While hiking has alway been my go to adventure, I am finding it extra special these days. I am not traveling right now, and I really only like to bite off day trips. Going for full day hiking excursions has been a way for me to still feel like I am getting out in the world, while being able to come home at night and sleep next to my cat.
I tend to start spring with hikes I have done before, and then I will start sprinkling in new to me hikes as I go. My first new to me hike of the season was to Bridal Veil Falls and Lake Serene, a trail with a two for one. The trail starts at one spot, but eventually bifurcates into two separate trails.
One goes up steep stairs towards Lake Serene, while the other is not nearly as far, and takes you to a beautiful raging waterfall.
My pal Caitlin and I chose to do both trails (duh.) We started with Bridal Veil Falls because it was only two miles into the trail. This is a worthy stop, and even a worthy hike in and of itself if you are close to the area. The falls were spectacular, and we took our time soaking in the views.
I say this literally, as it’s nearly impossible not to get wet from the water hitting the nearby rocks.
The round trip hike to Bridal Veil Falls is 4 miles with around 1000′ of elevation gain making this a very mild trail for most people. We hiked to the falls, and then headed back towards the bifurcated path to continue on towards Lake Serene. Bridal Veil Falls is only half a mile from the split, and we were back on our journey in no time.
I’m glad we did the falls first, because once we started to head towards Lake Serene the trail started to get much more intense.
Admittedly I was on edge for the first half of this hike because there were so.many.slugs on this trail. Normally I can manage when I see them, but this path was narrow and there was one section I had to put my mid body close to one on a tree log. I panicked pretty badly, but Caitlin was patient with me. In case you weren’t aware, I have a phobia of slugs.
I know, it’s just as ridiculous as it sounds.
This phobia makes hiking in the PNW difficult at times, but I refuse to let it stop me. All that to say, when the trail starts off strong with a lot of big slugs all over the path my nervous system takes a long while to calm down. After we left the falls and began to climb the slug sightings lessened. Eventually we made it out of the forest, and I was rewarded for my incredibly bravery. LOL.
The trail from the falls to the opening of the trees has never ending stairs. I hate stairs on trails! I would rather walk up a steep incline than have to walk up stairs. Alas, it was worth it to get to the lake. Once we arrived we took our shoes and socks off, ate our snacks, and savored the view. Sadly it was slightly too cold to swim, but next time I go I will make sure I swim in Lake Serene.
Mostly because I won’t be going in early summer again, too many slugs. Will wait for the heat of August and then I can also swim.
We sat on what is referred to as “Lunch Rock” which is fitting for all the people there eating snacks. There was a group of teenage boys who showed up a bit after we did, and they all proceeded to pull out burgers they had picked up before coming on the hike. One of the boys said aloud to the others something along the lines of this was why he told them to bring a lunch.
We made our way back down to the car giving us a total of 8.8 miles with 2700′ of elevation gain between the two trails. We took 6 hours total, including all the sitting and savoring, making this a good full day hike (the drive to the trail is 2 hours from my house.) After the hike we had one thing on our minds: COFFEE.
We stopped at the infamous Espresso Chalet, which has become popular on social media for its amazing views. Rightfully so. I could take or leave the coffee though.
There are few things I enjoy more than a full day of adventure followed by either a coffee or a good meal. These are the moments that remind me I don’t have to go too far to fuel my desire for new experiences. Sometimes all it takes is a new trail in your home state to feel refreshed for the week.
Q: Does anyone else have a very bizarre, irrational phobia? The most common question I get when people discover I am afraid of slugs is: “what, are they going to catch you?”
Blissfulbritt 