The elevation gain from the valley below to this view is 1500 ft. This is such an awesome place for lunch...most times. Only once did we retreat back into the forest to eat because the winds in the open were fierce and cold. The trail goes back into the forest from here to another viewing place that's not quite as open. Then it joins the network of trails in the Norse Peak Wilderness. We have gone another 1 1/2 mi. farther only once, but decided to turn back when we came to a large clear-cut area. The photo I posted at the beginning of this week was from the riverbed below looking up. We have still not narrowed down the exact spot on the cliffs. We keep threatening to leave a red bandana at our lunch spot and then try to find it from below the next day...or one of us go up and the other stay down and wave at each other. In the 1st photo, dead center, is the top of Skookum Falls. In the 2nd photo, just to the left of the small group of trees in the middle of the floodplain, is where we sometimes have lunch when we are on the Skookum Flats trail. The photo of the cliffs was taken from there.