Adventuring {Causey Salmon Spawn Hike}

One of the best Monday Night Hikes we've ever had was this one, on the Skullcrack Trail around the edge of Causey Reservoir to see the spawning salmon.  I had seen a few pictures pop up on instagram talking about wanting to go see it (but ironically, the pictures weren't of the hike or the fish since the photo-taker didn't actually go, just said she wanted to go).  I had never heard of this annual happening and it got the wheels of curiosity turning for me.  Then, a few days later, our neighbor Aaron in church told us that he had gone on a fieldtrip with his school kids (as he does every year - he teaches at the junior high) to see the spawning salmon at Causey.  Two mentions in a week!  And now we had details.  So we made a plan for the next day (September 19) to attempt it.  We had hiked for about a mile along this trail last year, right before Sam was born.  So we knew where to start and how to get there and what to expect for at least half of it.  But, oh my!  What a beautiful hike it was!  We got to soak in the fall colors and smells and cool air on the two and a half miles there.  We got to see tons and tons of bright red fish in the clear, shallow stream.  We got to feast on a yummy tuna sandwich picnic at the end and then we got to enjoy the chatter and singing of our awesome hikin' kiddos on the way back.  It was lovely.  Marvelous.  Wonderful.  Best ever.  And I think it will become a tradition.  Who wants to join us next year?

My pictures just really don't do it justice.  The colors were so
bright in small pockets and the sky was so blue.  It was perfection.

Up above Causey.  This is about how far we made
it the first time, pre-Sam days.

Cal did a lot of riding, especially in the steep
areas (like here - not so much steep to walk up
but a pretty steep drop off to the water to the left).
But she did a lot of running/hiking/leaf picking, too
and was very cheery the entire time.

Leaves!

Leaves!  (And baby!)

Starting our descent toward the stream.

Oaks a turnin'.

There's the stream.  Can you see any fish yet?  ;)

Look closely and you'll spot so bright red fish.

Cal thought it was pretty cool to see.  (But she wasn't sure why
she couldn't splash rocks here, as we would normally do in such
an environment.)

Again, pictures don't do it justice.  But trust me,
it was lovely.

Oh man.  She cracks me up.

Back we go.  Gotta beat the setting sun.

Long shadows and golden hour.

bonus videos!

wowwowwow

We made it to the lookout in time to capture the sunset (barely).