely featured all the same species of tree all approximately the same size. Something tells me that’s not natural. So it’s replanted after a clear cut, but I still enjoyed the not quite natural beauty. So there’s hope for those bald hills I see in so many places. I’m not comparing that to old growth, but it can still be quite nice. Heck, put that in San Diego and it would be very crowded.

I can’t see myself returning to that trail, but I’m glad that I finally had a chance to check it out in person. Sometimes you just need to see things that you’ve thought about for many years.

I wasn’t planning to go to Grotto Falls, but I decided it was worth the drive to get there. The drive isn’t exactly long, but it’s not the sort of road where I would want to meet oncoming traffic. Not to mention the fact that it’s not encouraging to see a sign indicating a CB channel at the start of the road. Fortunately I was the only car both going to and coming from the falls. Grotto is just an incredible place to be. I stayed there for a long time because I just didn’t want to leave.

I had seen a nice cascade in the Little River a short distance downstream from Wolf Creek, so I parked and walked down the road to look for it. Unfortunately the bank between the road and the river was posted No Trespassing, so I only got a view from the roadside.

Since I was so close to Cavitt Falls, I figured why not swing by. I was shocked to see the entrance road gated. The sign stated that the rec area is closed for the winter. The reason I was surprised is because we’ve been there during winter.

I sort of thought that the huckleberries were a consolation prize for not being able get a good view of the waterfalls along the Hemlock Trail. But I think that finding the opportunity to return to Grotto Falls is the best thing that happened all day. Or perhaps just being in Oregon with the opportunity to hike in the woods is more important than reaching any particular destination.