Elk Meadow & Umbrella Falls

Elk Meadow and Umbrella Falls

July 9th, 2017

Where: Elk Meadows and Umbrella Falls (from 

Distance: 10.5 miles

EG: 2186ft

Map My Hike Route

Today I took the group on a challenging hike to see how they would do. I felt bad since one of the parents was brand new and had not made the prehikes before this one, but let me tell you... he was a trooper! Way to go, Mike. Also, I had the huge pleasure of having Dylan (my trail buddy) rejoin us. Unfortunately, he has not been hiking either, and this was his first one back. This was a rough way back on the trail, but it was needed to find out where everyone is at so i can plan the rest of the summer's hikes. 

The end result. Three of the boys could continue hard hikes and do just fine, the other's... well not so much. The good news is that they are still young, and most of these guys are first years scouts, so give them a couple of years and they will be ready for all of them. I'm sure of it. Meanwhile, we will stick with the easier hikes for the remainder of the year. 

Now, I personally loved the hike, great views, lots of exploring and the Elk Meadow side of this hike I had not been on before. This is a must come back for me. I would love to backpack this area and explore some more. The meadow is gorgeous, the backpacking sites are fabulous, and I enjoyed the hike up. That being said, I didn't much care for the river crossing, but I never really do. They just come with the territory.