Hidden View and Big Trees State Park

We moved to Hidden View Campground in Raymond, CA. We were closer to Yosemite National Park and we were excited to go explore! But it was still cold and the park was covered in a TON of snow and was pretty much inaccessible. So, we settled in and hoped the weather would change. Well, that crazy California winter wanted to hang on a bit longer. We never made it to Yosemite, but we enjoyed our stay at the campground. The wild flowers were blooming, our view was beautiful and Big Trees State Park was open.

Aaron and I set out to see the majestic sequoia trees. The further north we drove, the snowier the ground around us became. I didn’t (and still don’t) have water proof hiking boots. But, the wet feet were worth it! Hiking with Aaron is always an adventure; this hike was no different. We ended up on a secondary trail which wound around, beside, and through snow melt streams. When I accidentally stepped off the trail, quite a few times, I would sink into snow over my knees. Aaron had to help me up and out more than a few times. We saw so many beautiful trees and so much snow. We cut our own path through the snow and made it back to the main trail. Poor Aaron had to listen to me bitch and fuss when the snow got deep and my feet were wet and cold, but that was expected. I am grateful he is there to push me past what I think I can do, even if I moan and complain the entire time.

After we got back from our hike, we looked at where we wanted to go next. The Russian River further north in California seemed like a beautiful place to explore, so we made reservations and got ready to go. The next day, a phone call from work had us changing our plans…we needed to head to Oregon instead. So, we loaded up and headed north towards Boardman, OR.