Given I live in one of the most beautiful states in the country, it only seems appropriate to write about an outdoor workouts exploring one of the many scenic wonders in Washington. I have to be honest though, it was the first hike I have gone on since I moved to Seattle and I've lived here for 9 years :( I'm NOT an outdoor adventure seeker but luckily, one of my good friends, Kolena, was born and raised in WA and knows every nook and cranny of this state.
I had mentioned that I wanted to try and get the boys out and about on a hike but wasn't sure how long they (or I!) would last. That's when Kolena suggested we start with Franklin Falls. It's a two mile hike and about an hour drive outside of Seattle. It sounded PERFECT for us.
So on Saturday morning, we jumped in the car, picked up some coffee and bagels and were well on our way by 8:00 AM. I was happy we were able to get on the road on the earlier side. There was a bit of construction on I-90 so there was a little bit of traffic as we got close to the Franklin Falls area. But still, it only took us about an hour and 15 minutes to get there. Not bad at all! The best part is, the parking lot for the Franklin Falls hike also hosts the Denny Creek hiking trail. This is a bit longer (6 miles) but allows you to pick one of you get there and feel that you might want something a bit longer than 2 miles.
Because the kids and I had never hiked before, I wasn't sure what to expect or how long the kids would last. Fortunately, the unbelievable scenery took care of everything. The kids (and I) were overcome with house beautiful the trail was, right from the beginning. From the start, the trail runs along the river and the kids had a blast trying to take pictures of the water and finding good spots to throw rocks. As the trail got higher in elevation, we were no longer able to walk along side the river so the kids started playing 'That tree looks like...' where they called out everything from vultures to dinosaurs to legendary Pokemon. The best part was the trail is very kid friendly. The path waves are pretty clear and there are even stairs along the way to help with the climb. Because we were on the earlier side, the trail was not too crowded. We were even to play around a bit and do things like side squats up and down the stairs, hop on one foot across the mini bridges and jumping jacks when we wanted. It was definitely a fun hike/workout.
The best part is the waterfall. It is breathtaking how beautiful it is and how close you can get to it. The hiking trail leads into a rocky, open area at the bottom of the waterfall where there is plenty of room to run around and take pictures. If the weather were nicer, we probably could have hung out there for another hour just enjoying the sights and having a picnic lunch. But after a few pictures and rock tosses, we headed back.
Getting back to the car was far easier than I anticipated. It took us about 15-20 minutes but I did notice that the trail was filling up. If you do go, try and go earlier. It's a popular trail for dogs and families so I can see how the trail would get crowded fast and a bit tight.
While I definitely would not classify this hike as an intensive workout, it was worth every minute to get out, spend time with the boys and see a bit of our beautiful state.
Workout Scale:
Cardio: 2/5
Core: 1/5
Legs: 2/5
Arms: 1/5
