Phillips Brook and Crystal Falls

Hello all. Thanks for joining me again. Today our adventures take us down the road about a mile from where I grew up to a place called Phillips Brook and of course the highlight of the brook, Crystal Falls. This is another place that has remained unchanged through the years, at least it seems that way, although I am sure the water has carved deeper into the rocks. You are actually seeing multiple sites of the same brook (creek in Kansas). There is a roadway and bridge that crosses over. On the right side is the large falls. The pools just below were always an awesome place to cast your line and try to catch the rainbow trout that you could see swimming between the rocks or just sunning themselves in the water. I remember many times climbing up or down to find the "favorite spots" sometimes hiking a mile or more across the rocks to find "just the right spot". The water was always "a little cold" no matter what time of year it was, but was always very welcome on a hot summer day. The area is surrounded by evergreens and of course some hard wood trees as well. The smell is like walking into a "Christmas shop", or a fresh cut Christmas tree. The simple beauty of the water and the surrounding make it another peaceful place to go. On the other side of the road is a deep ravine, seen towards the bottom of the photos next to the leaves in the water. When you look off the bridge, it feels like you could go on forever. You can walk to it from below though, and then you get to see the whole picture. The mist off the water splashing by is as delicate as the morning dew. When you catch the sun at the right time of day, it looks like rainbows, echoing the rainbow trout. After a few hours there, just enjoying the sound of the water, the sun and the beauty of the surroundings, it was once again time to head home to Dave's and share our day over supper.