Family Adventures: Nebraska Notch and More

On Sunday, we went for a hike on the Nebraska Notch Trail and the Long Trail.  My Wife's write up is here:

Hike #12 - Nebraska Notch Redux

A few bonus photos:

An uprooted tree, both sides:

Afterwards, we went for creemees at the Underhill Center Store - just vanilla on offer on Sunday but that was all we needed.  Summer and ice cream are an obvious combination anywhere but it's a particularly big deal in our proud dairy state.  My Wife makes her own and is currently teaching Our Girl to do the same.  Our Girl had been bugging me for creemees all week but I held off, knowing mom would be disappointed if we went without her.  So, we hatched a creemees-everyday-of-the-weekend plan.  Our Girl was surprisingly unimpressed when I told her.  "That's interesting," was her casual response.  Of course, she'd just had Friday's cone at that point.  But then, we forgot on Saturday and she was disappointed - figures.

In other news, Our Girl passed Red Cross Level 2 in swim class on Friday!  We're doing Level 3 in just a couple of weeks.  She's already worried she won't pass.  I told her we could practice at the town pond every day if she wanted.  Naturally, we're very proud of her.

We won again in kickball last night, a close battle: 1-0.  Our Girl came to watch for the first time, more or less out of necessity.  My Wife is out of town for a few days.  She enjoyed it, I think.  She certainly had a fun time running around with the other kids.  I got a "Good job!" and a high five after I got a hit in my only at bat.

Family Adventures: Butler Lodge Trail/Wallace Cutoff

I encountered this slug on the return leg of our latest family hike, a harder than expected trek recounted by My Wife on her blog:

Hike #10 - Butler Lodge Trail/Wallace Cutoff

I thought I'd wait with the slug until the ladies caught up with me so I could point it out to them and perhaps they could avoid stepping on it. My Wife was not impressed. She was less impressed that I was taking photos of the little critter. So, just for the record, that's slug = gross but butterflies clustering on a dead beaver = good wholesome family fun.

I do have a few notes to add to her writeup. Walking away from the parking lot and towards the hiking paths, we made the initial mistake of turning left at this gate:


The gate is there to stop cars, not hikers. There is a small path going around the lefthand post. Notice, too, the sign at top left:


It was definitely a challenging hike but now it's done. This is one of many hikes which counts towards the Green Mountain Club's new Side-to-Side certification which one can earn by completing 84 of the The Long Trail's side trails. We'll find something easier for next time so we're not all zonked by the end.

To remember for next time:

- More water for the trail. We generally keep a supply in the car for the trip home but it would be good to have at least one extra bottle in my pack, especially on a hot day.
- Hand sanitizer.
- Wet wipes.

Wish list:

- Water purification kit.

I think I'm going to keep this running list on the side bar so it's all in one place. It's a handy thing. It seems silly to have it scattered in various posts.

Family Adventures: Sterling Pond Trail

Following is My Wife's write-up of our hike today:

Hike #9 - Sterling Pond Trail

It was a good hike for me, too. It was not particularly strenuous physically, though I was frustrated at times having to navigate through so much water. I have one personal limitation which may hold us back a bit in our quest to hike the entire trail: I am afraid of heights. We tested the bounds of my anxiety a few times today but I managed. I've assured My Wife that I will let her know when the my limit is reached.

To bring next time:
- An extra layer for Our Girl. In truth, I don't think she would have really needed her fleece jacket but would have been happier to know it was an option.

It may have been more strenuous than I realized. I'm exhausted!

Family Adventures: Back on the Trail

Memorial Day marks the beginning of hiking season in Vermont and we have renewed our quest to hike the entirety of Vermont's Long Trail. Today was our first-of-the-season, let's-see-where-we-are hike, a manageable trek from last year that would serve as a good measure of our capabilities for the coming summer. Following is My Wife's write-up from her blog:

Hike #8 - Sunset Ledge Redux

A few more photos for your enjoyment:

I've always been fascinated by lichens, ever since I first learned what they were in seventh grade science. And I'll bet Ms. Reid didn't think I was paying attention!



Evidence of mud:


A few things to remember for next time:
- bug spray for Our Girl
- cell phone
- dry socks for everyone
- a dry T-shirt for me for the end of the hike (I had a long-sleeved to change into, but it would be nice to have a choice)
- hats for everyone
- a belt for me - the plumber look is not in style on the trail

The Long Trail Project: Prospect Rock Redux

We closed the hiking season in the same place where we started it: Prospect Rock. Above is the spectacular view from the top. Below is the link to My Wife's post on the subject:

Hike #7 - Prospect Rock Redux

If you have an interest in knitting projects, she also has a recent post on that subject:

Other Life List Items: Knit a Sweater

In addition to yesterday's hike, I went on a long walk in our neighborhood yesterday, my first in a while. Walking is nice in the fall: cooler and no bugs. I happily watched a hairy woodpecker for quite a while. I'm looking forward to putting up the bird feeders soon: November 1st.

Long Trail Project: Lincoln Gap/Sunset Ledge

Check out My Wife's post regarding our latest Long Trail hike:

Hike #6 - Lincoln Gap/Sunset Ledge

The Long Trail Project: Nebraska Notch Trail

Check out My Wife's post on our latest hike:

Hike #5 - Nebraska Notch Trail

The Long Trail Project: Devil's Gulch

We hiked to Devil's Gulch today. Check out My Wife's post:

Hike #4 - Devil's Gulch

The Long Trail Project: Carleton Mountain

Check out the latest post on My Wife's blog. We hiked Carleton Mountain up near the Canadian border today:

Hike #3 - Carleton Mountain

Also, she posted some interesting links about Vermont's Long Trail several days ago:

Long Trail Links

The Long Trail Project: Laraway Lookout

The latest post from My Wife's blog, Wikes! Hikes on the Long Trail:

Hike #2 - Laraway Lookout

The Long Trail Project: Our Journey Begins

My Wife has started a blog to chronicle our new family project: Wikes! Hikes on the Long Trail. Our goal is to hike all of Vermont's Long Trail as a family. It's 271 miles long so we won't be doing it all in one go, of course.

Two new posts:

Intro

Hike #1 - Prospect Rock

Check it out!