Amputated Legs!

This past Saturday, we talked about going for a family hike.  Before force marching the kids into the woods again we decided we would take a poll. We asked the two older kids this question:

We're thinking about going on a hike today.  How do you feel about hiking on a scale of one to ten?  One means you want to hike all day and ten means you would rather your legs amputated and never hike again.

Kid #1 didn't want to hike and registered a 4 on the scale.
Kid #2 didn't want to hike and initially registered a 1 on the scale.  After hearing the definition of the scale again, the answer was updated to a two.  Just above amputation.

After a little bit of planning, Cari and I headed out for a hike, without children, to see Falls Creek Falls.  The hike is less than two miles long (one way) and we've been years ago, so I told Cari it shouldn't be too bad.  What I forgot to look at is the "strenuous" listing in the description of the trail.  This is a steep trail and it wasn't easy.

At one point I was wondering what Cari would register on the scale of hiking.  We were having a good time together, but that trail was kicking out butts for a few minutes.

We were relived to hear the crashing water keep getting louder and louder until finally the falls revealed themselves.

The above shot is the upper part of the falls.  You can almost see that part in the next photograph below.

As I climbed over the rocks trying to get different views of the falls I saw a lot of salamanders in the water and on the edges of the rocks.  Probably a bit hard to see, but there is a salamander in the next shot.  In the crack between the two center rocks.

It was great to have a hike to ourselves again.  Even better, we didn't have to have any amputated legs.