Date:	Saturday, September 26, 2009
Trip Types:	Educational, Hiking
Plan:	(7-7:45am) Leaders meet @ All City Coffee (7:45-8am) Leaders head to Showalter (8-8:15am) Students arrive Showalter (8:15-8:30am) Prepare to depart (gear, introductions) (8:30-10am) Depart Tukwila, snacks, travel to Wallace Falls Park (Gold Bar, WA) (10-10:15am) Prepare for hike (restrooms, etc.) (10:15-12:30pm) Hike to Wallace Falls (destination per available time: middle 2.1mi/upper 2.75mi) (12:30-1:00pm) Travel to Wallace Falls Hatchery (**Lunch in vans en route) (1-1:15pm) Prepare for tour (restrooms, etc.) (1:15-2:15pm) Hatchery tour (2:15-2:30pm) Prepare to depart for Tukwila (restrooms, etc.) (2:30-3:30pm) Arrive Tukwila, collect gear (3:30-4:00pm) Kids picked up
Report:	Beautiful fall weather! The kids were fun and exceedingly well-behaved. After departing Tukwila in the two school district-supplied vans (such a cost-savings windfall!), we provided the kids with snacks. Upon arrival at the Wallace Falls trail head we took a brisk hike up to the middle falls along the Wallace River. The kids were surprisingly speedy/strong, and the variety of early fall scenery was spectacular as well as engaging to the kids. Upon arrival at the viewpoint we had a quick granola bar snack, then returned to the trail head. We then had lunch at the trail head (a grassy picnic spot with table) and proceeded to the Wallace River Hatchery where Erin (a hatchery employee) provided us with an enthusiastic, personalized, tour of the practical functions of a working hatchery. Very informative and engaging, the tour provided a view into the life cycle from egg fertilization (we got to see/touch recently fertilized eggs) through to their return (we saw hundreds of salmon spawning). We then headed home to Tukwila.
Suggestions:	Outing Leaders: On the morning of departure it can be worthwhile to have your outing standby students come to the departure location ready to join in if the opportunity presents. That way, you can move more quickly to replace no-shows. We have done this in the past, but did not do so on this outing. As a result, we were unusually below our "par" number of students on this outing.

Photos

Sat., Sep. 26, 2009 [Showalter] Wallace Falls & Wallace River Hatchery	Sat., Sep. 26, 2009 [Showalter] Wallace Falls & Wallace River Hatchery	Sat., Sep. 26, 2009 [Showalter] Wallace Falls & Wallace River Hatchery	Sat., Sep. 26, 2009 [Showalter] Wallace Falls & Wallace River Hatchery
Sat., Sep. 26, 2009 [Showalter] Wallace Falls & Wallace River Hatchery	Sat., Sep. 26, 2009 [Showalter] Wallace Falls & Wallace River Hatchery