Greenwater is blessed with a wide variety of breath taking terrain. There are so many lakes, creeks old- and new-growth tree lined trails that a person could spend much of a life time exploring the area and be challenged to see it all. I haven't spent more than a few years exploring the area and will never see it all, but the Greenwater trail is one of my favorites any time of the year. The trail is open to both hikers and horse riders and as a result the lower half of the trail seems as wide a suburban boulevard. Walking this trail is like being the best movie scenery you’ve come across. It may be likened to an epic movie as the trail is stated as being at 7.6 miles from the trail head to Echo Lake and another 4.3 miles from there to Corral Pass. Plus like some movies, the Greenwater trail offers an alternate ending, which in this case means a different destination called Lost Lake. Beyond that you can make your way up to Noble Knob. But unlike an epic movie, no one has to die tragically and you can turn around at any point. Plus, if you want, you could spend a few days on this trail as overnight camping is permitted, and even bring a pet dog, as long as the dog stays on a leash. You will need a Northwest Forest Pass to park in the provided parking spaces.

Really, most folks are not thrilled at the idea of walking 7.6 miles one way. For one thing the elevation gain from the outset to either Lost or Echo lake is about 1,400 feet, and the 2nd half of the hike (about 3.75 miles) is steeper than the first half. The first half offers a modest grade. If you wanted more time on this trail, say to head to one of the peaks that are considered the “end” point, you’d gain a little shy of another 1,800 feet. Whew that is a workout! And even worse nearly every trail in this area leads to yet another trail, so there really is no end, except, of course for the amount of time you have to explore.

But there is much to enjoy if you do what I typically do and pick a block of time for the outbound segment. It is likely you’ll stay longer than your original time estimate. It is also likely that you’ll come back again. For most folks going to the lower lakes, which is up to about 2 hours outbound (around 2.2 miles) is time very well spent and offers a mind opening experience.

On this day in May we packed up the car and headed to the intersection of SR-410 and USFS 70. Then we followed USFS 70 for about 9.5 miles until we saw the sign indicating the arrival of the Greenwater trail head; parked the car then set out to enjoy the scenery, collect some photos and to reward ourselves with some good treats we brought along. (As an aside, if you, like me enjoy bike riding as much as hiking, you’ll find that USFS 70 may be your new best friend.)

The Greenwater trail offers an ideal combination of fairly level terrain leaning to an occasionally moderate grade. You walk along the trail as it passes through old growth and 2nd growth forest, past lush meadows next to wilderness lakes. The trail meanders along the valley created long ago by the Greenwater River. Your main companions are the trail and ever delightful Greenwater river. This trail has several exhilarating foot bridges which are like jewelry in a rustic setting. Many bridges are single pieces of hewn old growth, with handrails, and which span some playful terrain. Some bridges are low and afford a chance to walk very intimately with the surrounding nature. Due to being a combined horse/people trail for about half the distance, the trail is more akin to a walk in the park than an exploration through the wilderness. But make no mistake. This trail most definitely is in the heart of the forest.

The Greenwater trail will transform your outlook. My thoughts tend to revert to a less complex, less conflicted state of mind while my body comes alive in response to the sights and sounds. Most folk have a voice in our head that keeps us company. This trail has always been able to change what that voice has to say. It can quiet the constant dialog about life and work and free me to a kind of boundless enjoyment. I think this kind of bliss-filled escapism is one of the reasons I enjoy hiking so much. Well that and it feels good to go for a long walk. After all, we are all half legs. That should tell us something! And long walks are as good for the mind as the body. On the Greenwater trail this thought transition occurs only moments into the trail. The dramatic shift of lighting plays a huge role. Also this stretch of woods is very very quiet. The area provides a sense of connectivity between myself and the surroundings. The dominant sounds are song birds, the various sounds of the lakes and river, the breeze through the trees and my boots on the soft dirt.

The lighting through the forest is constantly changing as are countless other small components. It was through photo studies that I came to see that in subtle ways the combination of landscape and lighting changes second by second. This hints that change is at the very core of nature. In most ways change is on so small a scale as to be unobserved, but in time this series of small changes leads to more easily observed change. Change on this level is often nuanced and a very creative process, and I think that is part of the reason many are attracted to the forest. Even the lighting changes constantly.

There is a section on the trail with some very large trees that a few years ago fell across the trail. Sometime after that a group of volunteers came through to slice segments of the trees away, to clear the trail. I'm a little over 6 feet tall and the cross section photo below is about 2 feet taller than me! Some of these trees are home to notes left by fellow travelers. I always like reading these as it is interesting to get a glimpse of what folks care to leave behind. Many notes are names and dates, some include poetry, some have a paragraph of thought, but most are too faded to read. The slow march of time dissolves all but the most resilient comments from the past.

Early on we get some glimpses of the more massive landmarks along the river. Trees can grow to hundreds of feet in height, fall and decompose while the stone wall changes little other than the shapes of moss.

Here a butterfly rests on a large leaf. The butterfly has been given a place of high regard in our culture. Some say butterflies are flirtatious, others say the butterfly is symbolic of the transformation of the soul. Some say butterflies symbolize freedom. I don’t pretend to know if those observations are true, but there are a lot of butterfly encounters around Greenwater.

The river itself has a unique character, and is the star of the trip.

There are a couple of lakes along the lower part of the hike. The one photographed below is called lower Greenwater Lake or Meeker Lake. It is about an hour or so back from the trailhead. The clarity of the water is amazing here as nearly everywhere along the trail. Be warned that this area really risky! The risk is because it is so seductive, you’ll want to visit regularly.

The trail also has some remarkable bridges. Many are carved from a single old growth log which has been placed by hand and had hand rails fitted for added safety. All were built with the use of chainsaw and other small construction tools. One bridge early on the trail was built with heavy equipment. I'm guessing it was a decision to protect the river from the erosive effects of horse traffic, but the remainder of the bridges are largely hand made Due to the bridges, the trail affords easy access where otherwise most would never tread.

This two segmented bridge (photographed on an earlier outing) marks the outward point of our trip for today. Our treat du jour is called the Southback Seven Layer Bar. A just right dose of chocolate, coconut, butterscotch and some other goodies. It is very sweet and just like the Greenwater trail itself, once you’ve tasted it, you will be back for more.

After our treat we reluctantly turned back to make our way back down the trail, taking time to savor each step. While this trail doesn’t offer much by way of panoramic views, it will give you a unique opportunity to surround yourself with a pleasant excursion into the forest and enjoy the many delights of the Greenwater river.

The return trip always goes by too quickly and once back at the parking lot I've had a good workout, feel relaxed and my troubles are far behind. The irony is that no sooner do I see the end of the trail than I start thinking about when my next outing will be.

With the advance of Spring, destinations at higher elevations are quickly loosing their heavy coat of snow. The next trip will be to see what changes have come to another of my favorite trails called the Glacier Basin trail at Mt Rainier.

Note: a duplicate of this article but with larger photos is posted at www.explore-greenwater.com.