We FINALLY got our first ‘outside of St. Edwards Park’ hike in today! Yayyyyy!
I always read about hikes and fall in love with pretty much every single one, so I posted on Facebook to get some suggestions beyond what we’ve already accomplished and got a short list in return that are going to be gorgeous! Today we started out with a shorter hike and realized how very nice it is to get back on the trail!
Bridal Veil Falls is on the way out to Steven’s Pass, right outside of Index. If you’re not from Seattle, that’s about 90 minutes northeast of Seattle ;). If you’re interested, you’re welcome to take advantage of our state’s relaxed ganja laws by stopping at the ‘Legal Weed’ store along the way to buy more marijuana than could ever be toked on the way to the trail by, say, a random selection of four 20-something dudes in a tiny, hotbox of a Honda, in an hour, but that’s what the trail is for! Blaze on, hike up and blaze some more! It seriously felt like we were walking through Hempfest 2016. The smell of dank never left the air. It was not an issue for me – I think weed is better smelling than cigarettes and you can try to fool yourself that it’s skunk cabbage- but it did make us giggle quite a bit. Those college boys thought they were being so sneaky. Tee hee! Oh, to be so young and ‘daring’. It’s funny, how you really think you’re breaking rules back then and now, when you watch all those ‘kids’ being silly like that from your forty-something perspective, you’re really just laughing along with them. Silently laughing and without expression, but it’s there. Any sense of disapproval, really, is for the sake of a potential teachable moment for any littles in the area, but is generally nonexistent and imagined. Anyhow, that was kind of entertaining and cute. And, as the top area at the falls is a decidedly smallish, shared space, the little copse of trees they went behind to light up one more time before they headed back down the hill did little to disguise what was happening. Like I said- precious and cute, like naughty little puppies or toddlers.
Other than the MMJ aromatics, the hike was blessedly uneventful. The scenery was beautiful in that very typical, Western Washington kind of landscape of lots of water features, beautiful plants and interesting trail path. Lots of vine maples and deciduous trees, some old growth logging evidence from the olden days, greenery like crazy. It could be a nice autumnal hike. I always am fascinated at the diversity of terrain on trail- from perfectly flat to climbing over boulders to bridges to millions of roots- it’s all there.
The waterfalls were gorgeous, but if I’m perfectly honest, the bathrooms at the base of the trail were so bad that I really couldn’t use them at the start of the trail and I ended up compromising my experience. Peeing has become a ‘thing’ for me lately- I just go to the bathroom and within 15-25 minutes my bladder is full again. It’s really put a crimp on my running and hiking-SERIOUSLY! Anyhow… I’m not kidding when I say that I could smell the toilet from 25 paces and the flies that were swarming the toilet left me with the feeling that I would also be leaving with fly larvae embedded in rather sensitive places… So I started the trail with a full bladder and by the time I got to the top I had to do it all, 1,2 and everything else- it’s also shark week! I practically ran down the hill after hoovering down my sandwich next to the waterfall just to jump in the car that, and I’m not kidding, Bradley ran ahead to open up and start becasue things were that desperate. We stopped at the nearest grocery store for another disgusting bathroom, but without the flies, at least it was palatable! So, word to the wise, when you stop for your weed, also use the toilet! Kidding, of course. There’s a McDonald’s on the way out- stop there and use it. It’s the last nice toilet. Seriously.
It was a beautiful, fun, adventurous day with a few funny stories thrown in to boot!
My review on the WTA Bridal Veil Falls Site.
Future hikes planned:
***And let me just say that all the stoner talk was just for silliness. I’m certainly NOT encouraging anyone to get high and hike or even just get high. Getting used to the new laws regarding marijuana is just interesting to observe, and this is the first time I’ve really seen it out and about so publicly that it simply became a big part of our adventure. 😉
I snorted multiple times reading this. You are hilarious…and you make me wish we had both mountains and “relaxed ganja laws” in Illinois haha!
Hiking is wonderful & I really enjoy it. I completely understand your potty issue. I suffer IBS & have had to run into the woods to do my business. Ugh! It can truly stink. I am going to have to plan a few hikes before Summer’s end. I think it is great how exercise has become a family event. I take my husband as often as he will go.