Kid-led adventures

The other day we nipped out back for a short walk and ended up scaling Bob’s Mountain. Spontaneous hikes ahoy! We started out by doing some of that trail-blazing/ bush-whacking stuff on our property that the kiddos are mucho fond of at the moment and basically just kept going… out to the Goose trail, through the park and up the mountain. Ferg found a caterpillar and took great care of it for a kilometre or so, always making sure it was alright after each and every time he dropped it. But his wee legs tired out (Ferg’s, not the caterpillar’s) half way up so Effie and I - she in her Easter dress, me in my flip-flops - hit the summit solo (okay, it’s not really a “mountain” per se). Thirst drove us home quickly but Effie was determined to come back with a proper picnic two days later.

Ferg’s caterpillar, “caterpillar”:


At the top


For the second trek up the mountain, the planned one, Effie made peanut butter roll-ups, I made chicken-salad sandwiches and Fergus supplied a healthy handful of Werthers candies. Bob’s Mountain is not all that far away - it is pretty much just straight above our neighbours and has sweeping views in all directions (if you look hard enough). But to get the four of us up there - on a completely kiddo-led journey - was quite a feat for us and perhaps a sign of things to come as we grow more mobile as a family.

Scary trail-side scenery:


The poor result of an ill-fated group hiking shot:


Down the other side of the mountain, and at approximately the half-way point of the back-door route between our place and The Swede Up The Street (now with puppies!), is Wayne’s Rock. The rock is so-named, as far as we can tell, ‘cause some yokel once spray-painted his name on it. And even though Wayne also managed to get the adjoining trail named after him, his measly, mis-shaped rock is not nearly as nice as the be-knighted boulder on our property, “Craig’s Rock”… nor does it sneer, grumble or lay motionless quite so effectively.

Wayne’s Rock (boo):


Craig’s Rock (yeah):


After stomping all over the inferior rock, we followed the trail through the older growth and down to the lake in time for the sun to set. At this point Effie argued her case for an hour-long, circuitous lake walk but we (ie: the more patient of the two adults; ie: not me) managed to negotiate some leisurely lake-wading instead. And then it was off for some more bush-whacking, in the dark and sans flashlights no less, and home.





Here’s our three-and-a-half hour route… it’s like a Family Circus comic around here today!!!