My good friend John Stolting accompanied my on the hike to the Shellburg Falls Recreation Area. It was a beautiful day, Vultures soared, Red Tails screamed, Flickers chattered, and Winter Wrens sang their serenade. It was interesting to note the change in the trees that are now leafing out more, and the change in the different wildflowers since my last visit. Smith's Fairy Lanterns and Hookers Fairy Bells are now lush. False Solomon's Seal is starting to show, and pink-red Salmonberry blossoms punctuate the shrubbery. Wood Sorrel now carpets the forest floor with their white flowers just starting to peek out.
After hiking in on the road, we turned and hiked up the creek to Shellburg Falls, then continued underneath it and up to the campground. At the parking lot at the campground I was surprised to find a pump for water. Now, if there was just a restroom! We continued through the campground up the road, turning up the Shellburg Creek Trail. At the junction of the Snag Trail we took that and continued up the ridge to where the trail breaks out on a road. From here we had views of the Cascades, particularly of Mt Jefferson. We retraced our steps back to the Snag Trail, and then looped back on the Shellburg Creek Trail to enjoy lunch in the campground. We had the trail to ourselves save for a solitary Millipede.