A wet one today, but if you don't hike at least once in the woods in the rain you're missing out. The trail is in great shape all the way to the west end parking lot, no blowdowns and very little mud. We didn't see any big, exciting wildlife today, but we did see a couple of salmon spawning on one of the little side channels so shallow that they were halfway out of the water in spots. We heard an eagle, saw a water ouzel and ducks riding downstream on the fast river current. There were deer tracks in the mud and what looked like a cougar (not Cougar) prints following behind, and we smelled a skunk, does that count for wildlife? Most of the moisture was a steady drip off the trees, we avoided a total downpour. We took the ADA trail back, it's in good shape, but you would probably need a power chair or really strong arms to do the whole loop.  We had the trail to ourselves. Road bare and wet all the way to the TH. Loo open, clean and stocked.

Today is the perfect fall day. We arrived at the north trailhead just after 10, to 3 other cars in the parking lot. The air was crisp but not for long. The sun was shining perfectly on all the golden maple leaves. It was amazing. The perfect golden glow for most of the hike and you hear the river almost the entire time. The ADA loop is accessible for everyone. Besides the golden maple leaves, there were a few areas of red vine maple leaves and a few flowers still hanging on. We saw a bleeding heart on the ADA loop, which was such a treat! Mostly, just herb roberts and foam flower. The river is low and easy to access right now, too. Lots of fun fungi, lichen and mushrooms. On our way back the air had a sweet, woodsy smell. I know the maples don’t have long.  So go while you can! I highly recommend this trail. 5/5

Today was a date hike with soaringeagle, just to get out and enjoy the nice weather together. Lots of fall color on this trail, mostly golden bigleaf and vine maple, with some turning ferns and devils club added to the mix. I had a new camera I wanted to try, Olympus TG7, supposed to be a tough camera for adventures of all sorts and known for its macro feature. I don't think the picture quality is quite as nice as my old Canon G5X, but that one was starting to show its age. The little point and shoots are showing a resurgence in popularity and hard to come by, surprisingly. Anyway, the trail is in good shape, very little mud and no blowdowns. I was surprised by the number of people we saw on this trail today, normally it's pretty quiet. That's OK it's nice to see people get out and enjoy this nice mellow trail. Loo clean and stocked. 

Accidentally left a pair of men’s hiking boots at the trail.

(FOUND THANK YOU KIND STRANGERS!) 

Easy trail for a day hike, loved the old growth, dogs were relaxed, too. The river was cold and soothing to listen to.