Weekend Retreat and Hike to Blowing Wind Falls

This weekend I had the opportunity to get away with some close friends to a house on the river for a much-needed retreat.

We spent the weekend staying up late, eating all the food, and talking enough to make up for a year’s worth of quarantine.

Saturday I led a hike up the Ritchie Hollow Trail to Blowing Wind Cave. I have taken my kids to the lower section of this hike but had never gone all the way to the waterfall.

It’s a big climb for the last mile, but the waterfall at the top was worth it.

 

 

I am thankful for every minute I get to spend in the woods, soaking in God’s creation. It is always a joy to share these experiences with others.

 

 

 

This brings my hiking count for the year to 11/52 hikes. My phone said we did 4 miles (that’s 32 miles YTD). 

Bonus Hike: Mushroom Rock

I am so thankful to live in an area with so many great places to hike and so many friends who are willing to hit the trails with us. 

Today we met up with some of our friends who go to public school who have been on a mandatory virtual school week the last couple of weeks. 

 

These kids are so familiar with our mountain trails that we let them all run ahead and met them at Mushroom Rock where the moms got in a good visit and the kids made up some kind of fortress game on the rocks. 

 

This was our fourth hike of the week (normal for us is one weekly hike), but it has been such a blessing to get these extra hikes in. 

We are at 10/52 hikes for the year, my phone says we did 3 miles (that’s 28 miles YTD). 

Weekly Hike: Rainbow Lake to Bee Branch

 

 

It is currently 36* and feels like 28. It was a chilly but sunny afternoon – a far cry from the 70* weather we had on Tuesday! A small part of our weekly hiking crew sucked it up and met up to hike regardless of the cold, completing a 3.5 mile loop hike at Rainbow Lake coming back on the Bee Branch Trail. As a bonus, somehow the kids all made it home without getting wet.

 

 

 

When it comes to hiking, there are a few of things I know to be true: 

1) People rarely regret going on a hike, even when it’s cold out.

 

2) Regardless of how cold it is, or how many layers you make them wear, your kids are going to strip most of it off while you hike.

3) Every hike is different, even when we go to the same places. We explore different rocks, notice new things, find something in nature to see that’s new every single time.

4) Time in the woods is always well spent.

This afternoon we hiked 3.5 miles (25 miles YTD). This is hike 9/52 for me and my boys.

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