May 31st, 2019- 7.3 mile hike
Back in May, Alex and I decided to do a day trip down to Granite Falls/ Snohomish County area to complete the Perry Creek trail. We started around 8:30 am and finished close to noon. This hike was a lot of fun and a lot of work. It might be one of my favorite hikes we have done so far. We gained about 2,500 ft in elevation and this was something Alex and I could both feel in our legs.
The journey on the way up was a lot of fun. For about the first mile and a half you are hiking through a forested area that is fairly flat. We even ran into a couple of huge frogs!
I apologize for the blurriness of this photos, but that frog was moving fast! 
The first mile and a half
Once you get out of this and walk the part of the gravel trail, you are walking along a narrow ridge that warps around the mountain side. I had not done a hike like this before and it was really beautiful to see the other mountains close by. A lot of them still had snow on the tops, while others had gushing waterfalls flowing down their sides.
Views of other near by mountains 
Views of other near by mountains
We weren’t too sure what to expect on the way up. We were concerned about running into snow, but ended up not seeing any. We did have to cut the trail a mile and a half or so short, as one of the creeks was too deep to cross. On our journey to the top, we had to cross through 3 different creeks. The first two were fairly calm and shallow, but the last one was a little more difficult to cross. It was manageable and both Alex and I ended up getting water up to our calves. This was kind of refreshing, but a pain to have to keep walking with shoes soaked/ filled with water.
The creek that was too deep to cross to continue to the top
Because we had to cut the hike short, we weren’t able to make it to the top of the mountain. We instead had to stop at the Perry Creek outlook. This spot was beautiful and a great place to stop and eat lunch. The rushing water helped keep up cool while we ate.
Even though the hike got cut short due to the aggressive creek, this hike felt so rewarding. My legs were tired and I was ready for a shower, but being able to look at all the beautiful surrounding mountains and walking through creeks made this hike a lot of fun. I heard the best time to do this hike is in the fall when the leaves are red and brown. I would love to do this hike next fall if I have the time, just to see the differences in the scenery! It is one hike that will remain on my to do list for fall.
My Not-So-Secret Diary 