Silver Star Mountain via Ed's Trail

This week our family went on an epic, memory-making adventure to Silver Star Mountain.  Hiking books are like real estate listings.  If you read enough of them, you start to pick up on The Code: fancy wording that covers up potential pitfalls.  When I was scoping for a hike, Silver Star Mountain via Ed's Trail really caught my eye.  It sounded incredible, but The Code signified that this would not be a hike I could take the kids on by myself.  We would need Curt's Man Power to get us there and back safely.  We also would need to have the "obey or you could die" talk with the kids.

Let me give you a few examples.

1.  The Road to the Trailhead

      ***  Hiking Books say:  "The road to the trailhead became so degraded that a high clearance vehicle is required," and "The trailhead is at the end of this narrow, bumpy road."

     ***  Translation:  "This death-defying, single lane trail through the woods masquerades as a two-lane, Forest Service road.  Be prepared for car-swallowing pot holes, steep inclines,  a ton of white knuckle, handle grabbing, and desperate prayers for safety."  

a wider section of the road on the way back 

I may be exaggerating slightly, but not much.  The junctions between Forest Service roads are marked with spray paint on trees.  The few times we passed cars coming the other direction, we had to fold our mirrors in and back down the steep terrain to find an opening wide enough for two cars to squeeze by each other.  It took us one full hour to travel nine miles to the trailhead on this road.  By the time we arrived Curt and I had some gray hairs and the girls had a collection of leaves they'd pulled off the tree branches that smacked their faces through the window.  The road to the trailhead is a huge deterrent for us ever going back.

2.  The Safety of the Trail

     ***  Hiking books say:  "There is a short steep section on Ed's Trail that requires a bit of scrambling where a slip could be very dangerous.  Avoid this route when wet or icy," and "The trail takes off up the ridge face, becoming nearly a climb in spots as you scramble up through the rocks to a view of two-humped Silver Star up ahead.  Dramatic, huh?"

    *** Translation:  "Ed's Trail is a narrow, single file path that traverses the ridge top of  a mountain with relatively steep drop offs into gorgeous mountain meadows the entire way.  If that didn't make you nervous, the hand over foot climb up the ridge face will make you appreciate your safety when you reach the top."

Ed's Trail approaching the ridge we hiked along

my family hiking

climbing up the steep scramble

I wasn't exaggerating on the width of the trail or the scramble portion of the hike.  There were definitely a few elements of this hike where a mis-step could cause serious injury.  However...

This hike was I N C R E D I B L E!!!!!!!!!  It seriously felt like we were on an adventure that people would pay thousands of dollars to achieve.  

The kids were less than thrilled with the idea of a hike as our Sabbath.  The hike starts off with a little bit of a steep incline and we definitely fielded some initial whining.  But once we started on Ed's Trail, the beauty, vastness, and awesomeness (now I'm making up words) overwhelmed even the grouchiest child.  No one could believe that we were traversing the top of a mountain ridge on a narrow footpath.  All whining stopped as we were filled with wonder that such a place really existed.

the start of Ed's Trail was just up from this viewpoint

look at the cloud casting a shadow on the mountain

there were some big mountain peaks hiding in the clouds behind the kids and Curt.  

The trail was seldom smooth so we alternated between carefully choosing each step and taking time to take in the views from 360 degrees.  Most of the Washington peaks (St. Helens and Rainer) were hiding in clouds, but Mt. Hood was illuminated in a celestial glow the entire time we were hiking.  It was crazy beautiful!

Katie and Curt are standing on the trail here even though it looks like they're about to vanish into thin air.

Mt. Hood shining through the clouds

We hiked through a natural rock arch and took a resting break in a little cave just past the arch.  The scramble up the rock face, while dangerous, was actually really fun.  Even Paige thought it was cool.

the rock arch

A cloud bank rolled in while we were hiking.  By the time we reached what was supposed to be the most awe-inspiring view of the hike we were socked in by the clouds.  The temperature dropped at least ten degrees and we could feel the damp moisture of the clouds on our exposed skin.  Talk about a surreal experience!

we had just walked through those clouds in the background

here's where the sun was trying to come out

sisters - I love this photo

We looped back on the other side of the ridge, using the wider and safer old Jeep trail to take us back to our car.  The sun tried hard to burn off the clouds and we enjoyed the show:  clouds swirling and dancing, sunlight peeking through then completely disappearing.  Wild flowers of all shapes, sizes and colors consumed the meadows and even the craggy rock faces.

Mt. Hood played peek-a-boo with us the entire hike

flowers, vast mountains, and a big bank of clouds

beauty

My only regret was not having time to meander.  We didn't plan for the last nine miles of driving to take an hour so we arrived at the trailhead at 5 p.m.  The hiking books give this hike a three hour average time allotment which meant we had no time to waste if we wanted to hike and get back off that hideous road before darkness fell. 

I would love to come back and do Ed's Trail again on a day when all the mountains are out to play.  I'm just not sure we want to tackle that road again.  This may be our one and only trip to Silver Star Mountain.  Thank you Jesus that it was an awesome adventure.

Silver Falls State Park - A Haven for Hikers of All Skill Levels

This week my good friend Rose and I took seven kids to Silver Falls State Park for a hiking/swimming/picnic adventure.  Rose had never been to Silver Falls State Park and I had so much fun showing her around.  It is only an hour and ten minute, scenic, drive from our house in Newberg.  We passed a field full of flowers just outside Mt. Angel.  Its beauty was so captivating that I pulled over on the way home to get some photographs.

Silver Falls State Park is a haven for hikers of all skill levels.  You can hike as little (as in NONE) or as much (nine miles to see it all) as you want.  The Trail of Ten Waterfalls showcases ten waterfalls in nine gorgeous miles of hiking on wide, well manicured trails.  The kids and I hiked the entire trail last year with Sarah but our mission this visit was to relax, not wear ourselves out covering the entire park in one day.

taking in the view of South Falls

Lower South Falls - see the boys behind it?

Many of the waterfalls have carved out caves in the cliffs behind them and the hiking trails go directly behind the waterfalls.  The kids love playing in the caves and climbing the rock faces.  The Canyon Trail follows an inviting creek in the canyon floor.  There is easy access to the creek to cool off and catch crayfish.

climbing, climbing, climbing

the boys

cute girls

The South Falls Day Use Area is really inviting.  It has multiple picnic tables and shelters, flush toilets and drinking fountains, a playground and a designated swimming area.  It even has a snack shack if you get a craving for an ice cream cone.

I really like this silhouette of Rose and the little girls

We picnicked first.  Then took the kids on a small hike.  We covered two miles in two hours, taking time for photos, cave exploring, rock climbing, and playing in the creek.  We kind of let the kids set the agenda and it led to minimal whining and maximum fun.

group shot behind Lower South Falls

When we got back to the day use area, we had a snack and then the kids went swimming while Rose and I sat on blankets in the sun and talked.

tired little hikers

We spent the entire day at the park.  No one wanted to leave, but we had eaten through all the food we packed and the sunshine and outdoor activity had reduced the kids to "near starvation."  A little fried chicken from Popeyes on the way home finished off a really, really fun day.

everything is better with a friend

If you live locally and need a fun place to spend the day, I highly recommend taking your family to Silver Falls State Park.  It's beyond crowded on the weekend so go on a week day if you can swing it. There is a $5 per vehicle entry fee that you can purchase in the park.  If you have a state park pass, you can get in for free.

Oneonta Gorge and Sabbath Rest

family photo at the falls

The summer before fifth grade my childhood family moved from the cornfields of Iowa to Gresham, Oregon.  The Pacific Northwest romanced us.  We drank deep of its beauty and majesty.  Each weekend was a new outdoor adventure filled with wonder that such untamed power and awe-inspiring beauty could exist in one place.

Years later MY family is doing the same thing.  We're five years into our Pacific Northwest adventure and still discovering new places to play and rest.  This weekend I guided my family to Oneonta Gorge, one of my childhood favorites.  They loved it as much as I did and we spent a very hot summer day playing in the ice-cold water.

kids playing in the gorge

It's hard to call Oneonta Gorge a "hike" since the total distance is one mile but it is definitely an adventure.  Not for the faint-hearted, there are some perilous sections of this hike which is why we waited until our kids were old enough to handle it.  Paige - at seven years old - was borderline in her physical and mental ability to handle the challenges.  Curt told her he needed her to be tough.  In the parts she was scared she said out-loud, "I'm tough and my name is Paige.  I'm Tough Paige and I can do it."

after Curt's "let's be kind, loving and safe" pep talk, he told us to line up shortest to tallest.  I wonder how long it will be before Grant is on the other side of me?

We parked on the shoulder of the Columbia River Historic Highway and walked to a steep, winding staircase flanking the bridge crossing the Oneonta Creek. We picked our way down the stairs to a narrow trail alongside the creek's edge.  It led us through the brush for about 100 yards before it bled into the creek.

From that point, the trail was the creek.  It feeds into a very narrow and tall canyon with cliff walls rising on either side.  The water is cold and the creek bottom rocky and unstable.  A hot summer day and tennis shoes or water sandals with sturdy bottoms are a must-have to complete this hike.

The first peril is a huge log jam that blocks up the entire gorge.  Hikers must climb up and over the slippery rocks and logs to follow the creek through the gorge.  There is no margin for error and a fall would result in broken bones.  We were there on the weekend and the backlog of people (and dogs) trying to cross the log jam was long and intimidating.  Many well-intentioned hikers turned around at this point.

log jam.  Our oldest three kids are on the bottom right - playing on the low log and swimming in the swimming hole behind it.

Paige was scared and Curt was uncomfortable with the risk factor of slippery surfaces and lots of people.  I convinced them that the hidden waterfall with a swimming hole at the end of the gorge was a reward worth working for.  We chose to wait in line and finally made it safely to the other side.

Once we were over the log jam we took a collective deep breath and followed the creek into the depths of the gorge.  Blue skies and bright sunlight danced with shadows from the cliffs.  The water numbed our toes and kept our bodies cool.  Curt and I hung back and watched our kids explore, laugh, splash and shriek in the water.  It was a glimpse of heaven.

sometimes I wish they would be a little less boring...  

The majority of the time the water in the creek ranged from ankle to knee-deep, with the exception of one section toward the end where the creek bottom drops down and the water gets deep.  I'm 5' 7" and the water came up past my chest.  There is no shoreline so hikers get WET!  Paige hitched a ride on Curt's shoulders, I carried our day pack on top of my head so our phones didn't get wet, and the big kids swam.  The water was take-your-breath-away cold but so refreshing.  A water-proof bag would be essential if I would have wanted to take my fancy camera on this hike.

Half a mile into the gorge, the creek dead ends into a stunning waterfall with an inviting swimming hole.  Grant dove right in, swam to a rock outcropping and jumped back into the water.  Normally I'm a Freeze Baby and avoid cold water like a plague, but it was just hot enough outside to be inviting.  The water beckoned and I kept thinking, "How often in life do I have the opportunity to swim with my boy in the pool of a waterfall?"  It took me a good hour to warm up after our swim but it was the highlight of the day for me and a memory I will take with me for the rest of my life.

the entire waterfall

Grant and I post-swim

When we got back to the bridge, no one wanted to leave.  Our family is learning to practice the art of Sabbath Rest.  It's a teaching we're both learning and embracing.  Woven into the rhythm of creation, Sabbath rest was created by God and he called it holy.  It's the antidote to all the hard work we do the other six days of the week.  Regular rest is restorative and takes planning and practice to learn to do it well.

We chose to spend the remainder of our Sabbath at Oneonta Creek, splashing in the shallow spots and dipping into the deeper holes when we needed to cool off.

doing nothing, something I don't naturally do well.

Grant sat with Alli and taught her how to do the "eggbeater kick," a skill she'll need when she starts water polo next spring.

teaching Alli how to "egg beater"

Katie and Paige threw rocks, chatted, and sat in the sun.

Katie and Paige

We explored the cool tunnel through the mountainside.

Grant and I climbed to the top

Curt and the girls stayed put on solid ground

Beauty was all around us:  blue skies, bright sunshine, babbling creeks, crashing waterfalls, intimidating cliff faces, and people of every shape and size.  We watched our children - healthy and thriving - soaking up the sun and simply playing.  It truly was restorative rest.

As the afternoon lapsed into early evening, we reluctantly left the gorge and headed to church via Target to buy all the things we should have packed to get ready for church (like underwear and deodorant) but forgot.  We converted from hikers to worshippers in the church bathroom and finished our day celebrating the new life we have through Jesus.

The kids fell straight into bed and Curt and I sat at the kitchen counter scheming up what to do next week on our Sabbath.

Thank you Jesus for the gift of rest...

rest

Of family...

family (I forgot I tied my shirt around my head so it wouldn't get wet)

Of beauty...

beauty

Of life that is truly life.