Monday April 3rd we woke up around 8am, to go for a walk in the woods. Julie knows how much we love waterfalls, so after an amazing breakfast (all Jewl’s b/fasts are amazing) we set off for the Marshall Falls – at least I think that’s what it was called 😉 We drove and drove, and yet again Mount Rainier put on a show for us in the distance, as we passed mile after mile of farms and beautiful foothills. After about an hour, we realized that we were indeed lost, so we stopped at a rangers station for directions, and discovered that we had passed the spot about 20 minutes earlier!!! I am a strong believer that getting lost is an essential part of any adventure, and simlpy affords you the opportunity to see more than you would have see otherwise. So, it was all good.

When we finally arrived at the ‘parking area’ it became obvious why we had missed it – there’s no sign and it even looks like the county is discouraging the use of this entrance. We climbed down a small hill, with the help of some vines, and then met with railroad tracks and bridge that we had to walk across. The ‘guide book’ says “it may be illegal to cross”, and I was reticent to take the bridge, because seconds before we set out, we disinctly heard a train whistle. But Sean, my Indiana Jones, went and felt the tracks and declared it safe. The height and the gaps in the wood were pretty scary, and the raging river with sharp rocks weren’t very inviting either. I with Sean egging me on Shrek and Donkey style (you remember the raging mote of lava around the castle???), I made it across, and the adventure continued.

The woods are beautiful, and there was lots of mist as it started to rain. Our path was very muddy, but at least it didn’t stick to my shoes they way it did in California. We walked to the bottom waterfall first, and it was awesome. There’s a big pool at the bottom, and the mist made the whole area mysterious. I didn’t go all the way down, cause it was really slippery and you had to use a nylon rope to stop yourself from sliding over the edge into the rocky pool. Actually, I have to say that my real motivation was really prissy – I didn’t want to get mud all over my clothes!!! And I didn’t want to get wet and cold. So, I deprived myself of a great adventure for the sake of cleanliness and warmth. Pretty dumb, huh! Sean, Julie, and Jer climbed down one side, and then up the other – very slipery and almost vertical – so they could get to the top of the falls and check it out. I know that this adventure was instigated by my “Indy”, cause he’s always doing this kind of thing, and he was the first one up there. Amy and I just stood in our safe spot, and kept thinking, “Oh, I hope they know what they’re up to…” As always, they did.

So, we walked back up the very steep hill, and went to the middle level water fall. Here, there was no nylon rope, and the only way down was to hang on to some loose vines. So, again, I stayed on the trail and played “bag lady”, while Sean, Julie, Jer and Amy went down to the waterfall and even went behind it to the other side of the river. I found another trail, so I could get a different view of the falls. In the middle of the rocks, there was a bare tree, with bright green moss on one side, and with the way the light, rain and mist fell on it, with the waterfall in the background, it was magical. The others came up soaking wet, and we decided it was time to return to our car, but not before Sean cleaned up all the beer cans and bottles the rude hikers had left for nature to battle with. I think that Jewls got a good photo of him with his Budweiser case in hand.

Well, it was a great day out, and we didn’t get lost going home! And the end to the perfect day?? A movie of course! We watched “Flight Plan” together, and I must say I was disappointed. It was just 2 hours of watching Jodie Foster freak out, much the same as “Panic Room”. I had heard it was a great movie, and I’m the one who suggested it. I guess I only have myself to blame….

Later in the evening, our friend John came to visit (he lived and worked with us in Thailand for a year) and Sean got to spend a couple of hours chatting with him, while I hung out with Jewls in the kitchen as she made another one of her amazing dishes – lemon merange crepes. YUM. I am pretty sure that Sean was convincing John that he needed to return to Thailand and settle down.