When you find yourself less than 30 miles from a National Park, how can you resist a visit especially after staring at this beautiful mountain for the past week or two?
Team J&J were still together after completing Section H of the PCT (link). With a perfect weather window, and attitudes set to deal with expected peak season summer crowds, we arrived at the park early and completed a couple of the popular hikes from Stevens Canyon entrance.
Grove of the Patriarchs and Silver Falls Loop
We loved this swinging bridge that crossed the Ohanapecosh River. We skipped, danced and laughed our way across it.
These mega trees earned their right to be in the Grove of the Patriarchs.
Silver Falls
We enjoyed our time so much on Friday, we decided to roll the dice on Saturday and try for nearby Eastside Trail which parallels Chinook Creek. A ranger recommended that we hike south from the Deer Creek junction.
Safford Falls was our favorite.
Joan was entertained by the Pacific Banana slugs.
While I was thrilled to find Pacific Coralroot.
How’s this for lunch with a view?
And then we found our favorite swimming hole.
What a great way to spend some time in a National Park. We only saw a handful of people and loved experiencing the park from a different perspective, as in no views of the mountain.
On a hot summer day who can complain about plentiful water?
DATE(S) HIKED: July 23-24, 2021
RESOURCES:
Other Jaunts in Washington (link) including the Wonderland Trail (link)
Jan's Jaunts and Jabberings 
Looks like you two are having a blast. That Pacific coralroot is beautiful. Glad you have lots of water unlike the rest of the West.
It was such a great diversion. Exactly what I needed to kick start my adventures.