Independence Day Hike 2009


I had Friday off from work, so I took Aaron and Edward on a hike around Silver Falls State Park (25 miles and 35 minutes away from our house); Meg declined in favor of staying home with Ian and away from the 90-degree heat. Hiking on Independence Day (or any part of the time I have away from my job) is a long-standing tradition--one which I have been doing every year since 1999 (see here for the chronology).

We arrived at the park around 9:30 a.m. before the crowds had arrived--and more importantly, before the shade-covered parking spots were taken. We set out intent on hiking the entire 7-mile loop around the park. Meg had commented before we left that I was setting my expectations too high for the kids, and I probably did, but at the same time I wanted to challenge the boys to do more than they ever had before.

The hike went pretty smoothly, although Edward fell a couple of times, scraping his knee and covering his legs in mud--but we were hiking along Silver Creek, so I dipped him in the creek at one point to clean him off. Perhaps age plays a big role in the hiking styles of the two boys, but they are vastly different: Aaron likes to move ahead and is eager to see what's coming next, while Edward prefers to go at his own pace, taking breaks to pick up rocks and sticks and play out his imaginations.

By the time we reached the Winter Falls junction, I asked the boys if they wanted to stay the course or take the short-cut back to the parking lot (shaving two miles from the hike). They opted for the quick way back, which was for the best: Aaron needed to use the bathroom, and Edward ran out of gas. To Edward's credit, he only once tried to pull off his "carry me, I'm tired" move, which consists of stepping in front of me, stopping, and then raising his arms. This was the first hike I can remember where I didn't have to carry one of the boys.

When we returned to the car, we all enjoyed the cool drinks, cool seats, and being able to take off our dirty shoes. The boys both fell asleep within minutes of leaving the park, so I enjoyed the quiet drive home through the country in the once-again-smooth-running G20.

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