Day Hike - Little Mashel Falls

If doing Little Mashel Falls via Bud Blanchard trail, please note that (at least as of this writing) directions on WTA are incorrect. They should read:

• Drive Hwy 161 to Eatonville
• At the stoplight (which used to be a 4-way stop), turn left onto Center Street E 
• Continue 0.2 miles and parking for the Bud Blancher trail will be on your right

A revised pre-trip email was needed to correct this. The coordinates provided on WTA are correct.

Besides that, a lovely outing for those of us who were able to make it out! We met at the trailhead at 9am on a Saturday to find the parking lot filling up, though not yet full. By the time we left at approximately 1pm, the lot was almost full. The trail felt busy without feeling crowded. Various dogs (all on leashes save one or two whose owners were quick to leash). Masks worn by approximately 50-60% of other hikers on the trail.

Upper Falls notes:

• Muddy, slick, eroded, and blow-downs blocking the trail made this turn-off questionable. We were blessed with clear skies and dry weather over the preceding days - I would avoid it for some time after a heavy rain.
• Once venturing down the turn-off, the final approach to the Upper Falls was only accessible via a downed log hovering a few feet over the river. We did not try our luck on this log. The river may be crossable later in the season - but in early April, it was a little too strong for our liking.

Middle Falls notes:

• The rock at the feet of the falls is very slick but the viewpoint from the base of the falls is gorgeous. If slick rocks are not to your liking, the view at the top of the staircase before heading down is also beautiful.

Lower Falls notes:

• Pretty...maybe slightly less-so than Middle. But pretty.