Last summer, my friend Betsy (who used to teach with me at ETSU), called me up and said, "Wanna go on a hike?" Excited to get Thomas into the wilderness, I said, "Sure!" So, we packed up and drove to the trailhead of Laurel Falls in Hampton, TN. Starting out, we both thought that the trail was smooth enough to accommodate a stroller and that the round-trip distance was around 3 miles. After walking about 100 yards on the trail, it was clear that no stroller was going to make it far across the bumpy, rocky, ground, so we turned around. At this point, I decided that I could carry Thomas, who was 9 months old and about 20 pounds at the time, for three miles. (Lord, women trekked cross-country with kids hanging all over them in the "olden days," right?) So, turning to my inner woodland Indian, I stuffed a couple of extra diapers in my purse, settled Thomas on my hip, and we headed out again. About a mile in, we saw the trail sign: "Laurel Falls 2 miles." Um, 2 miles? Yep. We re-evaluated. Could I carry Thomas SIX MILES? I was determined. Hail, pioneer woman! We kept going, over boulder, bridge, and lob-lolly, keeping Thomas amused with various hiking sticks, until we came to our prize...a beautiful waterfall tucked into the Appalachian Mountains. We sat, we snacked (on meager rations), and we dipped Thomas's toes into the chilly water. Then, we trekked back to the car, and we made it back without succumbing to de-hydration, exhaustion, or wild animal. Pocohantas! Oregon Trail Wife! English Teachers!
Afterwards, Betsy and I agreed that we should make a hike to Laurel Falls a yearly tradition.
And we did.
Last week, we hiked the trail again, with our friend Bridget's (another English teacher) kids Leah and Samuel tagging along. This time, though, we were less ambitious and more prepared. I lugged Thomas on my back in the invaluable "Deuter" child backpack; we packed plenty of food and water; and we decided to cut the hike in half. So, about 1.5 miles in, we found a comfortable spot by the creek and made our "camp." Thomas and Samuel spent some quality time splashing around in the creek, throwing rocks and sand, and sitting quietly in the current, contemplating life according to boys; while Leah, Betsy, and I talked about Harry Potter, Twilight, and how to understand life according to boys.
I'm already getting excited about next year...
Pictures from last year's hike...
Pictures from this year's hike...
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