Trail of the Cedars was the very last hike/walk I did in the Glacier Half Trifecta series (which I forgot to submit in the end so no Trifecta pin for me), and although the trail is just a barely one mile long walk on and above the forest floor, I quite enjoyed it – if I exclude the fact that I almost broke my leg there.

I was lucky for two reasons. Reason one, a parking spot opened right for me on my second attempt to park, and reason two, it was raining. That might not sound like much luck to some, but it was a blessing (even after battling the rain and hail and thunder up above Logan Pass). The trail gets very congested, but thanks to the rain, the forest was not only very fragrant and vibrant (so much GREEN!), but also half-empty, which is unheard of on this trail.

The forest sung its melody; the quiet hum of trees swaying and thousands of raindrops tap-tapping on and sliding off their conifers. The wooden path was submerged in a deep layer of water; the rain that collected in pools where the path was dented.

Before I knew it, I arrived to a wooden bridge crossing the Avalanche Creek. The creek tumbles over and between rocks creating a narrow gorge here, and falls in a series of tiny but beautifully wild waterfalls.

The wooden path turned into a trail and followed Avalanche Creek. In a couple places, it could take me all the way to the creek, slightly swollen by the recent rains and by the snowmelt coming down from the mountains.

Through an opening in the trees, I could see a far-away waterfall tumbling down the rocky side of one of the grey peaks. Only thanks to my camera which I sometimes use a binoculars was I able to really see the water falling.

The earth on the path turned red. And I mean bright red. I’ve never seen earth being such a deep hue of red, but there it was, probably accentuated by the wetness it has soaked from the rain. I walked under and through low-hanging branches and soon encountered the wooden path again.

When I was almost at my car, the slippery wood got me. My legs suddenly disappeared from under me and I landed as tall as wide on my back, staring up on the sky through the canopy.

You must be insane, thinking how beautiful the view is when your hip hurts like seven hells, I thought to myself and laughed under my breath.