Stewart Falls

Yesterday I took my sister on a little Post Birthday Excursion.  We drove up to Sundance in the morning and rode the lift up to start off our hike to Stewart Falls.  It started out really pleasant.  It wasn't too hot yet and the terrain was fairly level.  W hiked through fields and groves of trees.  I loved the aspens, one of my favorite sounds is the wind rustling through the leaves on the aspen trees.  

The wooded areas were my favorite.  It was nice and cool and you could smell the dirt, the trees and the fresh air.  About halfway to the falls we saw a caution sign which said from here on out the trail gets steep and the footing was a little precarious.  That wasn't going to stop us!  It turned out to be a pretty steep downgrade and we slid around a few times, but we still had lots of fun.  The trail is rather narrow, so you have to be careful at some points so you don't end up sliding down the hill.  

When you get close to the falls you start to hear the water.  You can hear it get louder and louder, but you can't see it until you are almost right on it.  You actually have to walk through a rather dense jungle of bushes and trees until you come out into the clearing and see the river and the falls pouring down over the cliffs.  

It was really beautiful and extremely refreshing.  You could stand about 30 feet away and feel the spray.  

We got as close as possible, we didn't want to get drenched, and enjoyed the cool water.  Here is Tiff getting refreshed.  

"We Made It!"

We took a short rest and then decided it would be a much better idea to hike the rest of the way down to Sundance rather than hike back up to the lift.  It was a much more gradual slope on the way down from the falls.  It was just so wonderful being out there in the mountains and the trees with so much beauty surrounding you.  

We finished the 3 mile trip and arrived back at Sundance hot, sweaty and dirty.  The trail was pretty dusty, so our shoes, socks and legs were covered in dirt.  We cleaned up the best we could and then took our scroungy selves over to the Foundry Grill and enjoyed a yummy lunch out on the patio.  This is something we will definitely have to do again.