Since West was born, Greg and I have committed to weekly date nights. Those date nights continue to be a gift for us. They allow us to have uninterrupted conversation and enjoy food at a peaceful pace without any demands. The connection time is critical.
This summer we decided to use some of those date nights for hikes. The first hike sans child this summer had us both a little giddy. Time to appreciate a view, how novel! And the quiet. So peaceful and quiet.
And we have hit a most excellent summer rhythm …. Concerts in the park…river time… milkshakes, sushi patio happy hour… camping, and of course… lots of hiking. Rinse. Repeat.
We have also hit our stride on hiking with a two year old. While we haven’t had a “big” hiking day, we are easily cruising through 5-6 miles as a family right now. That’s some combo of carrying him in the Osprey Poco Loco and letting him get out and walk.
This week West cruised through a mile of his own power (!) and had a great time doing it. Bugs and caterpillars – oh my!
It’s been a relief but it’s not a perfect substitute for some rugged and quiet outdoor miles without the constant (and mostly cute) narration of a little wild child.
We took our solo hiking up a notch during 4th of July week when West was in daycare, but we both were off. We scaled the side of an old mining road until it eroded further and further, leaving us on a narrow rocky edge. With a kid, the exploration would have been done, but because it was just the two of us we pushed further on some loose terrain discovering far reaches of places we had scouted in years past.
We find meaning in all the time we spend outdoors as a family, but recently we have found a lot of value in striking out without the wild child too. We have reclaimed some of our former wildness on these expedition. And you should never discount the value of a little wild.
