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| Hiking | 6.87 Miles |
1,742 AEG |
| | Hiking | 6.87 Miles | 4 Hrs 51 Mns | | 1.49 mph |
| 1,742 ft AEG | 15 Mns Break | | | |
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| partners | | With the moisture from hurricane priscilla moving through the state, we had to be a bit flexible with our plans. The original plan got scuttled for several reasons including safety, length of the drive, weather uncertainty, and possible trail conditions. The backup plan quickly went out the window when the morning of the hike arrived and the entire region was getting hammered with unrelenting downpours. A check of the radar showed that the band of precipitation was entrained in place over the valley and that heading north should get us out from under the mess...so north we went, driving through cells of rain that were coming down hard enough to severely hamper visibility. Eventually we broke free of the rainband to complete our drive without any further precipitation. The road to Barnhardt started out okay, but degraded to a slippery muddy mess before arriving at the trailhead. We saw some tracks headed in, but were surprised to discover no others parked when we arrived.
The peaks were shrouded in clouds and fog, but nothing was precipitating out. While we were pulling our gear together, we could hear the sound of running water in Barnhardt Creek, luring us to ascend into the clouds and check out the falls which were sure to be flowing well given all the recent rains. Heading up the trail, we found water flowing in the trailbed in some sections, some standing water in others, but for the most part, the tread was in good shape.
As we hiked upward, the fog rolled in, obscuring our views as we climbed the switchbacks. We could hear the water tumbling in the drainage, but often times could not see it...or could only catch glimpses through the thick fog. Vegetation encroached on the trail in places, probably not helped by the rain collected on the leaves. Luckily for me, J passed first, allowing me to stay a tiny bit drier  .
With water flowing down the trail and the unmistakeable sound of falling water as we approached Hawaiian Mist, we knew it was going to be flowing well and we weren't disappointed. The fog cleared for just a moment, allowing us to catch a glimpse of the upper falls in the distance, but quickly crept back in before any photos could be taken. We continued onwards to Big Kahuna, where we spent some time enjoying the falls before heading back.
The hike back down to the car was uneventful. The fog began lifting as we got past the switchbacks, but never fully lifted off of the mountains until we were on our way out. Was surprised to have had the place entirely to ourselves during our visit - it was a rare opportunity to sit and enjoy the falls running at their highest flow I've ever seen without any others! Thanks for taking a chance on the weather with me, J! |
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Wildflowers Observation Light
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| Happier when hiking....I may not move fast (and I'm often distracted by wildflowers), but I'll get there eventually |
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