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Date:  May 19, 2007

Location  Kentucky Falls-North Fork Smith Hike

Where:  Siuslaw National Forest

 

 The Friends of the Umpqua Hiking Club, based out of Roseburg, hike every other Saturday. Jeanette and I volunteered to lead this week's hike to Kentucky Falls and on down the North Fork of the Smith River, an 8 ½ mile trip. Our group totaled 14 in all including reporter Roy Gault of the Salem Statesman-Journal newspaper.

Upper Kentucky Falls

It was the prime time of year to view the falls, and the lush green of spring in the canyons of Kentucky Creek and Smith's North Fork. An abundance of wildflowers along the trail seemed to dominate everyone's discussion.

lunch break at Lower Kentucky Falls

From the lunch spot at Lower Kentucky Falls I and three companions hiked back up to the parking and drove to the lower trailhead of the North Fork Trail to meet the other hikers who had continued down the North Fork Trail. From the lower trailhead, in an effort to kill some time, Geoff and I hiked up the trail until we encountered the rest of the group.

Geoff reading the plaque about old tree

Geoff Hill at 82 years of age seemed to have more respect than most, for the huge trees in this old growth forest. The plaque on this particular tree noted that this tree was growing when Columbus made his discovery. In other words its been standing here for over 500 years. But wait-----do I hear chains saws in the distance?

Upper Kentucky Falls
Lower Kentucky Falls
North Fork Falls