This was our second family hike (me, my wife, and both dogs). It fared much better than the first. Despite Red's bad behavior in the car (he barks incessantly), we made it to the trailhead. Unfortunately, we stumbled around for a while until we figured out where to begin. The book was a little unclear and the map insert not very helpful for finding the trailhead. The parking lot for this hike was at the dead-end of a small unpaved road. From there, there are several trails or old access roads that spur off from the lot. This trail begins at the gated access road immediately to the right of the end of the unpaved road leading up to it. If you are parked in the lot looking at the State Game Lands sign, turn around and look behind you. See that gated road at the other side of the parking lot? That's where you want to be.
It starts as an easy walk along an old access road then veers off onto a wooded trail. The trail gets narrower and more dense as you approach one of several deer fences. We had to stop and figure this one out. The trail came to a 8 foot fence with a trap-door type gate in it. It is helpful to have another person with you on this hike, to hold the gate open for you while you step through the small opening. The fences are meant to keep the deer population from eating the young hemlock trees that are struggling to grow in a protected area of the forest. After the gate, we traveled down a steep hill that merged with a stream until we reached the old iron furnace. There is a nice spot for a picnic overlooking the furnace and a signpost which tells its history. From there, it was back up the hill and then off to the right, through the muddy forest to an overlook point where we could see the town of Kennerdell across the river.
After that, downhill to the four suspension bridges that were quite slippery due to the wet weather. Also at the bottom of the hill, we found lots of snow, still unmelted. Then back up to the access trail and our car. Fortunately, we had no injuries to our party except for one. Cash slipped off the end of one of the bridges and cut his toe. Not too bad, but a wound that needed seen by the vet, nonetheless. All in all, it was a good day hiking. By this time, we both had suitable packs, boots, jackets, clothing, etc., making our trip much more enjoyable than if we would have gone unprepared. I would like to do this hike again in the summer or fall, when the weather is drier. However, the bug had gotten me and I was determined to hike, come what may.
This was our second family hike (me, my wife, and both dogs). It fared much better than the first. Despite Red's bad behavior in the car (he barks incessantly), we made it to the trailhead. Unfortunately, we stumbled around for a while until we figured out where to begin. The book was a little unclear and the map insert not very helpful for finding the trailhead. The parking lot for this hike was at the dead-end of a small unpaved road. From there, there are several trails or old access roads that spur off from the lot. This trail begins at the gated access road immediately to the right of the end of the unpaved road leading up to it. If you are parked in the lot looking at the State Game Lands sign, turn around and look behind you. See that gated road at the other side of the parking lot? That's where you want to be.
It starts as an easy walk along an old access road then veers off onto a wooded trail. The trail gets narrower and more dense as you approach one of several deer fences. We had to stop and figure this one out. The trail came to a 8 foot fence with a trap-door type gate in it. It is helpful to have another person with you on this hike, to hold the gate open for you while you step through the small opening. The fences are meant to keep the deer population from eating the young hemlock trees that are struggling to grow in a protected area of the forest. After the gate, we traveled down a steep hill that merged with a stream until we reached the old iron furnace. There is a nice spot for a picnic overlooking the furnace and a signpost which tells its history. From there, it was back up the hill and then off to the right, through the muddy forest to an overlook point where we could see the town of Kennerdell across the river. 
After that, downhill to the four suspension bridges that were quite slippery due to the wet weather. Also at the bottom of the hill, we found lots of snow, still unmelted. Then back up to the access trail and our car. Fortunately, we had no injuries to our party except for one. Cash slipped off the end of one of the bridges and cut his toe. Not too bad, but a wound that needed seen by the vet, nonetheless. All in all, it was a good day hiking. By this time, we both had suitable packs, boots, jackets, clothing, etc., making our trip much more enjoyable than if we would have gone unprepared. I would like to do this hike again in the summer or fall, when the weather is drier. However, the bug had gotten me and I was determined to hike, come what may.
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