We departed for the falls after spending 15 minutes looking for parking (I love searching for parking) with Addy in the backpack and Kaylee by my side. Addy BARELY fits the backpack and pregnant woman do not have the same balance as Olympic gymnasts on the balance beam, so needless to say it was a good workout for me. The hike climbed steadily up river and we followed a winding single-track with endless ups, downs and bridges. All in all, we ascended over 1,000 ft over 2.7 miles and arrived safely at the top of the falls.
We quickly scuttled down with Addy leading the way (during her only backpack respite). The descent went pretty quickly despite the fact that we had to negotiate the trail with hundreds of high school students also descending. Just as we were about to finish, Kaylee suggested that we engage in some light and leisurely trail running on a flat, wide trail that led back to the car. Pretty normal for a pregnant woman at 29 weeks and a guy carrying a 4 yr old, right? As we began, we passed an older couple and stirred up some fire within the gentleman. As we passed him, his demeanor quickly changed from calm to agitated, and he gave us a deathly scowl. He promptly shifted his gait into high gear and began SPRINTING down the trail while giving us a "catch me if you can" look. We continued at our leisurely 5 mph pace and watched as the humorous situation unfolded. After a quarter mile or so, he stopped to catch his breathe and then awoke again to our soft, slow footsteps. With a quick glance and a furious step, he resumed his torrid pace and never looked back as he neared the parking lot. Upon finishing, he quickly disappeared and the race was over. Within a few minutes, however, his companion approached and the gentleman resurfaced. She asked expectantly, "Did you win"? He responded, YES!, with a stern and forceful nod.
Random old gentleman 1, pregnant wife of mine 0.
And now the pics...
At the middle falls overlook
At the top
Addy took this picture and SPECIFICALLY requested that we have serious faces
Wallace Falls @ 265 ft tall
The girls and the map
Addy considers a future as a motorcycle racer with our friend Brandee
