A Hiking We Did Go

With a short time remaining until the beginning of school for Josiah, we endeavored to make some fun, adventurous memories. Wintergreen Gorge is beautiful and just the right amount of adventure and challenge for our young hikers. My brothers and their children joined us for the hike. Almost as soon as we walked in the woods Nathan exclaims, "OH MY COW!" Have I mentioned that Nathan cracks me up? This delightful merging of "Holy Cow" and "Oh my goodness" has become my new favorite phrase of astonishment.

Let the climbing begin!

Micah and Eli

Isaac, Katherine, Josiah, and Uncle Matt

The kids noticed a memorial along the path and I heard some whispering a few steps up the trail about a dead body being in here. We had to let them know that a memorial is in memory of someone who died but it is not a grave marker. No dead bodies here. (At least not right there.)

I love this hill but it's really difficult to climb with a camera in hand.

As Nathan was walking through the middle of the mud he told me, "Be careful. Watch out for the mud. Oh no! You're stepping in the mud!"

Most of us picked up a walking stick. It just seemed the thing to do.

Even Noah carried a stick for the duration of the hike.

We splished. We splashed. We slipped.

Josiah was a hard one to catch on camera. He was at the front of the group most of the time.

Sometimes Noah got tired of carrying his stick...

I think it was after climbing this last hill that Isaac saw a pop can and immediately picked it up to take a drink. No, it wasn't one of our pop cans; it was just sitting in the woods. OH MY COW! There was much spitting.... and probably some gagging by the adults too. "And that is why we don't drink from cans that are not our own..." Thankfully, there was no long term damage.

After reaching the end of the trail, we took our sticks and started walking back with Josiah in the lead again.

Sometimes being carried is just what you need.

Hey, what's this?

What fun! A wet, dark tunnel to conquer.

Josiah tackles the big hill one last time on our way out. He's that speck in the middle, right.

After we returned home, I gathered everyone together for a group photo.

From left to right: Sarah's sneakers, Josiah's sneakers, Nathan's sneakers, John's sneakers and Noah's sneakers are in front.