Well, anniversary #6 is in the books and winter was definitely a third wheel.
We were staying in the quaint Bavarian town of Mount Angel in Oregon with plans to check out Bauman’s Farm and Garden in nearby Gervais so it only made sense to hike Silver Falls State Park. It also made a great location for jotting over the McMinnville to enjoy the gluten free grub at Bierly Brewing.
The weather forecast the night before had promised a winter storm warning for the state park which has a high point of about 1,500 feet but it also said it was supposed to be snowing in Mount Angel when we woke up so we decided we would see what the morning would bring.
A peek out the window at breakfast only showed rain so we thought we would drive up to the park and see what we would find. How bad could it be if it was only a little more than a thousand feet higher in elevation?
As we struck out from Mount Angel, I joked about how it was just a normal spring day in the Pacific Northwest but I spoke too soon.
By the time we had passed through Silverton and were gaining said elevation, the snow was coming down in earnest. We couldn’t see pavement and there were two faint lines down the snow collecting on the road. The surrounding scenery with its farmhouses and Christmas tree farms would have had me humming “Let It Snow” if it wasn’t the first weekend in March. Isn’t there something about “In like a lion…?”
Soon we were following a snow plow who was thankfully clearing the road as it looped around past the northern to the southern park entrance. We opted to not stop at the north entrance whose parking lot was not plowed and continued (with the plow) to the south entrance to start our loop.
There were only about 5 or 6 cars in the parking lot and if you have been here you know that is a rare occurrence at 9am. Winter really is the best time to visit popular places, I was here in April last year and although it was not as snowy, the people were fewer as well.
Arriving at South Falls was like a walk in Narnia.
And the rest of the falls on the trail were no less magical.
And it is no surprise that some of the best views come from behind the waterfalls looking out. As you can imagine, it’s hard to keep a camera lens dry here.
The rest of the trail was no slump either.
The clouds cleared up while we were hiking and streams of sun filtered through the forest.
And I imagined in my head that the new spring buds were muttering “WTH?!?” under their breathe. Gotta love this time of the year in the PNW!
We had a chance to be a good Samaritan while on the trail, a man ahead of us took a misstep on the slick rocks going down to a bridge and gouged his hand and knee pretty good. When we approached him he was trying to stop the bleeding but had left his first aid kit in his other backpack. I was able to share some bandages and tape with him so he could proceed far enough to take the Winter Falls Trail back to the south parking lot. He figured he was on a trail he had done many times and was close to home but you never know when you might take a tumble!
Anyway, despite several inches of snow where the forest ceiling was open, the Canyon Trail was mostly snow free but had plenty of mud to make up for it. Like, a lot of mud.
The Rim trail was a different story, it was mostly snow covered and on the return back to the parking lot fairly sloppy.
By the time we got back to the parking lot, the section closest to the visitor area was full and more were beginning to park in the next lot. Families with sleds, many out-of-state plates and joy was to be seen everywhere. If you haven’t been here yet, put it on your bucket list.
And to top it off, it started snowing again on our way out! No plow this time so it was slow going until we got back down to Silverton. Winter was not done playing!
You can read more about Silver Falls State Park and the Trail of Ten Falls here. And if you are in the area, we really enjoyed Bauman’s Farm and Garden and not just because they have their cider on tap and you can drink it while checking out all the plants.
And no visit to the area is complete without a stop in McMinnville at Bierly Brewing where everything is gluten free and delicious. Yes, my side salad had roasted Brussels sprouts!
Have you heard of or been to Silver Falls State Park in Oregon yet? If so, what did you think?
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Well that was an adventure!! Very pretty scenery but not for the inexperienced hiker.
For sure! There is definitely something for everyone at the park, I think most people stick to the two ends and enjoy what is close to the various parking lot access points. But to make the whole loop you would want to be prepared with the right gear and be familiar with how to walk on muddy, rocky terrain.