Adventures with the Boys

Watch Out world!

Casey has a friend who's been staying over a lot. I think we had Kent three nights in a row last week. They get along okay. Like many kids, they are angels when they are one-on-one with adults, but the usual kid-competition gets in the way a lot when they're together. Sometimes the situation calls for ADVENTURE. That's where I come in; your local adventure guide.

Climbing at Exit 38

Exit 38 is a great place to go. So much to see and do. On the north side of the freeway is Dirty Harry's Balcony and lots of river access. One hot evening, the boys and I played in the river while Amy made a fire on the beach. Another evening, I took the boys to the climbing rocks along the John Wayne Trail on our way to The Change Creek Trail.

Raven's Roost

We watched people climbing the rocks (for real, with gear) and then we made a short trip up the Change Creek Trail to Raven's Roost Point. The blog Hiking with My Brother has a great write-up of this new trail. I took the boys to the first lookout, called Raven's Roost, and I held their hands as we walked along the edge of the cliff. It's so steep and such a long drop that I get vertigo when I'm up there.

Playing in Alice Creek

On the way down, the boys asked if they could play in the creek under the trestle. This section of the creek is pretty safe (rusty metal aside) and is only a 5 minute walk from the road. 8 year old boys can play in a creek for hours and hours. Bring a book if you're an adult and your set for an afternoon.

From 2010 Hiking and Camping

Another day, Amy joined us as we visited three places: the Yakima River in Easton (caught a little 8" trout thank you). Then got sunburned pretty bad at Lake Easton State Park.

At the Denny Creek Waterslide

The last stop that day was Casey's favorite hike, the Denny Creek Waterslide. We lied and told Mom it was only a 20 minute walk in the woods (its 40). Casey and I each rode a part of the river that was pretty turbulent. I did it first, and when I tried to get out at a spot where the river beat against a big boulder, the water grabbed me and pushed me down another channel. I tried to get out again, and again the river wouldn't let me go.

Denny Creek Water-slide

Casey rode the same stretch later (before I could stop him) and when he came to the boulder he also tried to get out. We saw his face and his arm stretched out and then the river got him and pulled him under! I was up on my feet in a second running across the rocks. Casey emerged from the channel on the other side of the boulder and he tried to get out (as I did) but the river would have none of it. I was able to get him shortly after. What a crazy ride! Dennny Creek is always a good bet on a hot day!

When we moved to Snoqualmie, I told Amy that by the time Casey was grown, he and I were going to know every inch of the Snoqualmie Valley and the I-90 corridor. We're working at it.