I ask for only one thing on Mother’s Day: that my sweet husband and kids go hiking with me . . . with no complaining.
Sometimes I feel like I might be the only mother in a hundred miles who asks such a thing of her family.
Me and my two munchkins, Sweet Bean and Lil’ Moose.
So many mother’s I know personally and on Facebook will receive the gift of a day off — to have some peace and quiet or to pamper themselves with a massage or a pedicure — or will go to a fancy brunch with family. All of these things sound fun (I love a good pedicure!), but every year, when Mr. A asks me what I want — and he is happily prepared to give me whatever I ask — I listen to my heart. What is it I most need right now to rejuvenate myself? What do I need, independent of everyone else in my life? And every year I seem to come back to the same thing: I want to be with the 3 people I love most; I want to be out in nature; I want to hike.
Yeah, silly me.
But it turns out I am NOT the only one.
One of the sights on our “local bucket list” (as opposed to our “global or life-long bucket list”) is Palouse Falls. I decided that this was where I wanted to go this year, before the spring flows recede completely. I feel like we made it a little later than was ideal, but it was still beautiful.
Palouse Falls. Just north of the Snake River in southeastern Washington. Image by the Author.
This is the view downstream from the falls. Image by Author.
The rock formation at the top of the falls is called Castle Rock. It looks to be nestled at the base of the hillside, but it is a peninsula of sorts, isolated on one side by the river and on the other by basin below the falls. Image by Author.
Our friends had the same locale on their local bucket list and so we made the trip together. They are so wonderful to have around and so easy to travel with, it made for a relaxing and fun day for the adults and the kids.
Ironically, after driving for almost 3 hours through dirt and wheat fields without encountering many people or buildings we had trouble finding a parking space. It seems there were a lot of mamas who wanted to see the falls.
The parking lot is very close to a look out point where you can see the falls. From there you can hike over the bluff to a steep trail that takes you down to a first set of small falls.
The trail winds over the bluff and then back down into this canyon and a small set of waterfalls before the larger Palouse Falls. Image by Author.
The small set of waterfalls up close. Image by Author.
As you can see, we were not the only people who decided to get outside for Mother’s Day. Image by Author.
This was the perfect place to soak our feet and play in the water before heading a short bit further to Castle Rock and the top of the main waterfall.
Sweet Bean looking downriver. Image by Author.
I knew the fast water through this section was cold, but I guess it tickled too. Image by Author.
Lil’ Moose soaking his feet. He may not be as adventurous as his sister but he LOVES water. Image by Author.
Some people really wanted to cool off. Misogi!! Image by Author.
Most of us decided to continue onward and peek out over the top of the larger waterfall. It was a steep climb, but well worth the view.
Mr. A helping Lil’ Moose on the trail up the Castle Rock. Image by Author.
Looking out over the top of Palouse Falls. Image by Author.
Standing on the backside of Castle Rock. From here you can really see how the hillside falls off steeply on either side of the pinnacles. Image by Author.
It was a wonderful day and I could not have been a happier mama. It feels so cheesy to say, but there is not a day that goes by that I do not feel grateful and lucky that I live with the three souls inhabiting my house. They are full of compassion, generosity, and insane amounts of humor (that sometimes even makes me laugh, though not always). Strong wills and funny escapades aside, there are no three people I would have rather spent my day with.
So beautiful! Imagine what it looks like during flood stage when the water extends over the entire expanse of flat rock.
Palouse Falls, WA. Image by Author.
Duck Duck Moose 