<< Smoke in the High Country

09/22/16 - Sol Duc Falls and Beyond

We didn’t make it to Deer Lake, but we did get well beyond Sol Duc Falls. We crossed the bridge over Canyon Creek about 450’ above the falls and made our way to over 900’ above. It is a hard trail, not because it is steep, but because it is rocky and rough going.

The trail to Sol Duc Falls is relatively easy going, maybe 25 minutes of hiking with some ups and downs through old growth forest. There is a bridge across the Sol Duc at the falls, and then the trail begins a slow, rough ascent. It seems that half the climbing is up and down various rocks in the trail rather than up the mountainside. The air is often close, at least until one nears Canyon Creek.

Across the creek, the trail gets steeper, alternating between flatter stretches and challenging staircases. We managed to get a few glimpses of Canyon Creek, but we were tuckered out well before the lake at over 1600’. We’ll be back this fall. We’ll be in better shape and better prepared. We haven’t been up to Deer Lake in too long.

A typical stretch of trail

A glimpse of Canyon Creek

A curtain of drips

More drips

Even more drips

Another typical stretch of trail

A bit of autumn color

Canyon Creek from the bridge

A close up

Devil’s claw berries, probably inedible

Sol Duc Falls

Keywords: deer lake, sol duc