Lake Catherine State Park hike

The weather is fabulous so today we chose to hike Lake Catherine State Park. There just happens to be one geocache out there that I had not done. We wobbled across the hanging bridge and headed straight up the hill.

What a climb! But it was worth it to come across these deer. This deer never got up as we walked nearby.

This one was not too sure about us.

We went from the Horseshoe Trail (yellow) to the Falls Branch Trail (red) so I called it our orange hike.  The recent heavy rains provided for swollen streams and that provided us a nice rushing water sound for our hike. What a delight to come across these clusters of spicebush swallowtails.

This was one of my favorites until I saw all the new butterfly species in Phoenix at the Botannical Gardens.

I paused to appreciate the CCC workers who built these rock steps for us. Now that the water has rushed down the hillsides for so many years they could sure come add a couple of steps in a few places.

I think the Falls Branch Trail is my favorite of the three at the park. It is the shortest but it also meanders alongside the creek flowing towards Lake Catherine.

The waterfall was rushing downstream as we neared the lake. We passed a guy sitting on the bank fishing. That was the first time I have seen anyone fishing there but he said he had caught some.

That made us hungry and since it was noon it was hurry to the house for lunch!!