Our Jaunt to Feather Falls

Check another bucket list item off as done, but we will want to go back, so it's still on the B list.
We went through Quincy and turned onto the LaPorte Road, hitting frost and then snow almost immediately.  What fun!  At Monitor Meadows, it was a sledder's wonderland, and the view of Pilot Peak was crisp and wintry.  Too bad we took no photos of those fun sights.
Our goal was to hike to Feather Falls, so we tried to head there determinedly.  We did stop a few times, as you'll see.  But with the hike being an 8 mile round trip, we knew it would take us a good 4-5 hours, so we hied us thither, and got on the trail.
Finally, our photos of the wonders along the hike were few, and not many really showed what we were seeing in the sun-dappled time of day and bright sun when out from the trees.  Still, here are a few of our trip and our hike.

Nelson Creek Bridge we believe, on the LaPorte Road 

Jeffery looks at Little Grass Valley Lake

Little Grass Valley Lake is creating an obscuring mist, but we think that's Pilot Peak just showing in the distance

The Union Hotel in LaPorte

Some more of LaPorte's center of town

icicles

we loved this tree as we started down the trail

sign

trail section

Frey Creek

approaching Frey Creek

Jeffery with Bald Rock Dome behind him

Bald Rock Dome is a different pluton volcanic creation than the Bald Rock that we've scampered over, although they are near to each-other.  

view down the Middle Fork of the Feather River

our first glimpse of Feather Falls.  We will have to go way down the trail to the viewing area.

a closer zoom

after the trail and stairway descent, you are given a wonderful viewing platform to see the falls above and the Middle Fork below

The Feather Falls are reportedly 410 feet tall.  It's one of the tallest I've ever seen.  It's so hard to capture its power and flow and sound.  We were so glad to see how much water it had.  It is watered by Fall River, which will join the Middle Fork just a ways downstream. 

Jeffery gets his photo taken, too.

zoom up on part of the Falls

one last close up before we head back UP the trail to our car.  (yes, we hiked down to the falls from the parking lot.)  Please note the silver-green fencing to the right of the top of the falls.  That is where you can stand at the top and look down, but we didn't take that additional hike due to time constraints, and our already sore legs.