An incredible waterfall at Virgin Creek!

A cold, steady rain beat upon our windows so the decision to “be lazy” was easy and unanimous. We all spent several hours with our faces in our electronics ( I was working on this Blog ) and researched local activities and weather so we could plan the next several days.

The last hike had slippery steps, this one is trecherous in a more "natural"way.  Slick mud and roots everywhere.  The sound of the falls outweighed common sense.  No injuries, and a superior waterfall!

Refusing to let the weather totally dictate our vacation, we decided to don our rain gear and head out to hike a short trail to Virgin Creek Falls just down the street here in Girdwood, Alaska.

We found the trail head at the end of the street between a couple of houses.  As we got out of the car it was raining earnestly. We were determined not to let it hinder us, so we headed out - scrambling up a very muddy and slippery trail.  It was so much fun, in a “barbaric” sort of way!  We could hear the roar of waterfalls beckoning us up the trail.  I was praying there were no bears in the area, since between the rain and the roar, they would never hear us.

At this point I discovered my rain coat is leaking, but it was great fun anyway!

The trail was not far, but the rewards were fabulous! I discovered my raincoat which I tested for waterproofness before we left was, in fact, leaking.  I will have to buy some stuff to wash in it that is supposed to waterproof it.  Let’s hope it works!

Girdwood borders the northern-most rain forest in the world and these trees require a lot of rain to sustain them.  It is referred to as a "sub-polar rain forest".  You don't expect to feel so cold with this type of vegetation. 

We went back, cleaned up (dried off) and went out to eat at Trip Advisors #1 ranked of the 23 restaurants in Girdwood, AK called Jack Sprat’s.  It was a very small and intimate restaurant with an equally small menu.  None of us were particularly impressed with the food, but the people were friendly. Perhaps this restaurant with its big city pricing is the best there is in this small ski-resort town.