Can you believe October is almost over!? I know I do this every month, but WOW! We have just been enjoying every moment to
the max and I think that makes time move at a quicker clip. One of the highlights of this week was doing
an apple u-pick across the road and getting a TON more apples! Such a great time made even better by sharing
the experience with friends (a few more photos on my Instagram growwildmychild). I bring this up to let you know I’ve added
(and will likely soon add more) recipes to my apple round up post from earlier
this season including apple scones and apple sauce!
Our second great adventure happened this week when my
beloved got an extra day off work and took us to the mountains!!! Oh man, the mountains are my place. Do you have somewhere that, just by being
there, you can literally feel yourself recharging and being inspired! I think it’s different for everyone, but for
me it comes from the majesty of the mountains.
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| And I think this little one and I are like minded |
I think it’s important to get to these places as often as possible
(maybe through mental imagery if not physically?) and that we need these
moments of getting away to refocus and remember the Almighty Creator. He knew we would need these wild spaces to
discover! I love how several times in
the Bible (Matthew 5:8, 14:23, 15:29, 17:1) it mentions how even Jesus took
time to go out into the wilderness alone or just with his closest friends. Of all the things Jesus exemplified to us, I
don’t think this seemingly small act should be overlooked. Nature proclaims the glory of God!
Now, hiking with little wildlings may not always be such a rejuvenating
experience. What I’m about to write is
mostly my learned-the-hard-way lessons!
But when we started having children, I began to wonder if our
bush-whacking, mountain climbing, woods-wandering days were on hold until they
were much older. And to be honest, we
did cut back for a bit (partially because of the Alaskan winters), but I’ve
learned some ways to get out with the little ones in ways that everyone can
have a wonderful time, do some exploring, soak up the grandeur, learn so many
new things that we might not at home, and make memories together.
1.
Getting there:
before I had children, I just thought that all little ones would just
fall asleep in the car. Boy, was I
wrong! Both our children HATED car rides
and would often scream. The.
Entire. Drive… Needless to say, this is quite stressful and
does not make for a refreshing day for
anyone. Honestly, we did everything to
keep our car rides to a minimum those first years (life got better with forward
facing car seats). So, I’m just going to
be real and let you know that we tried to find things that were as close as
possible and went just because we knew we needed to! There are many great resources to keep
little ones entertained in the car (several in this list), but I think a CD of silly songs we put together was the best remedy
for our babies. And any snacks or drinks
possible, especially if you’re doing any elevation change and ear-popping needs
to happen. I kept thinking they must get
car sick and now I wonder if there’s any way to diffuse peppermint or something
that might help with that? Hm, just a
thought.
2.
Tiny Legs:
we’ve been trying to keep to the trails that are pretty short (less than 3 miles) partially
for their little legs trying to keep up and also just knowing ahead of time
that we’re probably going to be carrying them for portions, depending on their
ages. If you go in expecting that, you
can be better prepared. Think about what
shoes they wear, if they can ride in a back pack or carrier or just your arms?
3.
Realistic Hikes: you know your kids and what
they’re going to be capable of. Or if
you’re not sure, start with shorter paths and work your way up. Trail heads should all have a sign that the
start that will give you an idea of the trail’s length and difficulty. Or check out everytrail.com It lists all the trails in your area and
gives these details as well.
4.
Permit Rests:
Depending on the age of your little ones, frequent rest (or just
distraction) breaks should be expected.
When hiking alone, I tend to want to see the sights on the way, but
basically keep moving and get to where I’m going. I think this is where it is beneficial to have
children with you because they make you stop and notice things differently. Give yourself permission to take breaks with
them and really observe things that they find interesting. This is where so much spontaneous education can occur! We found a bouncing branch and a tree root
slide that never would have caught our attention had we been walking alone! =)
5.
Bare necessities: exploring can be hard work,
especially if your legs are barely a foot long!
Don’t forget to pack a few snacks (for sustenance and incentive!) and
plenty of water. Dress in (or pack in)
layers. Even if it feels fine at the
trailhead, some areas can be windy or cooler (near flowing water or ice?) And a couple band-aids (yeah, wish I had
brought those!)
6.
If cries happen, it’s okay. It keeps the bears away. We ended up reaching our first hike right
about nap time and our little one had about 15 minutes of bellowing. I figured she’d either fall asleep or get
over it (it was one of those cries) and
she decided to keep on trucking and see one more waterfall!
Then just soak it all in and enjoy your time together! Actually, on our way home, the kids were
crashed in the back seat as the sun was setting and we came upon a waterfall
just off the road. Josh and I took turns
running down the hill to experience it while the other waited with the
tuckered tykes. For all the joys of
hiking with the littles, I must say, if you get a moment to yourself among a
sight like this, TAKE IT! There’s
something powerful and calming about being alone in nature, even just for a
minute. Then go back to enjoying those
with you and treasure the moments in your heart!
“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the
mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the
trees of the field shall clap their hands.”
Isaiah 55:12
Happy adventuring!
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| Happy Hiker! |
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