big hike

Yesterday, I took the kids on a 4 mile hike!  My neighbor mentioned to me that she and a friend have been taking their kids hiking every Friday.  They research on the internet kid friendly hikes in our area and invited us to come.   We hiked right here in Issaquah, about 15 minutes from our house.  2 miles up and 2 miles down Tiger Mountain.  The Poo-Poo Trail.   That's the real name, no joke, although there were plenty of jokes said.  The trail got its name from logging signals using a whistle that made a "poo poo" sound.  


anyways...the trail climbs steeply and steadily all the way to the top. I had 2 children who loved it and blazed the way up front and one child, who will remain nameless, who whined and was grumpy almost the entire time.  BUT...the kids understand that we all need exercise and need to take turns doing what other family members want to do.  and we all need to be open to trying new things.  


no views of Mt. Rainier today... (my friend, Sonya, on the right)  and no pictures of me on this hike, because we were sweating buckets!  As Emily so kindly put it, "Mom, you look like you just came back from the gym, only worse."

I came around a corner to discover all the kids eating berries!  I freaked out and ran up to them telling them to spit them out.  doesn't anyone know the classic hiking rule, "don't eat strange berries?".  But the other kids, who have been on a few summer hikes, said they always eat these berries and they were safe.  they called them red blueberries.

at the top!  also used for a hang gliding and para gliding take off point.  but there were no launches scheduled for this day.



and always remember, sticks are not weapons.