My family loves the outdoors. We are our happiest out in nature. With the boys getting older, my husband and I decided to take a giant leap of faith and attempt a strenuous to difficult hike in the national forest near us. It was only a 3.5 mile hike with an elevation climb of 1,200 feet. No biggie!? Oh boy!
The first tip for doing anything with my three boys is to always attempt to be prepared for anything! Which means bring lots of food and water! I made sure I packed a healthy, hearty lunch to eat picnic style before our hike. I also packed a bunch of energy (and child friendly) snacks to bribe encourage feed during pit stops on the hike. These snacks were cheese sticks, banana, fruit snacks, and protein bars.
The boys did great. C and P (ages 6 and 4) hiked on their own the whole way!! Which is very impressive!! T (2 years old) hiked off and on when the mood struck him. When the hill was too daunting he requested to jump back in the pack for Daddy to pack him. Smart boy!
We enjoyed all of the exciting sites, bugs, creatures, and sounds along the hike. The boys caught and tortured played with a banana slug and a lizard during their rest breaks. Who says you can’t learn while being out in nature!?
Learning to slow down and enjoy the scenery is the name of the game when you involve children. I am still learning this as Mom. Too often I want to hurry up to our destination (the water fall) that I am too busy missing out on the neat, exciting sights along the journey. Thank goodness for little boys and curious minds to help remind me that sometimes the most exciting part of the adventure… is the journey to GET to the exciting part!!
The boys stopped to explore every cave, hole, interesting plant and more. Curious C (6 years old) even when so far as to touch and pull the leaves off of a green plant along the path and ask (while pulling and touching the green leaves), “Hey Mom, is this poison ivy?” <oy ve> Child… why not ask FIRST before touching ANY unknown plant in nature. Gotta love small curious children! Thank goodness it was NOT poison ivy/oak!
Another valuable lesson learned is to always be prepared… for ANYTHING! T-man had already done his usual daily poo and I thought he was done for the day. I had a change of diaper for him in the car (for after the hike). However, I was unprepared for his round two poo mid-hike.
Nothing like trying to change a poo from a child who has enjoyed lots of blueberries the past few days. Yuck! In the middle of nature, with no wipes. Yuck!
Thank goodness for fresh cold streams and improvising with going commando the remainder of the hike. His little pants kept falling down and his cute little hiney kept flashing behind him. The important lesson was learned… always be prepared for anything!!
After an hour and a half of hiking uphill, climbing almost 1,200 feet with three small adventurous children we made it! The falls were beautiful and a sight to see. It had been 5 years since we have hiked the falls and it continued to take our breath away!
We made it!! With happy smiles on our face!! We encountered no wild animals or poisonous snakes while on the hike! The boys (and Mommy and Daddy) were troopers!
The only bummer part after hiking all that way to reach the water falls was to break the news to the boys that we had to hike that same distance back to the car!! Talk about devastation and shock! Good thing the majority of the return route was down hill… but it still required an additional 1.7 miles of hiking on their little feet and legs. Additional mileage that they (and Mommy) were not sure they had left in them. Good thing for good Mommy thinking and preparedness… Kids Clif Bars are always a hit for them and a great incentive to keep their little legs moving towards the car!
Near the end o the hike (around mile 3) Precious P (4 years old) began melting and slowing down. His legs hurt. His feet kept getting rocks in his shoes. He couldn’t take one more step. There were tears. But you know what!? This little boy is a trooper, he held Mommy’s hand and kept moving his little feet forward. He hiked the whole way!! Once we got to our car, at the end of the hike, he proudly proclaimed that he had fun and wanted to hike as a family again soon. “But not a big hill hike like today, okay Mommy!?”
Spending quality time with my family is always an adventure. You never know how it is going to turn out, what laughs will happen and what memories will come. But the important thing is that you get out there and explore the world together!
The above two pictures are of me that I snapped along the trail. I was there too. Because you know as a Mom, we are almost always the ones behind the camera and are never in the photos… so I wanted to prove that I was there exploring and making memories also!
Do you hike with your children?
How old were they before they hiked on their own?
What are some of YOUR family favorite activities to do together?
Laura Williams says
Your kids are so cute! Glad that despite the trials it worked out. The boys will love these memories growing up.
MCM Mama says
I love hiking with my boys, but they always start whining before we get to the end. I could do without that LOL.
Rachel says
Oh YES! There was whining. There was crying. There was my legs hurt and I canNOT take one step further. There was poop (and unprepared change of diaper). BUT what comes up… must eventually go down. 🙂
Miz says
The familytime IS always an adventure…of the best variety.
xo
Stephanie's Mommy Brain says
We love hiking as a family! My 3 boys (3, 7, 9) and girlie (5) do great on hikes. That’s not to say they don’t occasionally complain but overall we enjoy exploring new parks as a family. Like you, we look at every rock, tree, and bug along the way. Learning science in the outdoors is so much more fun than learning from a textbook! 🙂
Elle says
What a lovely spot! Love the pictures and glad you had a great time… even if a bit long!
Adri says
How nice! This looks like a lot of fun. Too bad there are no hills in Florida,maybe your little one would’ve liked that. Hehe. I do enjoy going out as a family and riding bike. Staying active as a family is essential.
Erin @ Girl Gone Veggie says
You have such a beautiful family!! I’m so glad you had such a great time!
Laurel C says
I love Whiskeytown!! my Aunt and Uncle live in Redding, and we visit quite often!