52 Hike Challenge ~ Hike 17: Cascade Head

This was one of my favorite hikes so far this year, but I have few pictures and they don’t do it justice!

We (Holly, the kids, and I) traveled an hour and a half over to the Oregon coast to try out the Cascade Head Trail.

The weather was in the 50s. The sun was shining (even if it was hazy to the south). Miraculously, all four kids had good attitudes. I think Lola may have been the first to the top, but all four kids beat Holly and me. We were a little slow on the 1,340 foot elevation gain.

The summit was flat and grassy, perfect for picnicking. The sun was almost hot on our faces, and I was down to my tank-top!

We hiked a total of 5 miles.

The trailhead parking was easy to find. The parking lot was nice and there were toilets. The actual trailhead was a little difficult to find, but the trail had fantastic signage from there on. We started around 10 am and it wasn’t really busy until our way back down, even though it was a beautiful day of spring break. The trail was very muddy in the beginning, but the scenery was beautiful. Once we came out into the open spaces higher up, the trail was a narrow “ditch” of sorts but the view was incredible.

This is the view to the east (toward the Coast Range):

Part of the coastline to the west:

And the crew at the top:

52 Hike Challenge ~ Hike 16: McDowell Creek Falls in the Snow

Holly and I met up without kids at McDowell Creek Falls on Saturday. We didn’t realize we’d be greeted by a dusting of snow! We made the loop twice and then up and down the brutal steps a third time, for a total of 3.5 miles.

It was about 38 degrees (brrrr!), but we felt invigorated by the end of the hike. [Holly had just visited last week with Shannon and the girls and it was 70 degrees that day!!]

52 Hike Challenge ~ Hike 15: Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge

Saturday, March 17th, the four kids and I met up with Holly and Ivy at Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge. This time, Shannon and her girls, Rilla and Sweden, were able to join us! We didn’t realize that part of the trail is closed until March 31st, so this was a short, but novel, hike on the boardwalk across the wetlands.

Two of my kids got in a fight. One of them ended up with a goose-egg bruise on his cheek. The other huffed back to the truck and didn’t finish the hike. Good times.

52 Hike Challenge ~ Hike 14: Uproute Extendo Loop

I’m behind on my hiking posts!

On March 6th I hiked the 4-mile Uproute Extendo Loop near Oak Creek in McDonald Forest in about 2 hours with Luke, Leif, Lola, Holly, Ivy, Christina, Jake, Genevieve, and Luke P. The weather was beautiful and the company delightful.

52 Hike Challenge ~ Hike 13: Old Growth and Ridge Trails

[Hike #12 was a beautiful Saturday afternoon hike on February 24th at Talking Water Gardens with Holly and Ivy. I missed getting pictures with my camera, but we’ll return soon and I’ll share then.]

We met up at the Lewisburg Saddle Trailhead on Saturday (March 3rd) and hiked the Old Growth Loop and the connected Ridge Trail Loop (across the road) for a total of more than 3 miles and enough incline to make us feel we’d had a good workout. I think last time we met here, we hiked the Tower Trail Loop instead of the Old Growth Loop. I didn’t have the map last time and was playing follow the leader. [grin] Sometimes it’s difficult to figure out these networks of trails!

The weather had been sunnier in the morning, but it didn’t do more than lightly sprinkle on us for a short period during the hike, so that was a win. I had the three boys, and Holly had Ivy.

The trail was lovely, but all my pictures look gray and lifeless. The above picture is the best I could do.

[Lola was fishing all day with Daddy. She hauled all their fishing gear to the fishing pond in our “distressed” bike trailer, so she had a workout as well. Russ, on foot, said he couldn’t keep up with her.]

52 Hike Challenge ~ Hike 11: Silver Falls

Monday: a scheduled CC break, a break in the rain-filled forecast, and a break from parenting.

Russ had been out of town since Friday morning, and he returned this morning.

After hiking on Saturday, Lola declared, “Mom, hiking is not my thing. It is not healthy for me. I will die if I have to hike again.” [Granted, this was said right after a strenuous hike in the rain.]

Luke bailed part way through Saturday’s hike. Levi was icing his knees. Leif is unpredictable in his attitude.

So I decided to leave the kids with Russ, take off by myself today, and appreciate the solitude.

It didn’t occur to me that we had had some flurries of snow at our house on Sunday (didn’t stick) and that Silver Falls is up in the mountains.

Look at what the kids missed.

50 minutes from home.

Almost 4 miles hiked.

7 big waterfalls.

Snow, sunshine, and blue skies.

Spectacular.

These are the South Falls.

Lower South Falls:

Down Canyon Trail:

An unnamed falls:

Tiny waterfalls:

Lower North Falls:

Double Falls:

Drake Falls:

Middle North Falls:

Winter Trail:

Winter Falls:

And finishing the loop on the Rim Trail.

Words fail me.

52 Hike Challenge ~ Hike 10: Section 36 Loop, Peavy Arboretum

Four miles in the rain and mud with all 4 kids (though Luke bailed early) and Holly and Ivy.

Very few pictures. Because rain.

And then I went home and crawled under my electric blanket.

Now I’m dealing with loads of wet and muddy laundry.

Peavy Arboretum, Section 36 Loop Trail, McDonald Forest.

52 Hike Challenge ~ Hike 9: William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge

We had some beautiful weather last week, but the week itself was rough and we weren’t able to get out and enjoy it.

Multiple appointments (hair cuts, dentist), events (swim team potluck), outings (Russ took Luke to Portland for a sportsman show), two days of swim districts for Levi (the younger kids and I attended one day for 7 hours, Russ officiated both days), a homeschool conference (I spoke for an hour in the morning, but attended all day), another swim meet for Russ (the boys didn’t swim, but Russ had to coach), Levi working, church, CC, and MRSA (yes, a MRSA infection for Leif, which occupied our attention for a couple days). And I wasn’t feeling well for a couple days on top of it all.

But that’s why we hike more than once some weeks. And it’s also why we hike at all. Because we need sanity breaks.

Even when hiking is hard (like herding grasshoppers and snails with bad attitudes), it feeds our souls.

This right here, friends.

Tuesday was cool (40-45 degrees), but gorgeously sunny. Luke, Leif, Lola, and I drove about 50 minutes to Finley Wildlife Refuge, where we hiked both the Woodpecker Loop and the Mill Hill Loop.

The trails were well-marked, but we tried to take a short-cut that ended up being a long-cut. We ended up hiking over 4 miles, and I carried Lola the last little bit because she thought she was going to die.

The terrain was easy. The trails weren’t too muddy.

We had great veiws of the Three Sisters and Mount Jefferson in the distance. At another section of the trail, I think we could see Washington and then Hood as well.

Many of the trails we hike meander through evergreen forests. I don’t think I’ve ever hiked through an oak forest before, especially in the winter. The shapes of the bare trees were fascinating, and we walked on a thick bed of oak leaves. I would love to return in the summer to observe the difference.

Blue skies and bare oak. Stunning.

Signs of spring on the way.

More walking.

When we returned home, I recieved news that a friend of ours was in his last hours. He passed away this morning. This next picture is for our dear friend Bob, who will be greatly missed. We were blessed to have him join us for the eclipse this past August, and Russ was able to spend several days and nights with him over the past couple months.