Escure Ranch - Towell Falls — Friday, Aug. 30, 2013

My brothers and I, west-siders, decided to stop for a hike as we crossed the state. This was, of course, less of a stop and more of a major detour; the hike is a long way off from the interstate, and is quite the drive for a young, suburban Seattlite driving an over-laden Prius. The lot at the ranch was completely vacant all day, and the weather was hot and dry. Most of the first couple of miles were quite overgrown, so we took turns in the front, stomping down the worst of it. I didn't find long pants necessary, and most of the growth is outside of the tire ruts and not more than waist high. Once you get about halfway through, there is no troublesome brush to speak of. Used to rainy mountain forests, I really enjoyed seeing the plateaus and volcanic rock on this hike. There was only one hill worth mentioning, and it was little more than a speed bump to anyone raised outside of the great plains. We decided not to scramble down to the falls themselves, as the maintained trail does not reach that far. It was only slightly visible from the end of the trail proper, but it was still nice to see. It's a fun, mild hike (or run) to do if you don't mind a little brush or driving a little out of the way. I would have liked to explore the territory a little more if I had the time. I especially appreciated the solitude; we saw no other hikers and the trail was closed to vehicles.