Bridal Veil Falls Trail -- Index, WA

 How is it this nice out in mid-November still? Good hiking truly never stops in the Pacific Northwest I guess. Another weekend, another hike. 

Espresso Chalet

Washington state is no stranger to little espresso java huts. The state takes its coffee seriously. The Espresso Chalet is yet another one to add to the list. It's probably the most scenic one you can find though. It's very close to Bridal Veil Falls and has a deck and outdoor seating area to view the mighty Mt. Index. We decided to take a short detour...just a mile and half further down the road (US-2) from the Bridal Veil Falls trailhead. That's where the Espresso Chalet exists near Index, WA. 

Look familiar at all? Harry and the Henderson's was filmed here!

There was a decent sized line so we waited maybe 10-15 minutes to get our coffee, which was unfortunate because we already left Seattle late. I don't think we started hiking until WELL after noon. Maybe even 1PM. So we were fighting daylight, especially since daylight savings ended a week ago. I got my 16oz Mocha espresso and carried on. Energized for the hike ahead. If you're hiking in the area, and love coffee, or are fan of all things Bigfoot, you'd be foolish not to stop here first. Take a breather and sip your coffee in front of Mt. Index. We were pressed for time, so we didn't. Don't be like us!

Bridal Veil Falls

Yes, yes, onto the hike. The parking lot for the trailhead was about half full, getting there on a weekend afternoon. If we came in the spring or summer I think it likely would have been packed. Late fall hiking has its perks dontchaknow. 

I read this sign from far away and got nervous. Lake Serene??? Did we go the wrong way? I had no idea that if you continue on past Bridal Veil Falls you can get to another beautiful sight, the source of the falls, Lake Serene. I would've LOVED to continue on and see the lake, as it was only another...maybe 1.5 to 2 miles to the lake, but we weren't prepared to be out that late, as it would've been dark and much colder out if we continued. Oh well, look for an update in 2024, if we come back we will for sure hit up the lake as well!

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Old Robe Canyon Trail

I have many old robes in my closet. I went through a robe phase I think. This was before ever seeing The Big Lebowski, so I definitely didn't have The Dude to abide with. I'm not sure where I was going with this. It was mid November and we wanted a small hike to do because it wasn't too cold out, mid 40's. We didn't want to do anything crazy, something decently short and sweet to scratch that hike itch during the rainier (how can I say the word rainy-er, without it looking or sounding like Ranier) cooler season. 

"WARNING. Robe Canyon Trail. Hike at your own risk. Sections of trail ahead are steep and uneven. Hikers have been injured and killed as a result of accidental falls from the trail and gorge overlooks. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR SAFETY" Now that's one heck of a sign!

 The trail starts from the parking area which is literally just a small pull-off area on the side of the road, Mountain Loop Highway. There's no driving through a forest service road, there's no parking area, you just pull of the road and you're ready to walk into the forest.

The beginning of the trail with a wide clearing that feeds into some deeper forest

 

We stumbled upon the Old Robe Canyon Trail which AllTrails has at about 2.5 miles. After reading comments, it appears the trail has been officially truncated. Cut short. A washout on the trail has ceased activity on the trail after roughly 1.1 miles into the trail. Or did it? Many hikers claim they continued on the trail after scrambling and putting in a mild effort to get beyond the washout area. We decided to drive out anyway because the pictures showed some neat scenery. We didn't know if we'd continue beyond the washout or not. 

 

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