One of the things about parenting that occasionally surprises me, is how much time I spend, either being sad about a stage left
behind, or looking
forward to a new stage, with the occasional burst of panic about where the time has gone. When this happens I have to mentally give myself a shake and a stern talking to about enjoying the moment. Chey insisting that she hold my hand all.the.damn.time. gave me such a pause earlier this year. I had to stop and remember that it would only be another three seconds until she wants me to drop her off around the corner so that I won't embarrass her (ask me whether that will work... Or better yet, ask Eli... Or Devin... They both know that I am fully capable of unleashing public displays of affection as a disciplinary tool).
It was with great pleasure that I absolutely REVELED in a "stage/age" this weekend. We went mountain biking.... In the mountains! And there was no whining or complaining about comfort or distance or lack of electronic devices (a few sour remarks about trail conditions perhaps, but to be expected from a kid who's used to paved trails for the most part). Instead there was a constant stream of "it's beautiful out here" and "it's so peaceful!" The trip was a test to see how the entire family (including the dogs) would handle such a trip and, after a 12 km (7.5 miles) round trip ride, I'll call it an unmitigated success. Kikx even enjoyed his basket ride (installed just for him.... I'd hate to leave him out of the fun just because he might tire sooner)... Our plan is to attempt the entire 42 km (26 mile) loop as an overnight, but I'm not sure we'll be able to fit it in this summer...we'll see how things look after our trip to BC in a couple of weeks....
Here are a few photos of the trip
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| This is how the dogs are with our without leash, biking or walking... they are awesome |
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| Kikx in his basket, he didn't even try to jump out after being told to stay a few times and even enjoyed it once he got used to it, leaning into the wind and panting happily |
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| We did get rained on a bit on the way back, but it was still a gorgeous ride |
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| The perfect stage...... |
Posts
Looks like a great trip!
ReplyDeleteWhere was this awesome bike trail?? We would be interested in exploring some new spots!!
ReplyDeleteIt's the Elbow Loop trail in Elbow Valley, past Bragg Creek. The trail starts at the campground (either clockwise over a small bridge or counter clockwise through the campground and towards the Nahani Ridge trail (an awesome hike))
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