sapblatt
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Welch-Dickey with Aaron – May 12, 2007
There is something about Welch-Dickey that always gets me back into the swing of things when I have been injured or lazy and out of shape. 2005 ankle sprain, 2006 – the birth of Zach, and yesterday – my first real foray back into the mountains since my severe sprain in February. I did try once to get up Hale, but to no avail…it still hurts at times and I still limp some days, but on this day, with my oldest son, Aaron, who is now four we were going to see how a pry youngster and an achy Dad could do.
I am lucky to have a son who so far loves his father’s hobby and who also has no issue at getting on the road around 5:30am to go hiking. We were at the trailhead at about 7:30 and were the second group to hit the trail at about 7:45. It was on the cool side, maybe around 50 – but totally clear and sunny. We both had zipped off our legs on our convertible shorts – Aaron wore a fleece jacket and mittens and I pretended it was summer – shorts and t-shirt.
We meandered our way through the forest and I gave Aaron one of the only three “lifts” he would need all day at the stream crossing – short legs are an issue for me at times (READ: Caps Ridge!) He tossed some rocks at sticks into the stream and we stopped for many quick “hiking M & M” breaks (that is what we call Peanut M & Ms in our house – it helps to limit their consumption!) Aaron tripped on a route once and was pretty upset – quick recovery as usual and we carried on – I really was not sure yet if we would just round trip it from the first slab/viewpoint. Shortly before the first view you we got a nice shot of a toad…
Well, open rock and views were the cure all…after a quick break, I could not slow Aaron down again until we got back into the forest after the final Dickey ledges. He just loves scrambling. I have a very bad trail memory – If I had remembered the steepness and the scrambles as well, I doubt I would have brought him – but it all worked out great. He was bit concerned about some cave like area (damn Disney movies – he thought there would be bears in the caves!) but other wise it was just a great day for Dad and Aaron. On the one tricky narrow region at the end of the Dickey Ledges, Aaron stayed about 10 feet in front of me and walked exactly where I told him to and stopped right where I asked him too – lucky for me!
The ending forest walk was a bit of a chore for Aaron, and my ankle, but it ended soon enough – a quick change of clothes and a stop for a cold drink and an ice cream….a 5:45 hike and we were home well before 4PM.
One of the best days ever…
Here are a bunch of pictures – that will be used against me in my child endangerment trial.
PICTURES
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8CauGbVozaNvM¬ag=1
There is something about Welch-Dickey that always gets me back into the swing of things when I have been injured or lazy and out of shape. 2005 ankle sprain, 2006 – the birth of Zach, and yesterday – my first real foray back into the mountains since my severe sprain in February. I did try once to get up Hale, but to no avail…it still hurts at times and I still limp some days, but on this day, with my oldest son, Aaron, who is now four we were going to see how a pry youngster and an achy Dad could do.
I am lucky to have a son who so far loves his father’s hobby and who also has no issue at getting on the road around 5:30am to go hiking. We were at the trailhead at about 7:30 and were the second group to hit the trail at about 7:45. It was on the cool side, maybe around 50 – but totally clear and sunny. We both had zipped off our legs on our convertible shorts – Aaron wore a fleece jacket and mittens and I pretended it was summer – shorts and t-shirt.
We meandered our way through the forest and I gave Aaron one of the only three “lifts” he would need all day at the stream crossing – short legs are an issue for me at times (READ: Caps Ridge!) He tossed some rocks at sticks into the stream and we stopped for many quick “hiking M & M” breaks (that is what we call Peanut M & Ms in our house – it helps to limit their consumption!) Aaron tripped on a route once and was pretty upset – quick recovery as usual and we carried on – I really was not sure yet if we would just round trip it from the first slab/viewpoint. Shortly before the first view you we got a nice shot of a toad…
Well, open rock and views were the cure all…after a quick break, I could not slow Aaron down again until we got back into the forest after the final Dickey ledges. He just loves scrambling. I have a very bad trail memory – If I had remembered the steepness and the scrambles as well, I doubt I would have brought him – but it all worked out great. He was bit concerned about some cave like area (damn Disney movies – he thought there would be bears in the caves!) but other wise it was just a great day for Dad and Aaron. On the one tricky narrow region at the end of the Dickey Ledges, Aaron stayed about 10 feet in front of me and walked exactly where I told him to and stopped right where I asked him too – lucky for me!
The ending forest walk was a bit of a chore for Aaron, and my ankle, but it ended soon enough – a quick change of clothes and a stop for a cold drink and an ice cream….a 5:45 hike and we were home well before 4PM.
One of the best days ever…
Here are a bunch of pictures – that will be used against me in my child endangerment trial.
PICTURES
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8CauGbVozaNvM¬ag=1
