I took advantage of a slow period with work to do a 3-day trip on the Lewis River trail, hiking it's entire length. I parked at the western bridge over the Lewis River, near Curly Creek, and hiked all the way up to Upper Falls for camp, about 14 miles. Day 2 I started by hiking the last mile of the trail up to FR 90, and for the last half mile finally ran into some snow coverage. Across the road, the Quartz Creek trail was completely covered with snow.
I returned to camp and left about noon, hiking about half way back, camping at the overlook. Day 3 was about 8 miles back to the car. I did see a group of elk on day 2, though did not manage to get a photo.
The first 9 miles of trail are pretty wild as the road is on the other side and well above the river.
A nice view of Lewis River
A still stinky and fly-covered carcass, presumably an elk
Recently rebuilt Bolt Shelter is 2.5 miles up the trail
Old steps carved into a large log bridge
A little headroom
I take a picture of this stranded log every year
After FR 90 crosses the river, you're on the same side as the road and you see more people, trailheads, and campgrounds. The main attraction is Lower Falls.
Copper Creek Falls is a couple miles further and on a tributary, not the river
Upper Falls, I was camped a couple hundred yards down river, could see it from camp
The spray created a nice rainbow
On the way down the next day, I got a different view of Lower Falls
Lewis River from the middle FR90 crossing
Looking down from my second night's camp
Little mushrooms on a big log
If trees could talk, the stories we would know . . .
I parked at the western crossing of the river, but a quarter mile plus farther down is Curly Creek Falls with a rock arch in the middle. This would be a good place to start too as the Lewis River Trail does go down to here.
