Climb Every Mountain!

We Sheaffers LOVE Vermont. Scott and I would go up there every year for our anniversary before we had our two lovely children. When we were there we always tried to go to Woodstock to climb to the top of Mount Tom. Mount Tom isn't a huge mountain. In fact, I think my family and friends back in Utah would call it a hill. But it is still a lovely walk through peaceful woods and there is a great view of the quaint little New England town and rolling hills.

We haven't been to Vermont in 4 years though! The last time we went I was pregnant with Owen. The next year Owen was a baby, so we didn't want to travel. The next year I was pregnant with Holly, so I didn't feel like climbing a mountain (hill). Then of course the next year Holly was a baby. Finally this year both kids are old enough to climb themselves and I'm not pregnant! So off we went to climb a mountain (hill).

Look at me...I turned into a reindeer! I kind of think reindeer antlers are more fun than rabbit ears. Maybe you should try them out the next time you think about giving somebody bunny ears in a picture. Holly may have started a new trend!

Holly rode most of the way up on our shoulders. It was just a lot faster that way. She didn't understand the concept of a trail. She kept trying to walk off the trail and onto steep inclines that would send her rolling down a hill of a dead leaves. I don't think she minded the ride though. She looks awful comfy to me.

We did have to make a diaper changing stop. Thankfully we found nature's changing table!

Owen loved hiking up the mountain. The trail we went on wasn't too hard. It has a lot of switchbacks and it's not too steep until the end. Owen loved all the big rocks we found along the way.

Holly did some walking. We wanted to make sure she got her exercise in too.

We made it to the top...YAY! Here is the beautiful view from the top. Too bad it doesn't look as beautiful in this picture as it does in real life. Some day you will have to come and visit and I will take you to the top of our favorite mountain.

Owen and Holly show off the view from the other side of the top. After we rested at the top for a while we decided to head down. I mentioned before that the last of the trail to the top is kind of steep. It was hard getting up there, but we made it. At the top of the mountain there were two trail markers, one for the trail we went up (Faulkner) and another trail (Precipice). Scott decided that he wanted to go down the Precipice trail because he thought it wouldn't be as hard of a hike down.

Definition of Precipice:

1. High Cliff or crag: a high vertical or very steep rock face.

2. Dangerous state: a very dangerous situation.

I told Scott that we needed to take the trail we took up back down. We didn't even know where the Precipice trail ended. It could have been on the other side of the mountain. Scott insisted that he was going down the precipice trail though because he didn't like the last 100 yards of the trail we came up on. So Scott and Owen went one way, Holly and I went the other. I ended up carrying Holly the whole way down, just to save time. All I could think about while walking down was that Scott and Owen would end up lost on the other side of the mountain, they would have to climb back up the Precipice trail and back down the correct trail. And Holly and I would just have to sit and wait for them.

At the bottom of the trail there is a park. I found a bench and sat down to wait out the long 2 hours until Scott and Owen showed up. But I was wrong! About 5 minutes later I heard them coming down the street. Apparently the Precipice trail ended/started only a few blocks away from where the Faulkner trail started. Apparently the Precipice trail is named that for a reason too. Scott said the trail went pretty much straight down the mountain through thick forest and lots of rocky sections.

After getting home I looked up the two different trails online. The Falkner trail is 1.6 miles.....The Precipice trail is .9 miles. Those switchbacks make the walk up the mountain longer, but they are there for a reason! Scott also informed me that when he got to the bottom of the mountain there was a sign that informed him that the Precipice trail was closed for repairs! It's always fun to smile at your husband knowing that you were right : )

We did stop and get some lunch and ice-cream before the hike.

Who doesn't love ice-cream?

We also stopped to let our kids play some Checkers.

It was one fun day! We are planning to find some more hikes around here that we can take our children on. So if you know any good ones let us know!