the mighy hikers

We spent a lot of our campout this year hiking. Everyday except our first day there we went on some sort of hike. Or first hike was up to the old wildhorse mine and waterfalls. This was an easy hike and so everyone was able to go. You can drive the four wheelers up so we take turns riding and walking. We sent Steve and Gracie first on the four wheeler with Grandpa. I thought she would like it - most kids do. She did not.
She screamed and cried all the way up the trail. Which is about a 20- 30 minute ride. She was much happier when she got to get down and do some hiking with Dad.
This was Ella's first hike and she did awesome. She probably walked 1.5 miles with us before she got a ride on the four wheeler with Matt and Grandpa.
All the kids were very involved in finding the perfect walking stick. So Jake had to find a good one too.
The next day we went on our hike up to Boulder lake. I have been hiking almost every summer since I was a toddler and I am pretty sure this is the hardest hike I've ever been on. The last time I went I was 15 and Karee was a baby. We were all anxious to see if we could do it again. Janice and Aaron with three of their boys, Tim, Sam and Mark came along with Jake, Karee, Grandpa, Matt and I. Grandpa had decided that he didn't want to come that morning as he knew how tough it would be. But as he watched all of us packing up snacks and filling up our camel backs he just couldn't resist and ended up coming along. We were glad he did. Hiking is just not the same without Grandpa.

The hike up to the lake is about 5 miles but all of those 5 miles are uphill. Most of the time on some very steep switch backs. Which makes for a huge test of endurance heading up and torture on the ankles and knees coming down.

This was one of my favorite spots: nearly to the lake, in a beautiful meadow filled with wildflowers and rimmed with majestic mountains and pines. This pictures doesn't really do it justice because you can't really see the wildflowers. But they were beautiful and completely filled the meadow. Just after the meadow is the final stretch of the hike. And here is where the hike gets ridiculously hard. The trail kind of just disappears and you have to climb like a mountain goat over rocks and boulders up to the lake. I wasn't sure I would make it - because well, last time I checked I wasn't a goat.
But I did make it eventually - we all did - even Grandpa who thought about stopping on a particularly difficult set of switch backs.

This is how we all felt when we finally got there:We had a relaxing lunch up at the lake. Dipped our feet in and some chose to dip heads too. I was not in that group.
And just like every hike, it was worth it: the beautiful scenery, the sense of accomplishment, being with family, all that good stuff!