I arrived at the trailhead @ 8:30 am and was the only car in the parking lot. Bathroom clean and stocked. I was looking for a quiet trail and found it. I saw no one up and back, which was a highlight. For starters, I would not take a dog, kids, or stock on this trail. The trail is in good shape for the first mile, but is covered with blowdowns and getting brushy after that. Kids would just be plowing into brush with their faces. In a few areas the trail tread is missing by half, and the trail is on steeper terrain. These are step across easy, but again, kids may be a concern. Wildflowers are visible but not prolific. The final gully crossing is not doable unless you really look for the very old, almost gone bits of pink flagging, and follow a rough boot path up hill to the right. This takes you to a shallow area of the gully where you can cross. Some water flowing and wildflowers in the gully were very pretty. I turned around here, as I didn't want to fight more trees to cross.
I used to see horses using this trail but it would be impossible for them now, due to the number and size of the trees across the trail. This has always been a bit of a forgotten trail, but it will shortly be lost for good if it is not maintained. Brush is reclaiming the tread, and downed trees are obscuring the trail. There were no bugs. Please, WTA, consider restoring this trail before it is lost. Naches ranger district has not made much of an effort on this one.
I did hike down the 2nd trail to the lower waterfall. A beautiful spot, but as others have warned, it could be dangerous, and there were fresh flowers in the river below the falls, either as a remembrance or a new accident.
For a short walk, hike the trail to the top of the lower falls, to a flat area above the creek canyon. But again, there is a large drop off here that could be very dangerous for dogs or kids, or adults that should know better but seem to push the boundaries. There is a bluebird house here with the name 'Grace' carved on it, the date 2012, and a disturbing inscription stating 'Undeserved favor for one who is guilty'. There doesn't appear to be any birds that have nested in this box. Can't saw I blame them, bad vibes.
This trail offers views, and a beautiful creek, plus solitude. But lets not add to the incident count. Going up is easier than going down as the trail is dusty in places, and rubbly in others on the scree section.
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