After a 45 minute bus ride to North Bend with about 60 children, we arrived to our destination. It turns out that it is a beautiful little pocket of the great Northwest. The Cedar River Watershed is an ecological preserve that is source of drinking water to more than a million greater Seattle area residents. It is a pristine natural area that stimulates and calms all your senses. We hiked the trails in the mountain, saw waterfalls, the river, and lots of different trees. We heard the birds chirping, felt the dirt under our feet, smelled the trees and the water. I never knew there was a such a place that existed so close to home.
While the watershed was amazingly beautiful, the conditions were pretty rough. Because we were at a high elevation, there was snow, hail, and strong winds. Not only did we hike for about 45 minutes, but we also ate lunch outside. Needless to say, we were cold and wet. The wind was so strong it was blowing the pea-sized hail sideways, so it felt like a thousand bullets hitting my face all at once. I hiked a good portion of the trail backwards against the wind. While the kids were freezing and drenched, they still hung in there.. It was pretty brutal, but the kiddos really enjoyed being out there and taking all that it had to offer.
I would really like to go back when the summer weather comes, and walk around to truly enjoy the surroundings. But one thing that I'd miss in going there if it was sunny would be the rain drums. In a courtyard between facilities, are big bongo drums strategically placed to catch the heavy raindrops and make music. As we stood there and listened, we could hear that from the different branches, each raindrop fell at a certain beat. And all together the drops were falling to create a repetitive rhythm, like a song. It was quite inspiring to see and hear music made by nature.
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