Labor Day on the Mount

Many moons ago T and I came out to hike the Tamanawas Falls trail. I think I was pregnant with Griffin at the time so I knew it was a trail the kids could do. Stopping at our favorite spot along the way (Joe's donut shop) we drove through Government Camp to the East side of Mt. Hood. The trail is 4 miles round trip with only 500 ft. elevation gain. The girls loved crossing over the wooden bridges.
I love the view when rounding the last bend, then walking up to let the mist from the falls cool us off. We even stopped several times to take drinks from the fast moving cool mountain run off water. It was so cold and delicious. Some say not to drink, but it's never made us sick in the least.
Brody was a little trooper for this 2 hour excursion. I just kept handing him raisins and giving him sips of the cold water. He's getting heavy. I'm going to have to do this next year too because there is no way a 2 1/2 year old will be hiking alongside like the rest of us!
Griffin and Todd opted to traverse some fallen logs arcoss the river.
After the most delicious picnic right at the waters edge (with Brody throwing bark dust all over us, him and the food), we headed north to come home by way of Hood River. The fruit orchards are so numerous through those valleys. There were stores like this all along the way and we stopped to pick up some fresh peaches, green beans and cherries.

Hood River is renowned for it's Windsurfing. The wind was especially gusty today. We pulled up to the beach area along the Columbia River and watched dozens of surfers. That looks like hard work! Now THAT could be an Olympic Sport.....a lot more than ping pong!