therapy hike

This morning I woke up and decided I have had enough! I'm so tired of not being able to do anything active because of my ankle! So I got dressed, quickly created an awesome playlist, gassed up my car, and took off. I had no specific destination, I just figured I'd head for the Gorge and figure it out from there. The drive out there alone is an enjoyable one, but I really love driving on the Historic Columbia River Hwy, so I headed there. I love how the roads wind and are shaded by big beautiful trees. My first stop was at the Vista House on Crowne Point, sat on a ledge, plugged in my iPod, and just stared out at the beautiful river and mountains.

My view...

As I sat there, I started to remember that all the times I'd driven from the Vista House to Multnomah Falls, I'd always see these other smaller falls and areas for hiking. I figured the weather was beautiful and I had nowhere else to go, so maybe I'd stop at one of these places and go for a nice hike, by myself (certainly a first for me). Now granted, I'm still dealing with an injured ankle and this may not be the wisest decision but as I stated earlier, I have had enough!! I can't run yet, and a friend did mention to me that maybe I should take up bike riding for the meantime. But for those of you who know me well enough, know that is a dangerous idea, that's an injury waiting to happen. So since I haven't had much issues walking, just the occasional tender spots when I turn my ankle funny or step down weird, I thought that maybe a good hike could do me some good. Not to mention some alone time away from everyone, the city, and the burbs could potentially be a healthy decision for me right now. And so I jumped back into my car and continued on my drive in search of a place to hike, I ended up stopping at the Latourell Falls. Mind you, I made this decision without reading up on how long this hike is, what it's elevation is, or what the terrain will be like (a non-wise decision on my part). But in the end, I had a wonderful experience and lived to tell about it!

Beginning of  hike...

The fall that can be seen from the hwy...

Same fall as photo above...

Art in nature...

Myself.

My little adventure came to an end a couple of hours later. Once I got home, I looked up the facts on Latourell Falls and this is what I learned:

• Distance: 2.1 miles roundtrip
• Elevation: 650 ft
• Hike Time: 1.5 hours
• Hike Type: Loop

My ankle did well, did turn it funny a few times but the terrain on this hike was not paved, it was quite rocky and plenty of dirt. The path in many areas were very narrow (even for one person), and there were times where I had to squat or sit just to work my way down. From time to time I'd catch up with someone else on the trail or cross paths with someone, but otherwise I was solo for the majority of the time. You could hear the water from the Falls the whole time and birds chirping. At one point something jumped on my left shoulder and then off, it happened so quickly that I didn't really get a chance to see what it was or get scared, but I think it was a small frog. I feel better, mentally and physically.  I will treat my ankle well with some elevation, icing, and ibuprofen tonight (thank you ankle for not giving out on me!). I think I will definitely check out another hiking spot next Sunday! Hiking is a great substitute for time being...