A last minute change in Christmas plans meant that my weekend had suddenly freed itself. Since the rain wasn't due until the evening, I decided to take a quick trip out to the mountains and check out a trail.
On clear and warm summer days, the trail to Franklin Falls is packed
with families seeking a trail good for both kids and elderly alike. An
easy trail that follows close to a river, you almost literally stumble
into the falls, where the shallow water allows families to wade in the
pool below the 50 foot drop. Not in the winter, however. There was
hardly a soul seen on the trail to the falls, a testament to the six
inches of snow on the ground (a foot in places). Fortunately, the pass
had experienced freezing rain the week previously, so I was able to
navigate the trail without the need of snowshoes (though I'd recommend
them). The thick snow on the road forced me to park a mile and a half
before the trailhead, turning what is normally a leisurely two mile
hike into a five mile trek. The payoff was worth it though, as I
discovered that the falls had frozen over, turning the area into a
beautiful ice sculpture.
This trip was also the maiden trail voyage of "the ex". I couldn't be happier with how she performed. There were a few cars parked before the first bridge on the road to the trailhead, where the snow plows stopped and four inches of snow remained. I carelessly decided that "I don't have a four inch lift for nothing!" and pressed on through the snow. It wasn't until the snow hit 7 inches that I became stuck. However, unlike the last trip to Denny Creek, I was able to put her into 4WD and coax her back to more solid ground.
Still, I was closest to the trailhead on this day. ;)
Comments