Feeling the love

A couple of weeks ago, I accompanied Bethany and the progeny on an outing to Multnomah Falls, the premier tourist destination in Oregon.

Beware of camera-carrying, silly-shoe-wearing groups of foreigners.

The plan was to hike to the top of the falls, fulfilling a Cub Scout requirement for Daniel.

Pretty sure I was there for damage control, but I'll take what I can get!

Multnomah Falls is actually two separate falls that are about 620 feet high, so it's not an outrageous climb, but can be a bit challenging with small children due to the extreme drop-off on the side of the path. We felt quite smug, being veteran climbers of the cliff, as we passed many poor souls pushing strollers and wearing flip-flops on the path.

Madelyn had the best seat in the house, being snugly carried all the way to the top by her mommy. She felt very secure and slept all the way up. 

Daniel insisted on having his picture taken at every switchback marker. It's kinda nice that the switchbacks are marked now, so that a climber has a general idea of his progress. 

I will not subject you to every photo of Daniel's progress up the mountain, although I will tell you that, for one so young and agile, he did a great deal of happy whining about the length of the hike.

I told him he was a wimp and that Cub Scouts aren't allowed to be wimps.

Here is Josh, our intrepid sports player who is afraid of many things, including steep mountain trails. He clung to my hand all the way up and down, and was much happier when he was on the inside of the trail.

This Nana loved it, because he is usually very independent and rejects my cuddly advances.

(Insert evil laugh here.)

For one with short legs and a tendency towards asthma, Josh was a trooper and kept up his end very well.

There are some glorious spots along the trail, as well as wonderful views of the Columbia River Gorge. Washington State is on the other side of the river.

Miss Natalie, when she is not being the Queen of Horrible, is a sweet little girl who loves to be loved. She was right behind Daniel at every photographic opportunity. Once she realized there was no other choice, she held my other hand all the way up and much of the way down. Natalie always has lots of questions and is the girl who sings along with the radio to every song, perfectly on pitch for some time now at the grand age of four. Her lyrics are sometimes inventive.

Kenzie, the long-legged Fashion Queen, loped along at the front and had to frequently be admonished to slow down. She still loves me, but her friends are seriously horning in on our time together.

Darn that adolescence!

The top of the falls has a viewing platform. You can't see the waterfall, obviously, but the view of the Gorge is spectacular.

The falls are spring-fed and we sat by the stream for a while to recuperate and eat snacks and throw rocks into the water.

I admit that I was a bit nervous going down about Bethany and her precious cargo, because a mis-step would have been disastrous on that steep path, but she was sure-footed every step of the way. 

It was a happy day.
Hope your summer is filled with happy days too.