Family Day Hike

             Yesterday was Family Day here in British Columbia- it was with great excitement that the Littles realized Daddy had the day off work.  After a crazy birthday weekend with lots of friends and family we decided to head to the forest with some friends to stretch our legs and breath in some fresh air. With the fog hugging the shoreline and a light drizzle falling we hit the trails on the North Shore at Lighthouse Park- our not so Littles taking off on long confident legs- stretching to find their own way.

          Slogging through mud- so much mud and so many puddles we encountered several other folks who were out doing the same thing as us- when on the Wet Coast you just have to get outside whenever you can- no waiting on fairer weather for it may never come! What I love about hiking on the coast is how friendly people are when an encounter happens on the trail- everyone saying hello- many people commenting on our little hikers. Looking back on this time last year the kids are much more confident hikers than they were- unafraid but still cautious.

          The group fell into many different pairings along the way- sometimes all the kids were together- other times one kid to a parent- I love the moments with my boy- the quiet moments on the trail where we talk- he tells me things when we are walking side by side. Little trailside confidences- I hope this never changes.

          Hiking with kids has many ups and downs figurative as well as literally on the trail- of course there are moments of whining and complaining- someone steps in a puddle- two or three times in a row and has wet feet- someone is hungry- someone is poking someone else with a stick. At the end of the day though a day spent in the forest with friends is never a bad thing- especially when it ends in adult beverages and french fries for the kiddos! Shaking the city off for an adventure on the trail- full of fungus and eagles- wearing hoodies in the middle of winter- we are a bunch of lucky people- West Coast is the best coast!