Frozen Palisade's

Palisade Falls

Today we headed out to Hyalite Canyon for what may be the last time this winter...depends on if they shut the road down early due to the thawing and melting roadbed.  The road starts out as paved (and plowed) all the way to Hyalite Reservoir where it then makes the switch to dirt...or at the moment a rutted combination of mud and snow. 

This section gets shut down to motorized travel once the temperatures rise above freezing to help preserve the road bed.

Rutted mess

We can see why it is not advisable...the ruts have already gotten pretty darn big.  We ended up stopping before we got to the trailhead for Grotto Falls due to some concern that the CRV did not have enough ground clearance to make our way back out since the temperature was already above freezing and the ruts were getting pretty deep.

A tow truck passed by while we were there...it headed down the road past us and we were left wondering if a Subi had gotten stuck along the roadside.

Wait for me!!!

We parked and hiked up towards the Palisade Falls trailhead which was only a mile up the packed snow path.  The temperature was well above 40 degrees and we figured that the waterfall may not be frozen, but it was a beautiful morning for a hike anyway.  As it turned out we were lucky...the 80 foot falls was still frozen to the top..  Although you could see and hear the water running inside the ice.  No one was ice climbing today unless they were crazy.  Well crazier than normal.

Cooper was his usual happy self...spent way more energy and traveled twice as far just to keep track of us. 

I'm coming as fast as I can!

 You would think he'd figure out just to hang back, but he runs ahead until he's out of sight, turns and doesn't see us at which point he RUNS back...checks in and off he goes again.  Rinse and repeat for our entire 4 mile hike. 

He is one whipped pooch...slept through our stop for a late lunch at Harvest Bread and has been sleeping since we got back.

Palisade Falls...frozen to the top

Cooper helping take pictures

Could it be?

I think I hear...ground squirrels!!

Views from the trail