Sahalie and Koosah Falls

We made it! Hiking is a passion of mine - has been for a very long time, but as of the last half-decade, it's been largely ignored. When Brayden still fit in a backpack, Michele and I took the two boys out and have quite a few pictures of fun adventrures to show for it. But, since then, it's been a difficult thing to do with small kids. They don't have the stamina to walk that far, and we don't have the stamina to carry them when they quit.

But, lately, I've noticed my kids stepping it up when it comes to exercise and I was guessing that they might finally be at the age to actually make it on a hike. My guess was right. We did a one and a half mile loop, with a little bit of change of elevation, and they did FANTASTIC - both of them! John and I kept expressing how proud we were of them.

A few quotes that made my day:

BRAYDEN & MIKAYLA: Upon seeing the Sahalie Falls, both of them were wide-eyed and said, WOAH!!!!
BRAYDEN: I love hiking, I think this is probably my favorite subject on weekends!
BRAYDEN: Daddy, hiking is my favorite sport.
MIKAYLA: Praying to God that He would help her get up the final steps....

On to some pictures:
The "fam" in front of Sahalie Falls
The Whites
Stephie and Mikayla started out as early hiking buddies
I know this picture doesn't do it justice, but one of the things I love the most about this hike is the aquamarine waters, just breathtaking-
John, Brayden, and Syd on the bridge that crosses the river
At the Carmen-Smith Reservoir we took a little pitstop and the dogs started wading in the creek. That led us to testing Syd in the reservoir with a stick, and what do you know, she "retrieved" - GOOD DOG!
Koosah Falls - The hike is a one and a half mile loop that starts with Sahalie Falls, heads upstream, crosses the McKenzie, goes downstream to Carmen-Smith Reservoir, then goes upstream again to Koosah Falls, followed quickly by Sahalie Falls again.