This sucker wasn’t on my radar. I had never heard of it in all the years I’ve searched and asked others about kiddo hikes. Maybe because you can simply park in a lot and walk to the falls like it’s no big deal. But we were on the hunt for an easy kiddo hike, under four miles, with a waterfall. WTA recommended this sucker. The WTA site made it a hike from the Mount Washington Trailhead, calling it a two mile hike. We ended up hiking 4.48 miles. Either I can’t follow directions or the WTA site is wrong. My money is on me being the problem.
The plan was to meet our friends at 12:15pm at the trailhead. I clicked the Open in Google Maps link and my friend followed the written directions—both found on the WTA page. We ended up in different spots. She ultimately came to us, at the Mount Washington Trailhead. For a sunny Sunday afternoon, there were still several parking spots available. As I parked, some guy and his kid waved to me. They must have been waiting for someone else because they both looked sheepish when they realized I wasn’t whomever they thought I was. Haha.
The older boys—Blaise and his buddy—clearly didn’t want to be there. Blaise was silently protesting with an annoyed look on his face. His buddy was more vocal to his mom, but in good fun. They both rallied though. We headed up the short trail from the parking lot to the Palouse to Cascades Trail. We went left and mostly winged it from there.
Once we were about a mile in with no waterfall in sight—and thinking the hike was two miles roundtrip—I realized my ability to follow directions wasn’t great this day. We walked over this really high bridge and then decided to turn down the trail that goes under the bridge. Hall Creek Bridge. It’s 175 feet above ground. Just figured that one out looking at Google Maps. Man that is a high bridge. It feels high on the thing but once down below, looking up, that’s when it’s apparent how freaking high up the bridge is overhead.
Hiking the trail down under Hall Creek Bridge, there is a creek. I’m taking a wild guess here it’s called Hall Creek. The kids ran into the rocks as the water flowed, thinking (hoping) this was Weeks Falls. Nope. We continued on the trail that parallels Hall Creek until we hit the main road. We were close.
Walking across the road with eight kids made me feel like a mother duck. There’s a curve in the road in one direction so we had to be certain it was clear to cross. I took the front with the eight ducklings in a line, while the other mom took the end to make sure all eight kiddos crossed safely. Sometimes I wonder what it’s like having one or two kids maximum. I know when we have only two kids at home it feels so weird. Like Brian said one night, I don’t know how people stop at two. I mean, we know, and we both totally get it—kids are expensive and a total time sink, amongst several other reasons. Heck, Brian only wanted two back when we had two. But once you have several, it’s not a something easily explained to anyone with fewer kids. And people with 10 kids probably say the same to those of us with five kids. Kind of like how parents of any amount of children can never fully explain what it’s like to be a parent to childfree folks.
Ducklings crossed, we found the Weeks Falls Interpretive Trail through a parking lot. The trail goes along the Snoqualmie River to a viewing platform for Weeks Falls. I personally like all the wooden walkways because I’m a sucker for any kind of bridge. Plus, they break up the monotony of a trail.
The waterfall. It’s pretty because all waterfalls are pretty in their own way. But it’s not the most impressive one I’ve seen. I mean, it’s water flowing down rocks. And it’s kind of a wide and stumpy waterfall. And to be even more complainy, the viewing platform doesn’t offer the best view. You have to lean forward and then to the right to get the best view of the falls. It’s viewable from the platform and all, so I’ll just stop. Maybe I should go back during snow melting season and then I’ll be impressed.
There is a grassy area before the viewing platform where we sat for a snack. Saige packed snacks, I did not. But I had a package of crackers in my hiking backpack from who knows when. The kids devoured the crackers as if they hadn’t eaten a couple of hours before. While they snacked, I nosed around the hydro generating station.
The kids finished snacking and they ran around a bit before we decided to walk back to find a spot along the river. Blaise climbed the hill because he’s part mountain goat.
We found a staircase off of the trail down to the river. Perfect. There was another family at the river with a few kids, and then our group. They were packing up and then we had it to ourselves. No complaints.
The kids all did their own things—making a rock shop, rock stacking, attempting to cross the river, rock throwing, rock skipping, relaxing on a rock, river wading, rock jumping… all the things.
We must have stayed an hour—maybe longer—at the river before we decided to trek back. Blaise continued with his discontented face but i got to the bottom of why. Before we left and he expressed not wanting to go. I said that whenever he doesn’t want to do something and then does, he always has a good time and ends up enjoying himself. He was DETERMINED not to enjoy himself to prove me wrong. Haha. I called him out on this and said I won’t hold it over his head if he does enjoy this outing. This night, when he was saying goodnight to Brian and me, he did say he enjoyed himself (I didn’t say anything).
Blaise did perk up a bit when he heard we were heading back. At the bottom of the stairs, between the rocks to climb down to the river, there is a large tree. Blaise smiled for me to take a picture to see how big the tree is compared to him. And looking up, he thought the trees look cool with all the branches. Further up on the trail back was a large tree Maive fit inside. She was impressed with herself!
Back up on the Palouse to Cascades Trail, we checked out the rock climbers doing their thing in a few different spots. Impressive, sure, but the rock climbing dogs caught my attention. Such cuties! And so mellow, hanging out while their people climb above. It’s always nice seeing people be active. I love this area. Not only is it beautiful, there’s a communal sense amongst those out and about.
Almost back to the Mount Washington Trailhead, I found Blaise ahead of us on the trail; he had climbed a rock because of course he did. He always does. He certainly was NOT enjoying himself, haha. Okay, I’ll stop being that parent now. There were some pretty wildflowers along the trail and a cement something that I was going to try and figure out what it is but haven’t yet. I imagine a former railroad something?
Back at the trailhead. Before we left the river to hike back, I pulled the parent card and said to my kids that if anyone complains hiking back, they’d lose their Sunday Sundae. I wasn’t up for complaining and I know they all like their sundaes. The other three kids who aren’t mine, their ears perked up and asked their mom about having Sunday Sundaes. Sorry, friend.
In the end, the kids all did great. There was some complaining from Maive but she’s three and gets some leeway. Maive did GREAT for hiking right after her grandparents left, after a busy Saturday spent at Remlinger Farms, and then hiking over twice as long as I had planned. She did manage to get Blaise to carry her a bit, cute privilege.
Brian had smoked four tri-tips the day before since his dad and Tara were in town. I’m not sure why he thought we needed this much but we had a ton of meat. We invited our friend and her kiddos over for meat and Sunday Sundaes. And then it turned into Saige leaving with them for a sleepover. Summer spontaneity is the best.
Two random photos, a logjam along Hall Creek and massive clovers. These suckers are huge.
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