Hiking

The Young Family loves to hike! We make a big deal of turning 4 years old and getting your very own hiking shoes. (Don't tell them their older sibling wore them already. They're cool nonetheless! They're just thrilled to be out of the backpack carrier on Daddy's back.)

Brown Tract Pond State Park was waaaaay off the beaten path. Wilbur had to rumble along a dirt road many miles before we finally found a lovely campsite right on the lake with our door opening to a breathtaking mountain lake view.

We chose a 3 mile round trip hike to Shallow Lake. It was one of best hikes we've ever done. It included such a variety of terrain that had us all oohing and aahing and marveling at God's creation. We traversed a meadow flooded by a beaver dam as we precariously crossed many wooden log bridges to keep our boots dry. What an adventure!

Our destination - Shallow Lake. We made it!

Now for the trip back. Unfortunately, this hike was not a loop, but rather a there and then travel the same trail back to Wilbur. The enthusiasm for new scenery was gone, the legs were getting weary and tummies were getting rumbly. In the past, the return trip can sometimes carry faint echoes of groans and moans. But not this return trip. We belted out song after song for the entire 1.5 miles. I think we hit every Sound of Music song, lots of praise and worship songs, anything that could be sung as a round and even "99 bottles of coke on the wall, 99 bottles of coke. Take one down, pass it around... 98 bottles of..." You know the song, admit it. And we made it down to 0. What an accomplishment!

Needless to say, the return trip flew by and the kids were quite surprised to round a bend and see Wilbur. "Wow, that was fast," they exclaimed.

Sweet little Micah enjoyed the trip cuddled on my front in a Snuggly carrier, enjoying the rhythmic crunching of leaves. 3 1/2 more years Micah and you, too, will be outfitted in a slightly used pair of hiking boots.