We’re picking up after paddling across Swan Lake on our way to the Falls Lake shelter, so if you want to read about our stay at the Swan Lake Cabin, you can find Part 1 here.
If you’ve read Part 1, you know that we just finished up and found a way to fit our pack rafts into our packs. Our goal for the day was to make it to the Falls Lake shelter, and we expected to do some with some time to spare.
Getting There – Hiking to Falls Lake Shelter
Our paddle across Swan lake the prior day allowed us to do some scouting of the trail to the Falls Lake shelter, but it was limited. Part of the reason we wanted to see it before fully committing is that we knew there was potential it would be in rough shape.
As I mentioned, we weren’t exactly traveling light, and the “trails” in southeast Alaska can be rough – even the maintained ones. The section we had seen looked good, so we felt confident starting.
Overall, the trail was pretty good with minimal deadfall on the trail. In a few places we had to climb over or duck under large trees (and I mean large) that had fallen across the trail.
We made good time – only a couple of hours from Swan Lake to an area we had heard about during the flight in…the slide. This section had been completely wiped out by a big rock slide, and the debris was everywhere proving the size and force.
At first glance it didn’t seem too bad – we could skirt the edge and make our way back to the route. As we entered however, it was quickly evident that it wouldn’t be as easy as we hoped. The trees, rocks, and other obstacles were bigger than we estimated – so we thought it was a good place to take lunch.
I was getting tired at this point, from the weight and from the heat. I try not to complain about nice weather in southeast, but it was hot…dare I say too hot. As we sat and ate our crackers, tuna, and whatever other snacks we had we discussed our plan. During the discussion we kept an eye out for bears, we had just crossed some extremely fresh sign.
With heavy packs back on, we started down the way we wanted to go, and almost immediately turned around to go even farther around. We cut across the top of the slide into the woods to try and avoid enormous trees that were lying down like dropped matchsticks.
Anyone who has spent much time in the woods of The Tongass National Forest knows that bucking brush can really be a gamble. It can get thick, almost unpassable at points.
We were still early enough in the season that we didn’t have to contend with fully grown brush, but it was still a consideration. Eventually our route did make it around, with only one stream crossing.
Both Jenn and I went over our Xtratufs – and not just by a bit, but fully submerged and filled. A decision that was made partly because of how hot it was. Entering a muskeg with boots squishing, Jenn happened to cross an old boardwalk giving us both a feeling of excitement that we had made it back to the trail.
The rest of the hike was uneventful, and we arrived at the Falls Lake Shelter soon after finding the trail. I was pretty worn out, and happy that we had some time to relax and enjoy the sunshine without having to physically exert ourselves.
Our Time at The Falls Lake Shelter
The Falls Lake shelter was absolutely beautiful. Both the shelter itself and the view. It’s one of the more unique stays that we’ve done so far.
Day 1
Jenn and I both commented how amazing the shelter looked, and the location could not have been better. The namesake falls were nearby, and you could hear the roar.
Upon entering, Jenn found an unopened beer sitting on a crossbeam, obviously left by a guardian trail angel that knew I would need it.
We walked out to the river in front of the shelter and enjoyed the beautiful, dry stone bottom that connected to the river. This was an ideal place to lay out our wet pants, socks, and boots to dry for a bit while I drank one of the best beers I’ve ever had.
Refreshed from reading and napping near the river, we wanted to walk down the trail a little farther to get a view from below of the falls, as we could only see where it dropped off.
When we planned the trip, I imagined a small falls with a single, thin thread of water pouring over to a plunge pool. What we saw, was massive – much much bigger than I thought. The spray blew back to us sitting at the edge, which felt cool and refreshing.
Similar to what we did at Swan Lake, we planned our next day’s route across the Falls Lake and then went back to the shelter.
It was time for dinner and our nightly hot chocolate – a nice surprise that Jenn had brought along for us. We decided we should stash our food since it was an open shelter as it was getting dark, and finding the ideal location proved difficult.
Eventually we did find a good tree to hang a bag, built a makeshift gate with our poles and other items across the entrance, and called it a night – falling asleep to the sound of the falls.
Day 2
We awoke to another beautiful morning. Nothing had bothered us or our food during the night, always a win.
One of my favorite things about being out on these trips are the slow mornings and coffee. This one was extra special because of the view and surroundings. After coffee came the not so fun part – packing up all the gear and getting on the move again.
We knew this would be the longest leg of the hike, we would be heading all the way to the Cascade Creek cabin at saltwater, so it called for a big breakfast of Biscuits and Gravy.
To Be Continued
And now we were off to the Cascade Creek cabin – continue the adventure here.