I have not always been a trail-lovin’ mama. I have always loved the great outdoors, national parks, and animals. But since my athletic college days, I was intimidated by the concept of hiking. That being said, I am embarking on my two year anniversary hiking with my little ones. That’s right. I’m a newbie.
It all started with my husband and I wanting to save money on a date. We had a few hours without kiddos and decided to hit some of the local trails for a picnic lunch. It was wonderful. As I looked around at the beautiful scenery, I had the thought, “Hey! We should do this with the kids!”
A few days later, I packed the kiddos the car and hit the same trail. I wanted to begin getting in some exercise and figured walking at a toddler’s pace was at least a start. My littlest was in the “by myself” phase so I didn’t even bother unpacking the stroller. What we did carry with us were graham crackers, water, and loads of enthusiasm.
Ten minutes into the trail we were a hot mess. Literally. It was a warm summer day and that midmorning we were already feeling the rising temperatures. If it wasn’t for the kind park ranger that pulled over and stocked my littles full of stickers and encouragement, we would have been in for it. He also suggested a stroller might be good for the littlest and maybe shorter trail would be best for next time.
I was definitely humbled, but not detoured. He did say, “next time” after all! On our walk back to the car we met some kind folks walking their horse. We saw lizards and climbed a few rocks. When we got home, the kiddos couldn’t stop talking about our adventure. They declared that day that we were the “Adventure Girls!”.
Over the past few years, I have seen their confidence grow in hiking. I have seen their love for nature and the great outdoors grow. We have made some incredible memories on trails. Hiking makes me a happy person and a happy mama.
