A day up the Lewis River

Today we went up into the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.  Every time we go up there.  I feel like I am betraying my life-long ties to Mt. Hood and the Mt Hood National Forest.  I am now a Washingtonian.  I have  to learn about what is on this side of the river. 

                                                

 Here are some shots of the upper portion of Swift Reservoir on the Lewis River.

It's funny to me that even though they are so close to each other... they really do have big differences in their appearance.  I don't even know what it is exactly.  Maybe up here there are more deciduous trees?  Maybe it is that most of the growth up here is younger due to the Volcano?  Or maybe it's the Forest Fires that we read about today.  Apparently there was hardly anymore forest after several fires between 1905 and 1937.. maybe that's what it is.

Here we are at the little falls that we stopped at.  I don't remember the name of them.. although I could look on our new wall map of the forest.  I know it was the road on the left after Curly Creek Road goes off to the right and Road 90 goes off to the left.    

Here are Lower Falls, the second falls we hiked to.

Even though there is this apparent difference, in both you can tell you are in the Pacific Northwest.  They both make me love them. And they both make me wannamake my children walk all over them.

We had a wonderful day.  Great weather. 
Lots of stops along the way to just look
around at campsites and even one to take
a small 1 mile hike out and back to see a
waterfall.  There was a stop at the Forest
Service station to see about a map and
purchase a day use pass.  We drove about
6 hours and walked about 4 hours.  No one
got hurt.  Only momentary fits were thrown,
and whining about how far we were walking
only the last 5min of walking!  They did,
however, let us know they lacked the patience
to endure the hours of driving.

 Here we read about how the Indian Tribes would navigate through the Forest according to which season it was.  Different areas held different means of survival dependent on the weather and which animals were around.

Um yes, this was Daddy's thing.

Fungus. 

Yellow Moss on a steep rock overhang.

This is us using the rope Jesse brought as a tool to keep us all on the path!

Daddy and Ethan filtering water to fill our Camelbak with!

Jesse working with all of his "things".

Naomi hanging out with Daddy.

All the kids working on their balancing skills.. at a lower height!

Annah waiting for me to get her shirt wet so she would stop being "dying hot"!

Ethan hiding in one of the many hollow trees.

Naomi posing for me... sigh.

All the rascals together!

I am having issues trying to format around pictures.  Argh.  I know how to do this with the Office.  Not yet with this though.  I think I am getting done using words and just gonna try and get the pictures up.  Here is one more link which will give you a map of the area we were in.  We hiked a 4mi hike up road 90 along the river viewing 2 of 3 different falls named, Lower, Middle and Upper Falls.  We saw Lower and Middle.. but forgot to get pictures of Middle. 

Bruce testing the water.. His fists tell it all!