Hiking. Back in the day, Justin and I used to love to go on some fun and somewhat challenging hikes. It was a fun way for us to enjoy the beautiful mountains of Utah and get in a little less conventional exercise (aka...a good glute workout...which I am always in need of). Annually, we hiked up Mt. Timpanogos, enjoyed the cool views of the valley, slid down the remains of the glacier, and Justin would even take a dip in the freezing lake on the way back down.
Well, "back in the day" ended when we started having kids. We tried. We went on a couple of tough/long hikes when Taylor was really little, but trying to keep an infant cool, entertained, and content didn't work out so well. Who knew that just being outdoors & in a backpack or a snugglie wouldn't be enough entertainment? Obviously not us...being rookie parents and all. So we gave up on that aspect of our summers.
So, over the 4th of July weekend I am not sure what happened to us. Temporary amnesia...boredom from the same old forms of entertainment...who knows?? But we thought it would be a fun idea to attempt to enter the world of hiking again. We went up to Sundance and decided to hike up to Stuart Falls. Not a tough or very long hike (3 miles round trip) and with a kids backpack, snacks, plenty of H2O and little lunch we thought it would be manageable.
The outcome: Guess what???? It was actually a lot of fun!! Yes, you read that correctly. The girls & Justin loved riding up the lift (even though I was trying to pretend that it didn't give me any anxiety. I mean what's to worry about-being suspended tons of feet in the air with active 4 & 2 year olds who could plunge to severe bodily damage at any moment). After that "fun" ride, we started the actual hike. Who knew that such a different type of hiking could be so much fun! We had a great time noticing different leaves, flowers & bugs. It was cute to watch the girls get excited over all the caterpillars. It was also interesting to find out how much Taylor knew about nature. (I guess Noggin really is like preschool on TV...j/k). We sang songs, took turns being the leader, and laughed together when one of us would slip. The girls loved the falls and we had a fun little picnic once we got there. Taylor walked almost all the way without complaint--she only got bugged when we pulled over to let quicker hikers get by us. She loves to be in front and didn't understand why we would let others go ahead of us and be the leaders!! Brooklyn even managed to get in an afternoon nap...now that is my kind of hiking!!
All in all, it was a really fun hike.
Unfortunately, we only have digital pictures from before/after the hike b/c we only took a disposable camera with us to the actual falls. Notice the hiking picture and stickers (they were Christmas stickers!) that Taylor made and required us to wear! Mine "accidentally" fell off...but cute Justin kept his on the the entire hike! What a good Dad!
Well, "back in the day" ended when we started having kids. We tried. We went on a couple of tough/long hikes when Taylor was really little, but trying to keep an infant cool, entertained, and content didn't work out so well. Who knew that just being outdoors & in a backpack or a snugglie wouldn't be enough entertainment? Obviously not us...being rookie parents and all. So we gave up on that aspect of our summers.
So, over the 4th of July weekend I am not sure what happened to us. Temporary amnesia...boredom from the same old forms of entertainment...who knows?? But we thought it would be a fun idea to attempt to enter the world of hiking again. We went up to Sundance and decided to hike up to Stuart Falls. Not a tough or very long hike (3 miles round trip) and with a kids backpack, snacks, plenty of H2O and little lunch we thought it would be manageable. The outcome: Guess what???? It was actually a lot of fun!! Yes, you read that correctly. The girls & Justin loved riding up the lift (even though I was trying to pretend that it didn't give me any anxiety. I mean what's to worry about-being suspended tons of feet in the air with active 4 & 2 year olds who could plunge to severe bodily damage at any moment). After that "fun" ride, we started the actual hike. Who knew that such a different type of hiking could be so much fun! We had a great time noticing different leaves, flowers & bugs. It was cute to watch the girls get excited over all the caterpillars. It was also interesting to find out how much Taylor knew about nature. (I guess Noggin really is like preschool on TV...j/k). We sang songs, took turns being the leader, and laughed together when one of us would slip. The girls loved the falls and we had a fun little picnic once we got there. Taylor walked almost all the way without complaint--she only got bugged when we pulled over to let quicker hikers get by us. She loves to be in front and didn't understand why we would let others go ahead of us and be the leaders!! Brooklyn even managed to get in an afternoon nap...now that is my kind of hiking!!All in all, it was a really fun hike.
Unfortunately, we only have digital pictures from before/after the hike b/c we only took a disposable camera with us to the actual falls. Notice the hiking picture and stickers (they were Christmas stickers!) that Taylor made and required us to wear! Mine "accidentally" fell off...but cute Justin kept his on the the entire hike! What a good Dad! 
5 comments:
Look at your buff arms! I want your biceps!
That is so great that your girls would happily go on a hike with you. They are so cute! My kids can't even walk to the park without crying and asking to be carried.
You are brave! But it does sound like maybe it could be a lot of fun! I'll have to try it sometime!
You are such a good mom! Hopefully I'll be brave enough to do fun things like that with my kids- I tend to be pretty boring. We miss you guys already!
Wow, you guys are amazing! I too would've been freaking out with the "fun" ride, but sounds like a great hike. Good job!
WOW ~ looks fun, although I don't think my kids would last long, I'd have to start short and slow... But it would be a ton of fun once they got the hang of it. You look fantastic, by the way!
Post a Comment