This week I have been enjoying the outdoors, and hiking with my mom, my kids, and some ladies from my community. 3 hikes totaling 26.2 miles (well, I am not exact on that number, but it for all intents and purposes, it is close enough).
Hike #1 - Florence Falls, Logan's Pass, Montana
memorable moments - hiking with my mom and all of my kids. Finally getting to the waterfall - and enjoying it's mist. Learning that a 5 year old can hike over 12 miles in one day! Learning that we all need to pack more water. Taking a wrong turn, getting lost, finding the going to the sun road, but not finding our van. Walking down the road with a crying 5 year old, a very worried 8 year old and wanting to cry myself - but holding it together. Getting a ride from a kind couple from Toledo, Ohio. Finding our van. Getting pie in St. Mary's. Going home. Sleep.
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| Having fun on the way up! |
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| So much foliage! |
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| This is on the way up ( but it was after this bridge that I took the wrong turn!) |
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| The falls! We made it!! |
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| Hiking out with an 86 year old hiker leading the way. |
Hike #2 - Wall Lake, Waterton, Canada
memorable moments - Seeing so many ladies from our community hiking together! Seeing 'the wall' and making the connection - "aha wall lake!" Visiting with Karen and Liz. Seeing the Forum waterfall. Any hike is not complete without a waterfall sighting - better yet, feeling it's mist!
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| Forum Falls with Liz Bectell - LOVELY! |
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| Wall Lake - absolutely STUNNING wouldn't you say?! |
Hike #3 - Red Rock Falls, Many Glacier, Montana
memorable moments - a bear walked right across our path, and didn't even look at us! The falls were beautiful, and fun to just sit and and relax. We stuck together, didn't get lost, and it was an easy fun hike. No tears. Mary whipping out the band-aid for Kate when she scraped her knee. The view from the top of the rock was priceless. Having Huckleberry ice-cream at the end! Wanting to never leave this place. Starting to almost enjoy hiking. . . . Completely entranced with Many Glacier.
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| A cool looking butterfly. The girls would try to catch every butterfly that flew across our path! |
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Grandma LaVern ( alias: hiker extraordinaire).
I think that she is determined to pass on her love for hiking to us. . . . it might be starting to work.... |
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Red Rock Falls.
The perfect place to sit, rest, breathe, think, and enjoy the beauty of the mountains. |
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Sisters:
There to protect each other from bears. There to make sure no one falls and 'gets bleeding'.
Mary was always the first one on the scene with a band aid when it was needed.
Thanks Mary for making everything better! |
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This was our second bear sighting of the day.
The first one was smaller, and he sauntered right across our path while we were hiking. . .
it was VERY exciting! We saw this guy on our way home from the safety of our car
- a great way to end our day! |
So at the end of the week after a marathon of hikes, and a full week of Ironman training. . . I was absolutely EXHAUSTED! My mother thought maybe I should NOT go hiking while I am training for Ironman. . . . I had to agree. But I do have to admit that I am a little sad about that. I think that I might actually miss hiking! Experiencing the great outdoors and learning valuable life lessons with my kids. Watching them take care of each other. . . . looking for bears and moose, feeling the beargrass and sucking nectar from the Indian paintbrush. I can't believe that I am actually saying it out loud. . . I never thought I would miss hiking. . . I never thought I would love hiking. . . . but I think my mother's wishes are starting to come true!
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