As the switchback trail zig-zags up Wahkeena Canyon, you feel yourself surrendering to the forest rhythms. Your heart rate rises from the hike. The senses awaken in a fresh, non-city way that releases your inner explorer. Soon you've reached 242 ft. Wahkeena Falls. Wahkeena is said to be a Yakima word meaning "most beautiful," and the falls live up to that descriptor. It's easy to imagine the magical world that must lie behind the lower falls.

Next up the trail is Fairy Falls, another natural wonder that lives up to its Disneyesque name. The sounds and smells of the falls are as enchanting as the sights. Then, just a bit further, you crest the hill to find flat land. One well-marked turn off the main trail, and there it is. Wahkeena Springs.

This is no mere drip or trickle. This is Wahkeena Creek gushing from the roots of a giant evergreen tree. Cold, clear, fast-running water. What a welcome sight after the climb. Common backpacker's wisdom says never drink water that hasn't been boiled, treated, or purified in some way. But it's hard to resist filling your water bottle with this gift from the ground.