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Thanksgiving is for Hiking!
The weather at our house was an amazing 50 degrees or so throughout the Thanksgiving holiday weekend so we decided to go on a family hike to the waterfall at the base of the Mt. Timpanogos Trail. Right before we left, kids were already in their car seats, snacks and hiking pack in the trunk, Mountain Dad asked if I had any warm stuff for the tots. We were all in sweatshirts and the sun was shining so I was sure we’d be fine and was slightly annoyed at having to go back inside to grab hats and gloves. I was surprised to see the trail looking like this:
Good thing Mountain Dad thought ahead because it was colder than I expected. I’m always surprised that the mountains cause cold shadows below them. You’d think I’d have figured that out by now.
While most of the trail was a mix of ice, snow and rock the few places where it was sunny had turned the trail into a muddy mess. This is Big E jumping in the mud, right before declaring, “This is goo. Mud is goo!”
After a mile we were back at the car. Big E walked, jumped, slid and explored the whole way without complaining except for when he fell on his bum on the rocky icy patch pictured above. Little g complained quite a bit until finally going silent. No wonder, this is her in the pack slumped into a ball of sleepy baby on my back.
This hike reminded me once again of how grateful I am to live in the mountains surrounded by beauty. There is a connection between being outdoors and my mental health. I feel so much happier if I go outside at least a little each day, even if it’s cold or muddy or rainy. I’m thankful for the beauty of this earth and the joy I can get by enjoying it with my kids.
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Wow, talk about mud! That's crazy! Our backyard is filled with it every time the snow melts or it rains and I refuse to let the kids go out in play in it. We had some slip and slid moments, followed by tears and baths. I just put on a movie for them instead of outside stuff.