The trail was 4.5 miles to Melakwa Lake. We started out intending to hike about 1.5 miles in, and then head off a side trail that was supposed to go up "Mineral Gulch". However, we didn't find the side trail until we were on our way back out, so we ended up hiking about 3 miles on the main trail, and right back out again.

Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)

Thimbleberry (Rubis parviflorus)

chris on a solid bridge over denny creek

denny creek

I-90 westbound, over the forest, was actually kind of elegant

denny creek; we heard from another hiker that in the spring, hundreds of kids appear here and slide down the rock as a natural slide

mushroom

the sun and sky and weather were all perfect today

mushrooms

this was a gorgeous cascade. note that you can't see where it lands - and we started this hike at a lower elevation than that. less than two miles into the hike, we've got a top-down view of it. :-)

this is the top of the waterfall, where the side trail we couldn't find was supposed to take us

looking down into the gorge. some of the switchbacks went right up to the edge of the cliff

thimbleberry

we hiked up the right-hand side of this valley, under the trees. there we had our pb&j, and then called it a day.

chris misses climbing.

pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea)

mushroom

Blechnum spicant (deer fern)

this is what the trail looked like under the trees. on the whole, the trail was in GREAT condition.

AND THE BLUEBERRIES WERE RIPE!!!! i probably ate a hundred of them.

we think this is the side trail that goes down to the waterfall and up the gorge. it was switchback #17 or 18.

can you find chris in this picture? he was perfectly camouflaged - tan pants and green shirt.