Hiking in The Columbia Gorge

Our family has decided to get out and discover the adventures that are all around us. Josh is the master mind in finding hikes we can all enjoy. Wahclella Falls was a Gem. It was so fun to take the kids on a "cool" hike.  Josh has a book about hundreds of hikes throughout the Columbia Gorge we are going to try and visit all of them over the next decade or so. . . ha ha it's a big bucket list but let's get started. Here are a few captured moments of why this was a "cool" hike.

Cool reason #1 The Name. It is Wahclella Falls which is a rather tricky tongue twister if you say it 3 times in a row. Try it. Extra tricky if you are missing two front teeth like Ty. :)

 Cool reason #2 Bright Furry green moss on everything and we mean everything.  The river was impressive as well.

Cool Reason #3 Muddy Trails are Squishy. There was a light sprinkle for the entire hike we almost had second thoughts getting out of the van but we decided it will be an adventure to remember plus we had just driven 45 mins to get there. 

Rain coats are a must in this neck of the woods.

 Cool Reason #4 There were huge bridges that crossed the river, but no trolls were spotted. Marissa almost didn't cross because it was so high, she ran across and waited on the other side, she didn't want to get eaten by a troll or stop in the middle for a picture.

 Cool Reason #5 The Beauty. To see God's creations and the beauty of the earth is refreshing and inspiring. I think we all felt pretty lucky to see the gorgeous views around us.

 Cool Reason #6 The GIANT Rocks. They were HUGE and we were so small next to them. Ty wanted to climb everything.

The guys climbed down the steep trail to get a closer look at the water.

Cool Reason #7 Ty Marissa, Olivia, and Tessa they are just cool kids. Josh and I were impressed with their endurance, rain + mud+ steep trails+ no snacks= happy kids. They must really like this. 

 Cool Reason #8 Getting to the Water Fall! It was "Awesomely Cool" loud and big! Plus it was used in the movie Homeward Bound 2 or maybe in the original, ok maybe we need to brush up on our Homeward bound movie trivia.

 Success! Tessa was excited to be included in the group as long as Ty and Riss held her hands. The loud pounding sound of the water made her nervous. She was in good hands. Livvy's facial expressions were so animated all day she couldn't get enough adventure.

 As I looked at my children I got a little teary eyed, not just because the water spray kept getting in my face, I feel that moving to such a beautiful place will provide many opportunities for our children to spend time together and help each other. They are going to be each other's best friends and support as they move through life. I can't help but feel blessed to have Josh as my husband and best friend. Heavenly Father has let us start a sweet little family that will forever be the center of my heart. They are each different and each so unique, I am lucky to be their mom. The best part of my day is when my kids look up and say "Mom, you are the bestest mom ever mom." Granted there are plenty of hard moments, but the little sweet ones are the ones that make all the difference.

Cool Reason # 9 Dad Ty and Marissa hiked to the bottom of the water fall. It was much louder but worth every spray of water to feel the power of the waterfall.

Cool Reason #10 Rock Towers. Ty and the girls discovered rock towers that fellow hikers leave to mark that they have reach a certain place. We are now on the look out for towers to add to or places we can start our own.