Bridal Veil Falls

All I can say is WOW!  We went to Bridal Veil Falls near Index WA on July 28th and it was amazing! This is about a 5 mile hike medium in difficulty.  The trails are quite narrow with some mud and water over the walkway.  Some areas are also rocky so watch your step.  I wouldn't recommend bringing anyone under 5 years old.

Don't let the trail fool you.  It was narrow with lots of bugs and not fabulous views.  The forest was nice and quiet with birds sounding in the distance.

You will walk through the forest for about 1 1/2 miles and the trees open up to amazing views of the tree and snow filled mountains.  My boys just wanted to sit there and enjoy the view for a while.

After this viewpoint you will walk a bit further and see a sign that points right for the falls and left for Lake Serene ( about 2 more miles with strenuous switchbacks).  We stayed to the right for today.

You will notice as you continue up that the temperature slowly cools and you know you are getting close.  You will pass a moss covered rock on the right and then you will hit the STEPS.

We counted 187 on our way.  Whenever I count stairs I always seem to be off by a few.  See how many you can count and let me know how close we were.

As I took pictures the boys got a lead on me and all I hear is them yelling "Oh my gosh mom!  You have to see this."  This must be good!

So I continued up to the top and they were right! Amazing!  We were so close, we could feel the cool mist on our faces and could touch the icy water!

These pictures and videos can never show the true majesty and beauty of God's creations.  Just know that everything posted here is even more beautiful in person.  My oldest son said that this is the best hike yet and we have done many.  I always tell my kids when we see these awesome sights that  you have to work hard to experience the best life has to offer and this is a perfect example.  We sat for about a half an hour just watching the falls before we had to go back down.  We didn't want to leave.

To get to the trailhead, travel east on Highway 2  from Monroe, WA. At milepost 35.2, about 21 miles east of Monroe, turn right onto Mount Index Road (Forest Road 6020 - gravel). Travel 0.3 mile on Forest Road 6020 and branch right onto Forest Road 6020-109 (gravel) follow the sign that says Lake Serene. The trailhead parking is just ahead.  A Northwest Forest Pass is required to park at the trailhead. There are two potties in the parking area (pretty fresh when we were there). 

Check out my post on Where to buy your Forest Pass

I hope you enjoy this hike as much as we did.  We made a couple of really fun stops on the way home that I will ad in a new page called "fun stops on the way".  Keep your eyes peeled. 

I always like to hear your comments, so if you have a favorite hike, comment, or question, let me know!  You can also get email notifications when I make a new post by following me by email at the top of the page.

Lake Janus

Well, we ventured to Lake Janus today (July 22nd) off of Highway 2 Stevens Pass east.  The trail is 7 miles round trip. According to my sources, this is best traversed mid July to October.  So, I should have known, since our summer has been terrible that the trail was not ready for us.  We made it about 1 mile before the snow overtook the trail and we could go no further. There was mud and water most of the way, so our shoes were soaked by the end.

We did make it to a nice viewpoint where there was a pond/swamp area. I noticed a lot of bugs while we were there because of the standing water so I would suggest using bug repellent or using a bug bracelet. 

I would suggest making this trek in August or September to make sure the trail is dry and the snow is mostly melted.  This trail is medium in difficulty and I wouldn't suggest bringing young children.  My boys are 9 and 11 and they were fine.  The trail is uphill and steep in some areas with an elevation gain of 1100 feet. I was very unhappy that we were unable to finish what we started, but I figured it was better to turn around than have to spend the night in the snow after getting lost.

You do not need a wilderness pass to park at the Smith Brook trailhead.  There are also no potties, so I would stop at the Skykomish ranger station on the way and use the restroom there (aka stinky port a potty).

To get to the Smith Brook trailhead you  take US2 East about 55 miles.  You will pass the Skykomish Ranger Station on the way.  Turn left on the Smith Brook Road NO. 6700.  You will stop at the stop sign and go straight across US2 West continuing on Smith Brook Road.  You will drive this road (mostly dirt) for 3 miles and reach the trailhead on the left.

I suggest whenever taking a hike in the wilderness to sign in on the log book at the entrance to the trailhead.  You will enter the number in your party and the date just in case something happens.  When you return to the trailhead, sign out and the park ranger will know you have arrived safely.  This is a great safety precaution just in case.

My boys favorite part was when we got back to the trailhead.  Here is a clip.

We plan to do this hike again towards the end of summer so keep your eyes out.

On the way home we did stop at another destination hike that I will post soon.