Wallace Falls State Park - Greg Ball Trail to Wallace Lake — Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013

Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West

Wow! This was a lovely little walk which because an intense effort, for me. I came to Wallace Falls State Park with the intention of hiking the Wallace Falls. I have not lived in mountainous regions for a time and I am significantly out of shape. I initially planned a lovely waterfall hike of WTA-scaled Easy. Walking in, doing fine, I saw a sign for a toilet, 0.6 miles away, and having drunk a heap of water prior to walking, I suddenly found myself desiring it. At the time, 0.6 miles seemed close. What I found: it was the start of 0.6 miles on an incline. Again, I have been living in a pancake region of American, and realizing that if I walked back down 0.6 miles to the Woody Trail to the Falls, I would only have to walk back up, I decided to continue on the Greg Ball Trail to Wallace Lake. I already had 0.6 miles in... I am not ashamed to admit, this trail was a trial for me. It kicked my butt. I sit here typing this with two ibuprofen and a glass of wine in my body...so I am feeling a little shiny. It was a gorgeous hike. There was lots of green - mossy trees, fallen logs covered with new growth - and that lake at the end was lovely. I walked around to the top-side of the lake and took some amazing pictures which I quickly forwarded to friends from the pancake state with New Year's wishes. They loved it! Back to the Trial of a Trail: I pushed through, I wasn't going to let it defeat my sea-level self, and it was totally worth it. Just remember: if you go up, you have to go back down. Be careful with your knees and practice good walking technique. (For those wonderful folks of all ages who jauntily passed me on the trial, you are living right! I look forward to re-acclimating to WA and its marvelous mountains!) This walk is well worth the effort. Just remember, this one is marked as "intermediate" while the Wallace Falls trail is scaled as "easy". If you are tempted, as I was, to just keep walking since you've already climbed 0.6 miles to a toilet, know that it is a little difficult. Can't seem to sort why I forgot that...but again, I am glad I did. Happy New Year and to many walks in the future!