Cookies and Crayons

Happy Father’s Day! What a fantastic day we had!! We both got up early and decided to go for a hike. Not just any hike though, we were going to climb a mountain. We had tried a day earlier but after a few wrong turns, we decided we would shelve the trip and try again today.

The hike started off pretty steep. We were both a bit concerned but, fortunately, it would level occasionally to give us a little break. We both were carrying kids at the beginning but after the first big climb, Dougie decided he wanted to walk. Scott was thrilled though having a toddler climb a mountain did slow us down a lot.

Dougie took one of my walking sticks and he really enjoyed the hike.

One of the unfortunate things about this hike was that there were only a few opportunities for a great view until we were well up the train. Here was the first fantastic view we saw.

Dougie was in and out of the backpack carrier as we went up. He did surprisingly well in it.

Dougie did most of this very long very steep section of switchbacks on his own. We couldn’t believe what a trooper he was!

Dougie and Scott as they broke through the tree line

Kim and Connie stop to find a geocache en route

Dougie was taking a lot of breaks by this point. He’d go 10-15 feet and then just sit down.

Almost there…

Making a final assault on the summit

More resting

LOOK, snow!

Scott and Dougie finishing the climb to the summit

Success!

Scott and the kids at the summit cairn

Moments before this, Connie tried to eat a rock. Scott thought it was funny she was trying to eat the mountain and tried to get a picture.

Kim goes off to find the summit cache.

The hike down seemed almost worse than the hike up. Partially because we were already tired, partially because it was a very different muscle group being used and partially because there is no option to turn back at that point – you must go down.

It was a very different Father’s Day and won’t likely be a tradition but we were thrilled to do it and are excited to climb our next mountain!