Gary-Summer: November 28, 2025 - Eureka: Headwaters

Title: November 28, 2025 - Eureka: Headwaters

Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Animals : Flowers and Plants

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail head: Headwaters Parking Area

Trail: Headwaters Trail

Destination: Falk

Actual Destination: Stairs beyond Falk

Distance: 3-4 miles ¹

¹I forgot to take the GPS. So the map and the distance is approximate. Some of the watches had a little over 3 miles round trip. The map, which may be overstates shows 4 miles.

Rachel and David

Description:

I must be getting even more rested. Get up time for me was 7:10. David was up already and Rachel was just getting up. I had my breakfast then went to Eureka Costco to fill up with gas. Rachel made breakfast for everybody else-egg quiche thing along with left overs.

Start of Headwaters

I had thought about going for a short walk this morning, but there are fun family activities going on. Such as David wants to get into the Christmas spirit, after all it is a day after Thanksgiving now and we are not doing the Black Friday stuff, maybe later we will do the REI Opt Outdoors Friday.

David and Rachel put up Christmas lights outdoors. I helped David out with bringing in the Christmas tree he cut before we came up. Then the kids and Sherri help him decorate the tree. By the time this all gets done, it is around noon. And we are in for another round of 250 piece jigsaw puzzles. There are three of these going. While not strictly a speed contest, Lawrence does finish his first.

Kevin comes over and we all talk with him for a while. When he leaves, David asks if we wanted to go for a hike today. With our family, that is almost an automatic yes. We decided to go up the Elk River, at a place called the Headwaters. By the time we get started, it is about 2:30. The air is cool and the sky has a high fog to it. The first mile is paved, but there are some paths which lead us closer to the river. David takes us along these where we observe the flow of the waters. It is not quite time for the salmon to make their way upstream. David is on the lookout for them though.

Rachel by the Elk River

The walk is relaxed. We stopped by the education center and circled the building, finding a banana slug, before continuing on. Then when we come to Falk, the pavement stops and we continue on. David wants to show us the stump from which there is a waterfall. We do the requisite oohs and ahhs. We travel maybe a quarter mile more up to the steps-not quite as far as Sherri and I did in September. In September we did start a lot earlier. At the steps, we turn around and retreat back to the car. Being in this type of a forest along a trail which is well maintained is always a good trip. But as we can see with Falk, the forest would quickly reclaim its own. This just adds to the sense of power and awe the forest can portray.

We get back to the cars around 4:45 and get back home by 5. Dinner is Thanksgiving leftovers. Then after dinner, out comes a 1000 piece puzzle. It is hard. Six of us were working on it with some of us taking breaks. Even after three hours, the puzzle is not half complete. Reading on Reddit, somebody said it took her three days to do this puzzle-I believe. I went to bed shortly before 10, while Lawrence, Steven, Andrea and Davis continued to work on it. (Note: From the looks of it Saturday morning, they made some progress.)