Analise had many early hiking adventures. I felt strong and empowered to be able to be out in the woods quickly after her birth. Nine days following my relatively easy birth, I was out at Tryon Creek State Park! September is my favorite hiking season and I was so happy to get out for a walk!
Amy discovered some very large leaves and took a long hike with Sarah while Analise and I took a shorter/ flatter walk and sat and enjoyed the trees.
What an amazing beautiful fall day!
When Analise was two weeks old we went up to Larch Mountain for Amy and Sarah to hike and Analise and I to hang out. The smoke from the wildfires blocked much of the mountain view, but it was still amazing to get out on a taste of adventure.
At three weeks, we went on our first real hike and dragged Gil along. It was an amazing time on Mt. Hood without much elevation gain but great views.
Analise slept through it but when Mama is happy, baby is happy and vice versa. What a gorgeous Sept day.
There was still a lot of wildfire smoke blocking our view, but it felt great to get up so high "on top of the world" with the whole family!
Sarah is still "Amy's favorite Sarah" but she has room in her heart for another hiking partner as well.
We were all happy to work this hike into our routine and even Gil did not complain too bitterly. Amy had so much energy for this hike. I think she had been storing it up for awhile!
Sarah said she thought she would like the slower pace of having a baby around. The preschooler is getting to be a very good hiker, but Analise will make us stop and enjoy the view for long periods of time while she eats.
The first week of October, when Analise was four weeks old we went on a more vigorous climb up Lost Lake Butte.
I had never been to Lost Lake which has a beautiful reflection of Mt. Hood on the water. We gave Amy the choice of the easy hike around the lake or the hard hike up the butte. Amy chose the challenge!
The lake was amazing and we did well on the climb up the butte. Again, Amy had a lot of great energy for hiking.
The view from the top was lovely, and we stopped to soak it in, feed Analise, and have some lunch.
There was a person who did not know about "leave no trace" named "Ben Sneider" who had carved his name into a rock. All the way down the trail, Amy made up stories about him and talked to him on her "rock phone" which was a flat rock she made into a cell phone. She had Sarah and I laughing and quite entertained all the way back to the car!
I love getting up to high places and hiking in the fall. I felt so healthy, empowered, and blessed to introduce baby Analise to these special places this early in life.
This is the start of a new chapter of adventures with my two girls!
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