Enjoying Nature: My Recent Trip to Silver Creek Falls

A summertime picture of the South Falls

To my readers in the mid-Willamette Valley (where I live), going to Silver Creek Falls and taking pictures has almost become cliché. Many of us have forgotten, or at least have become accustomed to the natural awe and wonder awaiting the visitor at Silver Creek Falls State Park which is roughly 25 miles from Salem, Oregon's capital city. 

However, to the outsider; someone not acquainted with the wild awesomeness of the Willamette Valley, this state park encompassing over 9,000 acres of temperature rainforest is practically one of the natural wonders of the world. The park has a national recreation trail including ten impressive and majestic waterfalls which will give the hiker over eight miles of tread on their boots by the time they see them all. The park also has a campground that runs year round.

I have been going to Silver Creek Falls since I was a wee lad and I probably went as a baby, before I can remember. The house I grew up in was only 16 miles away from Silver Creek Falls, and even my parents have been going there for decades before I was born. I have many happy memories here and hope I have many more to come. 

I think it's important to get out and enjoy God's green earth, especially to places where it is difficult to get cellular phone service or access to the internet. I'm not saying that being "connected" is a bad thing. It's actually become quite a modern convenience. However, it is refreshing, occasionally, to get away from the settled parts of civilization and live in the moment and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you right then and there. It can be with friends, family or even by yourself that you experience nature deeply and fully. Remember to take some deep breaths of that fresh air away from the city. Breathing deeply is proven to slow your heart rate and help you relax and get the stress level down. If you're in a place like Silver Creek Falls, you're breathing in all that fresh air from the trees' photosynthetic processes. So if you're in the middle of a lush, green area; breathe deep. 

Another view of the South Falls

The trails at Silver Creek Falls provide a decent hike and the South Falls trail is a taxing hike for the average person, IE: someone who is not in tip-top shape. Many people go on just the South Falls trail, which is teeming with visitors during periods of warm weather. If you want to get away from people at Silver Creek Falls 1. Go in cold or rainy weather, 2. Go closer to park closing time (9:00 PM) or 3. Hike past the South Falls Trail.

It's green here year-round

How do you like to interact with nature? What is your favorite place to go when you need to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city? I hope that each of you will plan to enjoy nature more often and intentionally after reading today's blog article. Give me feedback in the comments below. 

Another incredible view of the South Falls

If you need to relax or kill stress on the weekend, try enjoying nature without electronics for at least a couple of hours. I'm serious about the no electronics thing. I once got to a point where the ring or text tones of my cell would stress me out. 

Any questions?

What would you like to see more of on this blog? How can I encourage you to be an 'extraordinaire'?

Straight-on close-up of the South Falls

I Can and I Will!

Me today, at a lean 222 lbs.

I have made great progress in recent months; going from an unhealthy lifestyle to a healthy one. On May 4th, 2013 I started my Isagenix health and fitness program and have seen amazing results since then. It is truly some of the best stuff you can put into your body. I woke up this morning and weighed myself and the scale said I weighed 222 pounds! So from May 4th, 2013 to August 14th, 2013 I lost 44 pounds.

Before Isagenix, I was quite rotund

I look and feel more physically fit than I have in a long time. The last time I weighed 222 pounds was in November, 2010 when I was still technically active duty Marine Corps, but on terminal leave. It is so exciting to see my progress and it feels like every day is a fitness adventure, even though some days are harder than others.

It's days like these: seeing results and feeling good, that give me motivation enough to make it through the hard days when my motivation is ebbing. Through the hard times, I keep telling myself "I can and I will accomplish my goals!" You must steel your resolve to succeed through the hard times, even when you feel like you want to give up and quit. Oftentimes your feelings cannot be trusted, but if you are clever, you can use your feelings to propel you forward. Don't listen to the side of you that says 'I can't.' Tell yourself  'I can and I will!'

"I will work hard to get that promotion at work!"

"I will lose thirty pounds!"

"I will complete my degree!

"I will exceed my sales quotas!"

"I will write a bestseller!"

"I will do 1,000 push-ups consecutively!"

"I will become a manager in my company!"

----And the list goes on.

Don't get quit because what you're trying isn't working; try it a different way. For example, trying to knock down a brick wall by running into it repeatedly probably won't work and will most likely end up with you getting injured. In this scenario, a sledge hammer strategy would be much more effective.

 

There's always hope and there's always another way you can try.  Don't look at it as a failure when you are at first unable to do something; instead look at it as a learning experience and stepping stone to success. People get so preoccupied with beating themselves up over failures that they become afraid to try again. Don't live your life in fear of failure: try, stumble, learn and succeed. Here is a quote from President Theodore Roosevelt that is related to this topic. I love this quote about the "Man in the arena."

What is something you have been striving for? Maybe a better question would be: What should you be striving for? Go for it. Go for the gold. Take it to the max. Improvise, adapt and overcome. If you apply yourself and don't give up, you can and you will!