Things that make you smile

[carole]

I have the benefit of living near a popular hiking area that I am able to get to several times during the week and as any who have hiked there know it is often full of kids (school / camp groups) and families. Now while I often seek the quieter routes I am happy to see kids outside enjoying it for the most part. This is why my trail work there is partly designed to make it a safe experience for all (along with efforts to keep the area from being destroyed by the heavy traffic). There are enough stories to tell to fill a book but this post isn’t about “whining”

Seeing families with very young ones is often rewarding as was the case one recent day. Mother was walking ahead with a young one (maybe 4 yr. old) and they seemed to be enjoying it but it was Dad with the younger one (probably less than 2 yr. old) that caught my attention. This trail has lots of rocks which I happen to enjoy rock hopping, but often people avoid rocks when ever possible by going around. Not this toddler. He/she went up and over and up and over, and then held on to one as he worked his way around, and then up and over and up and over, in a very determined way. Dad was barely moving. What are just rocks in the trail for adults were climbs for this young one. I told Dad that this was the mountaineer. Someone was going to nap soundly on the way home!

I continued on my way with a smile reminding myself to look at the rocks from a different perspective.

 

[sapblatt]

Nice post Carole - kids love to scramble! Aaron always chooses the most difficult route on a trail...there could be dirt in the middle but he chooses to climb over the rocks on the side...

It is very rewarding to see kids having a good time outside for me at well.

 

[DrewKnight]

I love seeing the mountains from a kids' eye view...

In August, we had family up visiting from Washington, DC, and took them up the Mt. Washington Auto Road (yeah, I know... I can only plead a cousin a month short of a hip replacement operation). We hiked down the cone about halfway to Lakes with three kids and three adults.

My 10-year old son and his 10-year-old cousin (an athletic young lady whom I don't think had ever been more than a few hundred feet above sea level) 'bushwhacked' their way back up the cone, scrambling over razor-sharp rocks, absolutely delighted with the whole experience. A little below the summit, we were all surprised when they found nestled down in a hollow a small engraved stone tablet memorializing a young man (name and dates now escape me). I am guessing that he was a hiker whose family placed the tablet in his memory in a place special to him. We all circled around and thought about what it meant and had a moment of silence.

We adults tend to stay on the trail in life. Kids have a special relationship with ground, and they often see a lot more than we do.

 

[erugs]

About 11 years ago, I was just getting back into enjoying the hiking I had done with my parents when growing up. I invited my then 13 year old son to join me on the Lafayette loop, and he asked "What will you buy me if I go?" I replied, "Any food you want to eat." He said "Cool" and came along. About 4 years ago he and I and a friend were hiking Hale on after a period of heavy snow in mid-December. He was much faster than I, and was waiting at the summit for, er, quite a while. Another group lunching there asked if he was hiking alone. "No," he replied, "I'm with my mom and another friend." When our other friend arrived and I was still missing, they asked, "Aren't you worried?" He answered with the confidence of the young, "Naw, she just came back from Rainier. She'll be fine." And I was. Just slow. But it was nice to hear he had confidence in his gray-haired mom's capabilities.

 

[griffin]

- Water crossings

- Meeting dogs on the trail

- Chickadees

- Alpine wildflowers

- Older (than me) hikers on the trail. I find it inspiring, and it gives me hope that I'll still be plugging along when I hit my Mom's age.

- Yummy trail snacks

 

[dvbl]

I don't know at what point in our lives those big rocks which are there to be enthusiastically climbed on morph into big rocks which are there to be walked around.........but it comes too damn soon.

Yes, watching little dudes in the woods is a treat.

 

[sardog1]

What are just rocks in the trail for adults were climbs for this young one. I told Dad that this was the mountaineer. Someone was going to nap soundly on the way home!

I continued on my way with a smile reminding myself to look at the rocks from a different perspective.

Howdy, from one of those helping to lead a mob to the top recently. (Two schools from different districts had the same idea on the same day. Four or five buses and enough parent vehicles to fill a car dealer's lot. I estimated the kid count on the summit at 225, plus adults. )

I had a similar experience that taught me the same lesson. I laid a trail orienteering course at Mount Agamenticus a while back. One of the younger participants came back reporting her pleasure at finding a waterfall. I "knew" there was no waterfall on the course. When I collected the course markers afterward, I chanced to look down on the path as I crossed a very small brooklet. Sure enough, the water was riffling over some rocks. From her perspective, it was a noteworthy waterfall -- as it has been for me ever since.

 

[forestgnome]

Nice thread, but I thought we complainers aren't able to enjoy ourselves

Things out there that make me smile are too numerous to list, but I'd second the mention of older folks. There's something really inspiring about them, and they are always civilized and they don't show off. They often have more wisdom about the mountains than all those who pretend to be "into it". They're always good for a pleasant chat.

But mostly, all the sights, sounds and smells in the woods make me smile.

happy trails

 

[sapblatt]

more things that makes me smile...

when forestgnome posts a trip report with pictures!

when Audrey and Pat have a pot luck...

Being outdoors!

Not being able to see any man made objects/buildings, etc when I am outdoors (trail signs are OK though!)

 

[grog]

Being chastised by a red squirrel.

grog

 

[Paradox]

The pine tree scent you get up near tree line.

 

[erugs]

A friend borrowed my overnight backpack and was hiking along the trail one day. A spruce grouse surprised her and she startled and started moving fast away from the area. She looked back to see the spruce grouse close behind -- on the top of the pack! I laugh about that story every time I see a grouse.

 

[eddie]

I love...

...the smell of the ADK mud on my boots and the feel of the anorthosite under them. There's also nothing like sharing a great summit view with your hiking partner. (No, really)

 

[giggy]

I love when the forest whispers my name and I am at one with the deep woods

blah blah blah


yea right.....

An ice cold F'ing beer at the end of the hike with fun freinds is what makes me smile along with certain jenna jameson movies. :

 

[Adventurous]

I love when the trees start getting shorter and the sound of cars disappears as you ascend.

Being in the woods after it rains is awesome...everything has such a fresh scent.

As far as rocks go - you realize that your knees are in more pain from rock hopping so you start to avoid them.

 

[sapblatt]

I love when the forest whispers my name and I am at one with the deep woods

blah blah blah


yea right.....

An ice cold F'ing beer at the end of the hike with fun freinds is what makes me smile along with certain jenna jameson movies. :

which Jameson movies don't make you smile?

 

[SherpaKroto]

...An ice cold F'ing beer at the end of the hike with fun freinds is what makes me smile along with certain jenna jameson movies. :

Why wait until the end of a hike? We could convince Shizzy to carry the beer AND the videos.

 

[giggy]

Why wait until the end of a hike? We could convince Shizzy to carry the beer AND the videos.

this may have been done before. don't worry forestgnome, we leave no trace with cans and we might even toss the moose a sip or 2.

now that the blackberry is in the game, the video's are much more easy to bring along -

ahhhh - note to self...

booze,porn pressie traverse

 

[sardog1]

booze,pron pressie traverse

Looks like the booze is already working.

 

[cooperhill]

things that makes me smile:

Views from the Top

of course