Holiday Hiking Trip

One of the gifts we received from friends this Christmas was a terrific book about the hiking trails in the area. We haven't done a lot of hiking since all the kids came along because we just weren't properly outfitted to carry the gear we needed. As we have learned, when you have 3 children under 4, a 2 hour hike can be a pretty big deal! One of things we lacked was a good day-pack that would be a good size for me to help carry gear. Well, unexpectedly, the day after Christmas, we came across a perfect backpack--sized for a woman, a good brand, and just like new. It was a steal! S snatched it up immediately, so on Saturday, we decided to use the new pack and our new book and go on a hike. We decided that we needed to find an easy, low-altitude trail so the kids wouldn't get too tired, and so I could use it as training. We found the perfect hike--an old railroad that has been converted. We were even able to take the jogging stroller for the kids. Although I didn't need the pack for this hike, we decided I would take the opportunity to stuff it and train with it a bit before we do anything longer. Here are a few pics from our adventure.

The new pack is just big enough for JR to fit into! Who needs those fancy kid-backpacks?

There are several tunnels along this hike. It looks small, but it is big enough for a train to fit through. If you look closely, you can see a person standing on the other side.

A family photo just inside one tunnel. Little A is fast asleep beside M in the stroller.

Another family photo-op moment in front of beautiful lake view.

S thought this would be a cool shot of us walking out of a tunnel. Nice to see he still has the eye for good photos!

The hike was several miles, so we were all pretty tired when we got home. I am little sore, and obviously out of shape. Need to do more training hikes I guess--all for the kids of course!! There are few things that make me feel closer to God then being out in nature, where you are just surrounded by his beautiful, perfect creation.