Weekend Hikes - Wallace Falls

This was our second hike of the summer. A lot tougher one than the first hike mainly bcos of the elevation gain. It was 500 feet in the first hike whereas the elevation gained in this one was 1200 feet. The one thing that I have learnt from doing these hikes is that the distance covered in a hike does not really matter. It is pretty easy to cover longer distances. I have done hikes that are as long as 5 miles one way and I have not been very tired. But once the elevation gained starts increasing even by a few hundred feet, the hike gets a lot tougher. I realized this the moment I started this hike and was literally panting like a dog at the end of the hike.

But the good thing about this hike was that the falls at the end of the hike was way too beautiful. The sense of accomplishment that we get when we complete a tough hike like this is just unparalleled and when the destination of the hike has something as beautiful as the Wallace Falls, it makes the accomplishment all the more sweeter.

So, here are the details and photos of the second hike of the season.

Name: Wallace Falls
Date: June 10, 2007
Close By: Gold Bar off of US-2
Directions: Drive US-2 east from Everett to milepost 27.9 in Gold Bar. Turn left (north) at the Wallace Falls State Park sign. From there it's 1.7 miles to the trailhead.
Things to remember: 3 falls. The Middle Falls is the most beautiful of the three. If you are extremely tired, skip the Upper Falls. Trail is extremely beautiful, like walking through a rain forest. Trail runs parallel to a creek and you can find benches to get some rest & get some good views.
Distance (RT): 5.5 miles
Time (RT): 3 hours
Elevation: 1200 feet
Difficulty level: 2