speaking of Fall...

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I took Laurel (age 7) for a hike up to Lake Clara on Sunday. The trail head is adjacent to the parking lot at Mission Ridge. It was a perfect length hike (3.5 miles), with not too much elevation gain for a pumpkin her size.  She's such a great little hiking partner. It's a treat to have her along. 

 

Sometimes I feel inadequate as a field guide. I even feel a little foolish, like "Is it really safe to be out here alone, with my child, roaming about the wilderness, with no cell phone service, and in the company of wild beasts? Should I be carrying a gun or a whistle or something?" (You have to read this book!)  I wish I could identify mushrooms, cloud formations, weather patterns, trees, and tell her which berries are safe to eat. I can't exactly. So we just walk together and soak in the surroundings. 

We chat about things like the difference between a squirrel and a chipmunk. I ask her questions like "If we stay to the left at every fork in the trail on the way up, which way would we go at every fork on the way back?" We guess our direction by the position of the sun, and have fun estimating our elevation gain using mapmyhike. 

At some point we usually make a wrong turn and have to backtrack. (I was not born with a sense of direction. It is literally missing from my DNA.) It is for these types of setbacks that I usually tuck some candy in my pocket. Sour Mentos can really help you rally if you are 7. Or 35. Note to self: always bring sugar to ward off a mid-hike slump.  

It's all about being together, and being outside. Perfect combination. And, I'm learning along the way too. I may eventually give Bear Grylls a run for his money.  (You can totally see me feasting on a completely raw/bloody chunk of wild game that I killed with a slingshot fashioned from my ponytail holder and some random sticks. Right? Um probably no.) 

Autumn really is pretty. Seeing the chairlifts made me excited for ski season, and taking in the scenery with Laurel Bird made it all the better. 

Hurry up to Lake Clara before the snow blankets the trail!