Wallace Falls State Park
HIKE: Wallace Falls Trail (options for lower, middle, upper falls)
MILEAGE: lower falls (4.0 miles roundtrip), middle falls (5.0 miles roundtrip), upper falls (5.8 miles roundtrip)
ELEVATION GAIN: 1000 feet
SEASON: late Spring
PARKING: decent parking lot; however, in peak season (summer, free State park days, nice spring/fall days) expect to have to search/wait for a spot.
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:
Wallace Falls state Park is out near Gold Bar, which tends to be a little colder than city temps. Paired with the fact that babies/kids aren't going to be moving and keeping warm like we are when carried, layering is super important.
at the lower falls, there is a shelter with picnic benches, perfect for eating lunch and/or breastfeeding. It's often crowded, and solitude is hard to come by, so either be perfectly fine breastfeeding in public (go, mom!) or bring a cover if it makes you more comfortable.
MORE INFO: https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/wallace-falls
04.21.2019
The Squish is 5 weeks old
Hike #1
Aaron and I's son, hereby referred to as "The Squish", went on his first hike at 4.5 weeks old.
We had fond memories of doing training hikes (for the PCT the year before) at Wallace Falls, and were aware of the stats of the hike, so we figured it would a be a good one to do as my first hike postpartum!
We had intended to go to the upper falls, but I wasn't very well adjusted to physical activity on top of breastfeeding, and felt pretty drained by the middle falls, which is where we called it a day.
Having not hiked since our attempt at going to Poo Poo Point for NYE and turning around halfway up, I felt really good about the hike.
I was bummed we didn't make it all the way up to the upper falls, but giving myself grace was the best thing I learned from this hike.
I had pushed this little man out of my body just a month prior!
And I was hiking again!
And I didn't have to pee 10x while doing it!
There were a lot of positives on this trip.
The Squish slept almost the entire time.
He woke up to eat when we reached the middle falls, and we had lunch ourself.
And we attempted to get some Easter pictures of him (absolutely unsuccessful. or successful, depending on your view of them).
He wore a onesie, and fleecy jammies over it. And stayed pretty warm. Not shown in pictures is a hat we kept putting on, and taking off.
Since babies regulate their temperature by heat escaping through their head, we didn't keep his head covered the whole time.
Also, this hike provides a lot of shade, which is perfect for a newborn hike.
We spoke to our pediatrician after this hike about sunscreen (there's a debate that you shouldn't put sunscreen on your child until 6 months old) and she told us as long as he didn't have a reaction to sunscreen, he was ok to wear it if we were on overly-exposed hikes before he was 6 months old.
"When the alternative is a newborn with a sunburn? of course wear sunscreen. As long as his body tolerates it."
[Always talk to your personal pediatrician for advice concerning your own Little Squish.]
Hike #1: Success!!
MILEAGE: lower falls (4.0 miles roundtrip), middle falls (5.0 miles roundtrip), upper falls (5.8 miles roundtrip)
ELEVATION GAIN: 1000 feet
SEASON: late Spring
PARKING: decent parking lot; however, in peak season (summer, free State park days, nice spring/fall days) expect to have to search/wait for a spot.
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:
Wallace Falls state Park is out near Gold Bar, which tends to be a little colder than city temps. Paired with the fact that babies/kids aren't going to be moving and keeping warm like we are when carried, layering is super important.
at the lower falls, there is a shelter with picnic benches, perfect for eating lunch and/or breastfeeding. It's often crowded, and solitude is hard to come by, so either be perfectly fine breastfeeding in public (go, mom!) or bring a cover if it makes you more comfortable.
MORE INFO: https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/wallace-falls
04.21.2019
The Squish is 5 weeks old
Hike #1
Aaron and I's son, hereby referred to as "The Squish", went on his first hike at 4.5 weeks old.
We had fond memories of doing training hikes (for the PCT the year before) at Wallace Falls, and were aware of the stats of the hike, so we figured it would a be a good one to do as my first hike postpartum!
We had intended to go to the upper falls, but I wasn't very well adjusted to physical activity on top of breastfeeding, and felt pretty drained by the middle falls, which is where we called it a day.
Having not hiked since our attempt at going to Poo Poo Point for NYE and turning around halfway up, I felt really good about the hike.
I was bummed we didn't make it all the way up to the upper falls, but giving myself grace was the best thing I learned from this hike.
I had pushed this little man out of my body just a month prior!
And I was hiking again!
And I didn't have to pee 10x while doing it!
There were a lot of positives on this trip.
The Squish slept almost the entire time.
He woke up to eat when we reached the middle falls, and we had lunch ourself.
And we attempted to get some Easter pictures of him (absolutely unsuccessful. or successful, depending on your view of them).
He wore a onesie, and fleecy jammies over it. And stayed pretty warm. Not shown in pictures is a hat we kept putting on, and taking off.
Since babies regulate their temperature by heat escaping through their head, we didn't keep his head covered the whole time.
Also, this hike provides a lot of shade, which is perfect for a newborn hike.
We spoke to our pediatrician after this hike about sunscreen (there's a debate that you shouldn't put sunscreen on your child until 6 months old) and she told us as long as he didn't have a reaction to sunscreen, he was ok to wear it if we were on overly-exposed hikes before he was 6 months old.
"When the alternative is a newborn with a sunburn? of course wear sunscreen. As long as his body tolerates it."
[Always talk to your personal pediatrician for advice concerning your own Little Squish.]
Hike #1: Success!!
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| well-maintained |
 |
| water under the bridge |
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| falls |
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| Easter bunny |
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| Easter bunny, take II |
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| shenanigans |
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| family photo |
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