In Pursuit of a Hike

We hit another amazing trail last weekend and hiked for more than three miles through a beautiful terrain. Jeremy's Fit Bit said we had climbed more than "30 floors" when it was all said and done. It was probably the most difficult trail we've done with the boys, including the trail at Three Creeks  where you climb a steep incline at the base of the river to get back to the trail. I first wrote about Gans Creek  a few weeks ago when we hiked our first hike  of the season. We couldn't resist the crisp air and melting snow, but didn't hike for long that day. While we were there, we picked up a brochure and looked at the extensive Gans Creek trail system that is actually connected to Rock Bridge State Park.  The entrance to this side of Gans Creek is east of the entire trail system so pretty far removed from the Rock Bridge trails. Compared to Rock Bridge, Gans Creek is much less touristy, much more rugged and way more expansive. We were worried when we pu

Last weekend, we were desperate to get outdoors. Even though we had hiked the weekend before, that had only acted as a teaser and made us want to get out more. We were all in the mood to hike and the boys have never done better. Since the time they have walked, we have had the boys on trails with us. We have had them on steep terrain, in creek beds, grasslands, and wooded trails. But we have always kept the hikes short or at least allowed for some significant break time (aka swimming in the creek) before finishing the hike. But this past week, our boys proved that they are ready for real hiking. After a good mile, the boys insisted that we keep going because they were dying to try out a trail head that broke off the main trail. We ended up going more than 2 miles, including plucking through mud, jumping over creeks, climbing trees (that part was optional, but the boys insisted), and up a steep climb to the top of a bluff. The payoff was amazing. You'll see in a minute. The boys