Cherry Creek Falls Trail

This has been a rainy early-spring, but last weekend we got lucky with sun on a Saturday when Matt wasn't working. That's a rare occurrence these days, so we took advantage of the weather and found a near-ish hike with a good waterfall at the end.

We arrived at the trailhead just around 3pm. It was warm out—70°!—but I figured it might be cooler once we got under the canopy and opted to stick with tights. But it's definitely getting to be that time of year when I'll be hiking in shorts! 

We knew the trail would be muddy and it didn't disappoint. Zoe was completely unbothered and had a great time tramping through the mud, and I was glad I'd worn my boots. When we first moved out here, I felt a little silly wearing my boots on easier hikes, but I've learned there's a reason people wear them! There were absolutely parts of this trail that would have been impassable (or at least, incredibly uncomfortable and difficult) without boots.

Me and my friend, mud.

I am obsessed with mossy trees.

The trail was well-maintained despite the mud. As seems to be expected on our hikes these days, we passed a couple rusted-out cars that had somehow made their way into the forest. We stopped to eat along a felled tree trunk near the second car.

This downed tree in the middle of the trail was incredibly long. Walking over it and imagining its height when vertical was a mindtrip.

This hike was easy, with barely 700 feet of elevation gain and a final distance of about 5 miles. We had to cross the creek a couple times, once going through it via stepping stones and once using a conveniently placed log as a bridge to go over it. 

So many very, very huge stumps.

The trail was absolutely vibrant with bright green moss and plenty of late-afternoon sunshine. And the titular falls at the end were more majestic than I had been expecting.

A hike of this length feels a little like nothing now, and I told Matt on our way back that after Hawaii, I'm now finally ready to consider longer hikes, but only if we plan ahead. No rolling out of bed at noon and getting started at 3pm!

But short hikes have their place. There's nothing quite like driving an hour from home and getting to spend a few hours disconnected from society, soaking in nature's uncomplicated beauty. It's grounding. It puts things in perspective. And I think if more people took the time to do it, the world would be a better place for it.

Ali