House Willis

A Sunny Day Just Before Spring 2010

We got lucky in mid-March with some unseasonably nice weather. Like everyone else up here we went outside to take advantage of it. A few minutes from our house is a nice park on the side of the Sammamish Plateau where we've gone in the past to have nice, quiet picnics.

We parked in the parking lot of a new medical building near the top of the plateau then followed a small paved path down around the side facing the interstate. At that point we could've taken the long path winding it's way around and eventually to the spot where we usually picnic. Instead, we hopped the fence and made our way down the very steep hill-side for a bit of excitement (for Porter's and Fallon's sake).

At the bottom we found our spot which is near the rock on the right side of this photo. After picnicking, Toni took a nap and the kids and I played hide and seek. Fallon spotted these lillies growing nearby on the hill-side a little lower from where this picture was taken, and had to have them (she can't resist picking flowers).

After we played we went back up and climbed on some old logs that laid on the side of the hill in the background of this photo. Eventually, tiring of our picnic, we decided to make our way back to the car. For fun, the kids and decided we would climb the even steeper hillside directly behind our picnic spot.

Initially we did really well. The ground was very sandy, with lots of dry, dead leaves and small rocks. It was a bit slippery and slow-going, but Porter and Fallon handled it well.

We kept making our way up slowly, cutting back and forth across the hillside (which was probably no more than 50 or 60 feet tall. We made our way to a very large fallen cotton wood tree. As we climbed over it some of the bark peeled away revealing a small brown frog that had been sheltering beneath. Porter and Fallon thought it was really cool, though they were a bit distracted by the climb we had ahead of us.

As we kept moving forward their stomach for continuing shrank more and more. Though I encouraged them to keep going as we helped each other up, they soon couldn't go further.

At that point we were about 8 feet from the very top, but we were also at the steepest part of the climb. We rested in the middle of a cluster of medium-sized cotton woods all growing from the same base. Looking down the hill looked very steep. That, coupled with the uncertain footing, killed their confidence. Fallon got really upset and became very frightened.

Realizing that I wouldn't be able to convince them to keep going, I tried to comfort her as we caught our breath. Then we slowly made our way back down the hill.

They were both very releaved once we got back down to our picnic site - as was I. Though the climb was safe I was really worried that somebody would have slipped and the mere fear from the slip would have been a bit traumatic for them.

We made our way back around to the less steep part and began climbing back up the hill side, much more easily this time. Trying to turn our inability to make it to the top into a learning lesson I noted (somewhat awkwardly) how the climb up this less steep part was so much easier because we had tried the harder route earlier. I think they understood what I was talking about, but, nonetheless, mostly appreciated that this was a less-dangerous-feeling route.

At the top we were all a bit warm and had worked up a sweat (after being in virtual hibernation all winter). We drank our last bit of water then got in the car.

Everyone absorbed the cool air conditioning on our short ride back home, and I'm sure Porter and Fallon were thinking about our exciting hillside climb.