The real challenge is finding an adventure suitable for everyone. Snow, as epic as the weekend was shaping up to be, was out of the question. Even our snow-free, usually placid home trail was a little too much. (Or maybe it was a little too close to home...) Instead, I looked to the lowlands to the south for a destination worthy of our time.

Have you ever been to a National Wildlife Refuge? We certainly hadn't, though we'd driven by the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually refuge too many times to count. It's just off the freeway that connects Seattle and Portland, but we're always in a rush to get somewhere so we've never stopped. In addition to being low enough to be out of the snow there's a short accessible trail made up of boardwalks! Perfect.

The refuge is located in the Nisqually delta where the river flows into Puget Sound. We're more familiar with the source of the river than the mouth, but going where you haven't been is what adventure is all about. Plus, the big thing at the refuge is the birds.

Loads of birds beginning in the pond behind the visitor center. I realized I've failed the kids somewhat when they didn't know the difference between a mallard and a bufflehead. Instead they referred to them as the "Green-head duck" and the "White-head duck." So sad.

Thankfully, the Nisqually Refuge is one those with a Junior Wildlife Refuge Manager program. Where I wasn't able to identify a bird or a plant the materials for the Junior Manager program saved the day. (Sound familiar, but not quite? It looks like the program is patterned after the wonderful Junior Ranger program in the National Park Service. Both the NPS and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are part of the Department of the Interior so it shouldn't be surprising they have similar programs.)

To become a Junior Refuge Manager the kids had to complete a booklet. Some of the activities had to be completed in the interpretive center while a bunch of others required getting out into the refuge. Again, just like the Junior Ranger program.

With our wounded adventurer in a straight-leg brace and walking with trekking poles we chose the Twin Barns Loop Trail. It's only a mile, all boardwalk, and takes you along the swamps, through the forest, and to an overlook of the Nisqually River itself. The only thing it didn't have was any elevation gain.

I had thought the refuge would be pretty empty while people went to other destinations on a Sunday with great weather. Nope. It was packed. In fact, we barely found a parking spot. Since we weren't making very good time on the trail we were passed by everyone from little kids with parents giving chase to an older gentleman with a walker. (To be fair, we were looking for a fern in a tree for the scavenger hunt at that point so we weren't that slow.)

We did find the fern in the tree and lots and lots of ducks. Like in many public land situations, we relied on our fellow visitors to point out the best sights. A couple of serious birders (the ones with multiple sets of binoculars and enormous camera lenses) showed us a great horned owl in the hollow of a tree. Others pointed out great blue herons on the banks of the Nisqually and someone else identified the call of a bald eagle that we later spotted in the trees above us.

Although I carried crutches just in case we didn't need them. Trekking poles provided just enough stability and weight transfer that we got back to the visitor center just in time to get the kids' Junior Wildlife Refuge Manager badges before closing time.

What a pain to carry crutches, right? WRONG! I used my new favorite winter pack, the Deuter Rise 34+. (Amazon affiliate link. Deuter provided the pack as part of our ambassador relationship.) The Rise is a touring pack for winter sports. I've been using it mostly snowshoeing, but for this trip I pretended the crutches were skis and had them in an A-frame on the pack. (There are straps on the side for the feet of the crutches and I linked the shoulder rests together.) When I'm actually in the snow the Rise is great because it has dedicated space for avalanche gear (shovel and traceiver) and the back panel opens up for access when laid in the snow. And when the snow doesn't start at the trailhead it can carry snowshoes via a couple of stowable straps.

There's plenty more to explore at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge including the mile-long Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail and a viewing platform with views into the delta and all the way back to the icy source on Mount Rainier. Bonus: It's only $3 to get into the refuge, but a National Parks pass will cover that so it might just be free.

In short. It's a perfect destination for anyone looking for a more mellow adventure that still has plenty of adventure to justify the drive. Don't forget your binocs and a good camera.