A Lake Stroll and a Mountain Climb

 We were up for a bit of a challenge so we headed toward Whatum Lake/ Chinadere Mountain.  It was a bright sunny day.










We passed the trailhead thinking it was a campsite, but got back to it and headed down the many stairs to the lake.










The lake and the woods were magical, with an abundance of moss, old growth, and mushrooms.










The baby got to play in the dirt a little.  Amy enjoyed picking huckleberries, salmon berries, and thimble berries.  YUM!










We spent some time on the PCT and were glad to see some trail magic of big beautiful avocados for those hungry through hikers.










After awhile we came to the trail up Chinadere Mountain, and I mean UP!  Fortunately, the climb is short, but Amy was not sure she was going to make it.










When we got to the top we had a beautiful panarama of five snow covered mountains- Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Rainier.  What a view!










We all took a much needed break at the top to take in the view and enjoy our accomplishment.











We were able to look down on to Whatum Lake where we had started.










After enjoying our mountain top, we reluctantly headed down to rejoin the trail around the lake.










The way down was steep and we played our alphabet game to pass the time.











We crossed a log jam over the end of the lake and enjoyed seeing many campers, swimmers, and dogs on the way back to the car.










"Dog" is one of the few words baby Analise says so she pointed them all out to us.










What a wonderful day for this amazing hike.

Santiam sledding amd off the beaten path snowshoeing

It was a perfect day for a spring snow adventure- early March with plenty of powder and sunshine.

We headed up Santiam Pass to the Santiam Sno Park.  We first went down the very steep sledding hill.









Baby Analise cheered us on from the bottom of the hill!









When we had our turns on the sledding hill we headed up toward the Pacific Crest trail. 









We had an incredible view of Mt. Jefferson.









This was the first time this season that Amy did not have a groomed trail.  She skied pretty far through our snowshoe prints and then started hiking.









We followed some tracks and headed up to a clearing.








 Baby Analise stayed warm and cozy on mama.










We could see Three Fingered Jack in the distance.











We enjoyed being up on the butte for a little while and took in the view then headed back down to easier showshoeing.









Baby Analise got a little bit of a wiggle break but was not sure she liked the snow too much.









We enjoyed our trek out and had a wonderful day together.

 

This is snowshoeing at its finest- sun, powdery snow, a sledding hill, and happy children!

Herman Creek Hike and Splash

 We had originally planned a longer drive and more difficult hike, but got a late start. Amy was convinced we should go to Eagle Creek but I was less sure.  When we got there even the parking lot 1/2 mile from the trailhead was full so I decided we could head further East.









Herman Creek is a much less crowded gem of a forest and creekside hike.  It's been years since I have been there because there are "much more exciting" hikes, but this is just the grounding hike I needed.









We hiked down to a bridge over the creek.  We stopped for a snack at the bridge and Amy helped take some pictures.









It was a beautiful day and the creek was fabulous.









This was not the best spot for baby wiggles but she was glad to come out of the backpack briefly.









We continued up the trail, enjoying the moss and old growth as well as glimpses of the Columbia River Gorge.









We hit a junction with the Pacific Crest Trail and I imagined what it might be like to hike all the way to Canada.









We were looking for a stream crossing with a waterfall above it.  After over shooting our destination by about a half mile, we stopped under some trees in a mossy area where no babies could wander off a cliff.









Baby Analise was so happy to be free to explore the rocks, dirt, and moss!









We enjoyed the forest for awhile and then headed back toward the stream crossing.









I'm not sure how we had missed seeing the waterfall, but we spotted it this time and stopped for a dabble in the water.









Amy had a great time exploring and wading while Baby Analise was not as sure about the cold water but really wanted to crawl.








Gradually more clothing came off and she was exploring too.









We had a great time at the stream and then headed back up the trail.









I gave Amy a high five as we crested the final hill to the last 1/2 mile downhill.  She did a great job with some up and down of the trail and no complaining today!









Unfortunately, we had to make three stops to find our ice cream treat.  Everyone was at the shop in Cascade Locks.  It was just after 5 when we got to the Troutdale General Store, and they were closed.  I found my coffee however, and we found Amy a rainbow Popsicle.









What a great day to spend with my girls in the woods!