HIKING: ICICLE GORGE LOOP
AGE 4, MONTH 12
AUG 11 (2019)
This hike was on my ‘to-do’ list this summer, and we just happened to do it on August 11th…which was my due date with Todd five years ago.
The last time Eric and I hiked the gorge was July 5, 2014, when I was ~35 weeks pregnant. Although the trail is basically flat, I remember feeling much more tired back then! I’m sure the temperature outside was warmer five years ago, however, this day in August was nice and cool!
Todd set the pace (i.e.. slow), but he did cover the full 4.40 miles and without a complaint! Hiking with him meant that we had time to see various wildlife that we’d normally just blow past. Let’s get started…
We stopped on the bridge at Rock Island Campground so that Todd could throw pieces of French bread into the creek for the fish…
This was an inviting spot to stop. After we’d been there for a while, some fellow hikers told us they saw a small bear on the part of the trail that we’d already travelled on.
While Todd threw rocks in the creek, Eric found a Northern Alligator lizard.
While crossing a small bridge, Todd confidently stated his desire to feed some fish with the French bread we brought. And– sure enough, there were several fish in the small brook, as well as a water snake (Todd says, ‘fish snake’). Indeed, the bread was eaten by the fish!
Next, we stopped to watch a larva crawl up a cut log…
I asked Eric to take a picture of me with Todd on the same log that I sat on when I was pregnant…
Crossing this bridge is my favorite part of the loop.
I asked Todd to give me a ‘thumbs up’ for completing the full loop…
After the hike, we went to Munchen Haus in Leavenworth. They now have Field Roast and Beyond Sausage. I tried the Beyond Sausage and loved it! Both options make a delicious vegan wurst.
The Freeheel Vegan Family Blog 