Elk River Falls Hike

For FHE we decided to take a hike down to the river at Elk River Falls. Last year I did this hike with Ben and Justin and it wasn't a super easy hike but it was really beautiful once you get down to the river and well worth the work to get there. I have wanted to take Rick down there ever since. We decided that it was time to go and that we would get a babysitter for Emma since it was a somewhat difficult hike. She was not very happy about that and kept telling me that she could do it. I thought I had lost all sanity when I agreed to let her give it a shot and had resolved that we would all just have to take turns carrying her back up the trail. I guess she showed us what little girls are made of! She kicked my tail and was smiling all the way. It is an awesome hike!!!


Daddy and Emma enjoying the water before we do the hike back up the mountain.


Emma was such a trooper! I was worried that she wasn't going to be able to do the hike but she did better than I did. At one point I told her that I needed to stop and take a break and she told me, "No, you can take a break when we get back to the car. Keep going Mom, I know you can do it, I believe in you!". I was completely humbled and thought that I was the one who needed to believe in her more.



It's so nice having Manda close enough to join us for FHE occasionally. Emma loved having her big sister around for the hike, except for when Manda was making goat noises and Em was worried that a bear or mountain lion was going to jump out and eat us because of the goat noises. Of course, Manda only found pleasure in scaring Emma. She is convinced that Emma needs to go through some of the same torture that she has endured for some reason?




It's hard to really capture the beauty in a picture. Now if only I could add all the amazing scents of the forest too. I just love the smell of water and pine trees mixed in with blossoms. Heavenly.