Yesterday, we had a pretty chill-day.  It’s actually incredibly difficult to force down-time when there is so much to see and do, but mother nature helped us out with a rainy start and finish to our day.  Although we did manage to sneak in a walk through town and a quick walk on the river trail in-between storms.  A little driving around and napping, too.  It was good stuff.  However, even on a “chill day”, I didn’t have to try hard to get my 10,000 steps in.

This morning started out at a brisk 57degrees and cloudy; a temperature that my brain and body are still trying to compute.  The boys were planning on heading up to hike Mt. Washington and the girls and I were going to do some shorter hikes and then it just was dreary, cold and not looking so promising.  They decided to go for it anyway.  (and at this moment, have just summitted).  They will eat their weight in pizza for sure at Fabyans.

We picked an “easy” hike up Lonesome lake trail to Lonesome Lake and to check out the huts that you can stay in.  1.6 miles.  Straight, friggin’ up.  Easy?  I don’t even believe those AT trail people and their descriptions anymore.  At one point I honestly just started praying out loud the old stand-by of “Come, Holy Spirit” with a Hail Mary to round it out because our youngest daughter was so hangry that I was about to go Mommy Dearest on her.  Fortunately, prayers don’t fail and we made it to the top with our family intact. And what a view.  Hangry passed and going down was FAR EASIER than going up—although my rear end will be talking to me later today. So….. at 1:30 p.m. and 13,000 steps already, our hikes (plural) have turned into A HIKE (singular)  and now we will clean up and explore before we pick up the boys later.  And that is A-OK.

What an amazing world we live in.

Oh, and on the way down, we passed folks heading up to stay in the huts with full backpack gear, but the most impressive was Mama toting a toddler on her back.  I told her that she was my hero, because a practically empty teensy backpack was all this Mama could do.  Awesome!!