Mother's Day at Silver Creek Falls 2014

We had a lovely Mother's Day this year hiking Silver Falls near Silverton, Oregon. It was a beautiful, beautiful day to go out into nature and flex some long unused hiking muscles.

I was just plain happy to survive a many mile trek up and down elevations, hills, valleys, creeks, bridges, and loose hand railings ,while wearing my ever present Birkenstock sandals through mud, creeks waterfall overflows and even going behind the biggest waterfall and still taking photos with a camera phone that was constantly moving along with me...people behind me or not ;-)

I managed to keep up, not pant or gasp too loudly, hug a lot of trees for energy renewal, and see some of the cutest little kids and  (illegal) dogs (safety hazard for all with the narrow paths, cliffs, few pull over spots for doggie duty on the trails)  and the most wonderfully diverse groups of Mother's Day hikers that I think I've ever seen. Some were far older than DH and I, and many so young I really don't know how they kept up!

You could choose between paths, at least eight waterfall switchback path choices, and lots of educational, a wildflower, birding, and fungi and moss displays and more!  It was so wonderful to see all of the educational hands on projects that they have added over the years for children.

When our children were little and Silver Falls was called Silver Creek Falls (there are many creeks and many, many waterfalls in the many hundred acres of the now, state park, we had wildflowers in mason jars to identify. Now, there is so many acitivities from raptor groups coming in and teaching about birds, to wildflowers and moss and fungai education..I always learn something new. And they could build their own birdhouses, make nature crafts, draw bird and wildflower drawings and so much more..all for free.

And as someone remarked, I do believe I was the only person hiking the steep and often waterfall muddy trails in my birks but I did it and only had to sit and rest a couple of dozen times ;-) And as my DIL said, they really didn't look that wet or muddy by the end of the day! Amazing. My jeans did have 'rooster tails' up the back but going under a waterfall should leave some memories ;-)

I only wish I hadn't worn three shirts and a coat. The jeans and the birks were fine but oh, it got warm when the sun finally came out from behind the trees and hills of the forest. But it also felt soo good to warm up, dry off, bask in the sun on an occasional fallen log or big rock. And then, we we'd completed our round of paths and switchbacks, to head back through the returning path to get and enjoy our picnic lunch!

Enlarge and check out the middle photo on the left..those zig zags up and down the mountain are people like me that are still going up or down that particular leg of that trail! 

And oh yes! I never come home without a pocketful of moss, lichen, and heart shaped rocks. And I got a waterfall over-spray facial as an added bonus!

If you think it's beautiful seeing a waterfall, being inside of one is absolutely magical!!


Michele Bilyeu blogs With Heart and Hands as she shares a quilting journey through her life in Salem, Oregon and Douglas, Alaska. Sewing, quilting, and wildcrafting, with small format art quilts, prayer flags, and comfort quilts for a variety of charitable programs. And best of all, sharing thousands of links to Free Quilt and Quilt Block Patterns and encouraging others to join her and make and donate quilts to charitable causes.   Help us change the world, one little quilt, art quilt, and prayer flag at a time!