Day 68 Bill and I take a Hike

Bill and I took a rare opportunity and went hiking on a trail near Bull Run. In Idaho I think we could call a run a creek or a small river. We enjoyed an hour and twenty minutes alone with nature. We weren't interrupted one time by our children.

The trail had areas that were muddy but logs were laid out as stepping stones. We both commented that Austin would not like this hike. The terrain was up and down. We ended at an area with Polo fields. Which we didn't know was played all that much around here. It was so nice to get out and enjoy the beautiful afternoon together. I love it when Bill takes the day off work and we get to spend it together.

Day 35 Our hardest hike yet-hike number 3 Bull Run Mountain

Since the boys were on a campout with the scouts and we've been having such beautiful weather we decided to go on a hike on Bull Run Mountain. The temperature started at about 38'F and ended about 42'F but now its cold and raining.

This is our third family hike this year and Bill's 4th hike of the year. We didn't know much about Bull Run Mountain but we wanted to see Chapman's mill which we often see from the freeway.

When we arrived we saw this super bright red cardinal. He was so pretty and he just sat and posed for quite some time.

We knew we wanted to take the hardest part of the hike first while we were fresh so we did our best at each crossroads to look at our over-photocopied topo map to make our decision. Finally we decided to just take the Quary loop trail. It was the right pick. The trail led us over 900 feet in elevation over 2.8 miles to a wonderful overlook.

It was very hard, Bill felt like he was going to die but it was really worth it. He kept repeating all the way down how satisfying and motivating it was to have made it. It was a great family bonding time (even if much of the family couldn't be with us).

Lydia did just great. In all it was 5.9 miles including mud rocks and lots of climbing. She stayed strong and didn't even complain one time. She did ask "are we there yet" before we saw the overlook.

Day 7 Hike 2 and Basketball

What a beautiful day ! We enjoyed a hike on the Occoquan trail. We hiked 3.2 miles in one hour and forty-five minutes. This trail was more difficult then the Blue Bell trail with many climbs and descents. We crossed creeks on pylons and bridges. I played a game with Lydia by having her find the blue trail markers on the trees to keep us on the right trail and to keep her moving quickly. Emily and Austin hung out and chatted along the way. It was great to see Austin make it across a stream when he thought he couldn't do it. At the end of the hike he told us how much he liked the hike. I think it is good for us to accomplish something we thought we could not do. It gives you confidence. As for the weather it was warm enough that we took off our jackets at the turn around point. It was disappointing that Willy chose not to come with us. His loss. Loved the morning.

Emily had her first church basketball game of the season. The girls need some practice but they did pretty well for the first game of the season. However they lost 10-33. They did a great job and had a lot of fun.