1 Sammy in his new Merrell hiking shoes. There are little suction cups on the bottom (like a gecko!) and mesh uppers. They're still a little big but he said he liked them.
2 Mom and Pete patiently walked at preschooler pace :)
3 We like the shady areas!
4 Snack break at 0.8 miles into it. We've already climbed about 400'.
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6 GORP - Good Old Raisins and Pretzels :) This bag of snacks was a big hit - think it was the M&Ms hidden in there, too?
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8 Sharing a few :)
9 REAL climbing walls!
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11 And tree hugging - this was Sam's idea. I did not put him up to it :)
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13 Chasing mommy with a fern flag!
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15 Ahhhh...the summit at last! Kathy brought naughty Nutella to spread on graham crackers. Look at the faces!
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18 Binoculars to look for pirate ships out in the ocean. This is the view of the windward coast. To the other side you can see out to Pearl Harbor. I am just now realizing I didn't take any pictures out that way. Oh well. Next time!
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21 Yes - we watched the kids carefully!
22 Here's our gang :)
23 The "sitting tree" with Grandpa Pete.
24 Here we all are on the way down.
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26 Little pine cones make for fantastic "wheels" on the bottom of your shoes. They're not permanent. They just show up and totally take you down if you're not careful. Even if you are careful, it's fun to let them take you out - Sam is "skiing" downhill here with mommy as his lifeline. (UGH! getting to big for this!)
27 Back at the trailhead 4.5 hrs later. Whew! it's a long hike for the kids (3 miles total and 850' elevation gain) but they did fantastic! I made buttons for their packs so they can earn one with each peak they bag.
28 Ahhh...nothing like taking shoes off after a hike!
