Having left behind the epic trail scenery of San Francisco and Marin, it’s about time we checked out what Oregon has to offer on those just-gotta-get-out-of-the-city days. And after living on both coasts, plus a few cities in between, I’d say there’s hardly a better place to be in summer than the Pacific Northwest, especially if you’re into hiking…and, oh, waterfalls.

So a few weekends ago when we had some friends in town from the Bay Area, we decided to whet our appetites for adventure by paying a visit to Oregon’s tallest waterfall, Multnomah Falls. It’s home to one of Oregon’s most popular trails — a moderate, 2.2-mile hike with 700 feet of elevation gain to the top of the 542-foot, “two-tiered plume that plummets into a misty, mossy forest grotto.”

Not only was it a great way to work off the Blue Star doughnuts we inhaled for breakfast that morning, but it was also a good opportunity for me to test out my new pair of Ahnu Sugarpine hiking boots. This style came highly recommended by Melissa, a friend and former colleague who now works for the company, in anticipation of me taking to the beautiful, bountiful trails of Oregon.

Aside from getting a few compliments from fellow hikers on my way up the switchbacks — this style is known for its bright color, yet low profile — I was more interested in the function rather than the fashion of these shoes. But true to Ahnu form they performed beautifully, giving me just the right amount of traction, support, stability, shock absorption and protection…in what felt as comfy as my favorite pair of sneakers.

Did I mention they’re waterproof, too? I’ve been hearing that kind of gear will come in handy for the season that follows summer up here: Rain.

This isn’t a sponsored post; just helping a friend get the word out about a great company with good products. For more information on Ahnu, visit the site here.