The Sacred Waterfall

On the weekend I went and re-certed my first aid tickets. OEC, CPR C & AED as well as challenged the OFA 3 course. The group I always re-cert with is the National Ski Patrol Association and Victoria Justice Institute. It's a great group of dedicated first aiders and examiners that go out into the wilderness and hike. During the hikes we train and are surprised with different scenarios from minor to code 3's with full packaging. When we're not training and being tested, we are extreme hiking through muck, tree roots with up and down inclines. I love everything about how we train, and where we hike. We hiked over 40 km this past weekend, 21 kilometers I carried approximately 150 lbs of collected rocks. I am that crazy. There was warning signs all over about bear and cougar sightings. A funny story....I was in the lead and the only wild animal I encountered was a squirrel running straight for me. I don't think the squirrel saw me, but I screamed, "SQUIRREL" While everyone else laughed..... All I thought about was the Christmas Vacation movie with Chevy Chase where the squirrel jumped out of their Christmas tree. I thought I was going to be attacked by a squirrel! Our group had another laugh on me while I fell down a bank getting away with only a skinned elbow. It was funny. Not very often do I fall with a backpack full of rocks! Below is a few pictures of many that I took during the weekend. Our Island is amazingly beautiful.

The swinging bridges

This mama swinging

 This mama found a great tree to rest under

And a tree to balance on

More swings

The Sacred Waterfall hidden in a cave

Finding this sacred waterfall was amazing. This waterfall is located off of Sombrio Beach on the Pacific Marine Circle Route. One of the beaches off of the Juan De Fuca hiking trail. We learned something from another first aider about this area. Years ago, people lived on this beach. In 1997 the Government served eviction notices because the trail became the new Juan De Fuca trail and they were cleaning up. I thought how amazing living in hand sewn homes built along the shores. See, we need to get out, experience and educate ourselves. If we don't, we're missing out completely on what's just around the next corner, just waiting to be discovered. I hiked many kilometers. Although there is points along any hiking trail to get in and out. For Sombrio Beach there is a long road access in with another approximate 4 km to walk. My mission is bringing my family, yes - all my children including our daughter in a wheelchair to this waterfall. If I can haul rocks, I can haul all our children too. My belief is nothing is impossible. Stay positive, focus your mind and reach for it. I personally love my life because not a day will go by without experiencing and education. Don't waste your life not trying because it's better to try and fail then not trying at all. Like the rocks I collected and some were very large.....I had one first aider say to me, "Put some back, you're going to hurt yourself" I managed and in the lead with all my rocks. After that I was given a tough mudder bandanna. My point is live; teach your children to live experiencing the great outdoors, and that they can do anything. That waterfall is touching distance away!