Hiking Local
One of my goals for 2011 is to find more local kid-friendly hiking spots. You know, where you can let your kids off-leash for awhile and they can run with abandon. No water hazards or cliffs. Slim chance of crazed dogs or galloping horses.
We have two spots right now and one is not local. We went there yesterday. It's an hour drive, when you can go the speed limit. And, well, with freezing rain falling on snowpack, that's probably not the wisest thing to do. So it took a bit longer. Long enough for younger son to take a little nap and for older son to ask a million times why it is taking so long to get there.
Because we're trying to find falling snow, son. Wouldn't you think rain would turn to snow at higher elevations? Ya. No, it didn't.
Finally, we arrived at our destination, the rain turned to hail, then tapered off, and I began using my shoehorn to dig the kids out of their car-seats. One very wet car-seat with soggy pretzels. And one very tenacious preschooler who wanted to turn around and drive three hours {or however long it would take} home because he was very hungry and it was very cold.
But mommy prevailed.
And here they are traversing the parking lot. Woohoo.
We did a bit of exploring. Right around the bathroom facilities. Doing our very best not to fall into any tree wells.
Later, Peter and I put our snowshoes on and Ezra went into the backpack {just to say we went snowshoeing, you know}. It didn't last long. Ezra got cold, just sitting there.
So...back to the car for the long journey home.
And thus, looking for local hiking spots. Otherwise you'll see us here every Thursday morning.
We have two spots right now and one is not local. We went there yesterday. It's an hour drive, when you can go the speed limit. And, well, with freezing rain falling on snowpack, that's probably not the wisest thing to do. So it took a bit longer. Long enough for younger son to take a little nap and for older son to ask a million times why it is taking so long to get there.
Because we're trying to find falling snow, son. Wouldn't you think rain would turn to snow at higher elevations? Ya. No, it didn't.
Finally, we arrived at our destination, the rain turned to hail, then tapered off, and I began using my shoehorn to dig the kids out of their car-seats. One very wet car-seat with soggy pretzels. And one very tenacious preschooler who wanted to turn around and drive three hours {or however long it would take} home because he was very hungry and it was very cold.
But mommy prevailed.
And here they are traversing the parking lot. Woohoo.
We did a bit of exploring. Right around the bathroom facilities. Doing our very best not to fall into any tree wells.
Later, Peter and I put our snowshoes on and Ezra went into the backpack {just to say we went snowshoeing, you know}. It didn't last long. Ezra got cold, just sitting there.
So...back to the car for the long journey home.
And thus, looking for local hiking spots. Otherwise you'll see us here every Thursday morning.