We recently went on a hike with some friends.  We decided to hike the Dark Hollow Falls trail at Skyline Drive.  It was beautiful.  The waterfall was gorgeous, and along trail we found lots of interesting things. We kids especially loved the little creek running along the trail, and we could hardly be torn away from it to keep on the trail.  Along the creek we found some mini waterfalls which were quite pretty too.

We also found flowers,

Several pretty ferns,

Teeny tiny mushrooms,

Lots of lush green moss,

And some interesting creatures such as… a millipede,

A newt (or maybe it’s a salamander?),

 

And a snail.

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We finally made it to the waterfall.

The little creek that we had played in earlier in the hike turned to a roaring torrent of water.  The rocks around the waterfall were mossy and green.  If you leaned close enough, you could feel the spray of the water on your face.  We paused for some refreshment on some rocks near the waterfall.

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On the return journey, we stopped at a small pool along the trail.  The kids had lots of fun wading in the (freezing) water, and skipping and throwing rocks in the pool.  It was fun to see the big splashes the rocks made.

Just as everyone had finished putting their socks and shoes back on, Jeff’s water-bottle decided to go on a sea journey.

Of course, Jeff had to take off his socks and shoes again to get it.  With the water bottle returned to its proper place, we resumed our hike.

Near the beginning of the trail, the kids stopped to catch salamanders and crayfish at the creek.  Well, we tried to catch salamanders and crayfish, but the little sneakers kept getting away.  After the hike, we had supper at our friends’ house.  It was a great end to a great day.

***Allison***