Where the wild things are

Today we headed out of town along the beloved I90 corridor for a hike, and happened upon a truly wonderful one: up through forest, passing occasionally by a stream making little waterfalls over rocks, to two stunning alpine lakes. The forest floor was covered in a rich soft layer of pine needles in brown and gold, the sun filtered through the leaves, there was a huge variety of moss and lichen and fungus to find, and many bridges and walkways of old weathered logs. Straight out of National Geographic's "America's Wonderlands".. much loved and leafed through when we were kids.

Anselm and Eliot are completely in their element outdoors-- Anselm is a beam of joy, laughing and talking and climbing and leaping nimbly among root and rock. He easily covers twice the ground of anyone else and is longing for the challenge of a serious hike. Eliot also loves to go out walking, and managed the almost 5 miles all by herself like a hero. Her legs got quite tired on the home stretch (in the 5th hour of the hike, having foregone her nap) but she was convinced to finish the course by the promise of chocolate at the car--which she forgot to claim, since she fell asleep within seconds of the car seat buckling.