A week with only three kids! It felt so easy. Blaise and Laine were away at Camp Orkila for a week, leaving us with the younger gals. The big kids had left on Saturday; on Sunday we set out for a partial-family hike. I was driving on the 90 to hit up Gold Creek Pond, because it’s so freaking pretty, but decided last minute to exit at Asahel Curtis because I know Brian likes hikes with history. Not that Gold Creek Pond probably doesn’t have history. But I knew Asahel Curtis is one of the last remaining old growth forest in Snoqualmie Valley (confirmed here because I thought it was true). And I knew Brian would like this.
Posers.
There’s a bridge. Also a selling point. Gold Creek Pond has a bridge also so there’s that. But this sucker has beautiful flowing water passing underneath, right at the start of the trail.
The trail is short, not even a mile, but that didn’t stop the girls from taking advantage of all the things. There are downed trees and logs to climb. Rocks to mount. Signs to read (Saige will stop and read every single sign, our voracious reader). Big trees to pose by. It may be 0.5 miles roundtrip but it felt like a few miles at the rate we moved along. It’s all good; the kids were enjoying themselves.
Cute hikers!
The trail feels… messy?! There are so many downed trees and branches, and much debris along the trail. I suppose it highlights the old growthness (that’s not a word). Growthiness? Google tells me that is a word.
Messiness.
Specking of growthiness, there are mushrooms galore along the trail. Maybe not all mushrooms, some fungi? I have no idea what classifies a mushroom from a fungi other than I know they’re two different things.
Colorful suckers!
We spent maybe an hour or so on the trail before heading back to the car. They really need to do something about the road to the trailheads by Asahel Curtis. It’s pothole city. I’m not sure if it’s worse than the road to Moss Lake—which is the absolute worst pothole road we’ve been on around here.
Since Asahel Curtis is so short, I wasn’t ready to call it an outing. It was a warm sunny day, not miserably hot or anything. But warm enough to enjoy some river time. I drove toward Three Rivers Natural Area. A few years ago, before Maive—actually, I was pregnant with Maive looking back—the big kids and I hit up Three Forks Natural Area after blueberry picking. I remember Saige and Baby were at a summer camp, which is why they weren’t with us.
It was busy! Brian and I talk about getting a canopy and portable grill so so we can hang out at a river all day. We talk about this every summer. And every summer we do nothing about it other than talk. Maybe next summer. Actually, I think that’s better for the older kids. We were inspired as usual this day. There were so many families hanging out—canopies and grills in tow—enjoying the day along the river. It does look nice. We walked past several groups, including one woman who offered the girls some grilled chicken as she cooked, before making it to the riverfront.
The one things about beaches up here, rocks. Even along the Sound, it’s mostly rocky beaches. There is some sand here and there so perhaps I shouldn’t complain. Rocks didn’t stop the girls from having the best time. We settled in along the shallow water, which allowed the girls to walk from one side of the river to the other. Not a bad way to spend the afternoon. Especially with Mount Si in the backdrop. Beautiful.
It’s not a water outing without the kids or Brian throwing rocks into the river. Heck, I enjoy throwing rocks also. Water play and rock throwing came to an end when Brian and I decided it was time to feed these kids. Usually we get frozen yogurt after a hike but it was nearing dinner. To make our lives easy, we ordered pizza for pick up on our way home. Timing was perfect and the pizzas were ready when we made it back to Carnation. I’m sure we gave the gals ice cream this night but I can’t remember. But it feels like something we would have done. Especially being Sunday. Sunday Sundaes and all.
Three gals at Three Forks.
jumpingraccoons.com 