Curly Creek Falls — Friday, Sep. 18, 2015

Southwest Washington > Lewis River Region

I got up to the lower parking lot at Curly Creek on Friday by mid-afternoon and there was only one car, which was surprising considering that the weather report expected highs of 75F and lows of 55F for the entire weekend. As it was, Sarge (dog) and I only ran in to one couple on the way out (the owners of said car) and they said they hadn't seen anyone else so we had the trail to ourselves. We hiked out to Bolt camp that evening and set up camp as the sun was setting. This proved a little difficult for me as this hike was the maiden voyage for my hammock, and I was inexperienced with finding good locations. Note: there's a few good spots to hang in the small campsite immediately before the shelter. I did not see them until the next day though. The next morning, we took a 1-2 mile walk further up the trail where it passes through a very open portion of the forest. There we quite a few spots where the trees opened up and allowed for beautiful views of the river and the bright red leaves that had already begun to turn. There were a few mushy spots and the trail got a little steep at some points, but nothing that wasn't easy to pass. I expected the trail to get busy as the day progressed, so we broke camp and headed back to the trailhead at a leisurely pace. With the morning light and taking a different direction it looked like a completely different trail. At one point I stopped to take a photo at the same place I had the day before and didn't realize it until later. The morning light highlighted the rock overhangs that are submerged underwater at different points along the river, while the setting sun had painted beautiful patterns along the underside of branches. As soon as we reached the road I realized that everyone had just waited until Saturday to come up. I have never seen that parking lot so full! Even the car-camping spots were being utilized. We walked up to the actual Curly Creek TH to see if the falls were visible, but they were dry. By the time I got back to my truck, the traffic in the area had increased so much that I decided to head home, which I should have expected considering that the area is very popular for both hikers and mountain bikers. I would recommend mid-week hikes if you prefer solitude, but sometimes it's fun to meet new people at the trailheads.