Three Rivers in the Snow

After a long stretch of bitter cold weekends, we finally got a gorgeous winter Saturday, sunny and mild.  Erin and I were determined to get the out with the boys.  After much hemming and hawing, we decided to go to Three Rivers and park on Sixty Road, following the "turtle hike" trail west from the parking lot.  We wanted to go somewhere the snow wouldn't present too much of a challenge for Alden and where the trailhead was plowed, but after two Bog Trail hikes in December, we also wanted some variety.  We hike at Three Rivers frequently, so it's not terribly exciting, but it's woods (which always beats paved trails) and we've been avoiding it all fall because of hunting season, so hadn't been in a while. 

There was an enormous mountain of snow in the parking lot that Frankie was immediately drawn to, and though he scampered up right away, he didn't object to moving along.  Maybe the years of practice he's had at Clark Reservation with the playground by the parking lot is sinking in: hike first, play second.  [Because of course we let them play on the snow pile afterwards; we're not monsters.]  Frankie was very well behaved on this hike overall, generally heeding words of caution about running water, and being exceptionally kind and patient with Alden.  Erin and I were both stunned when Frankie, acting fully on his own accord, broke off a piece of his stick to give Alden after the little guy misplaced his.  Whoa!  This is a new level of compassion.  The very idea of breaking a precious stick would have had him teetering on the brink of meltdown not so very long ago.

Alden did struggle a little bit, but in all fairness, we are asking quite a lot of him.  This hike, out to the weir and back, clocks in at 1.9 miles.  Alden has completed the hike before, but not in the snow, and however tall he may be, he is still only 2 years old.  Struggling with big snow boots and bulky snow pants just add to the extra challenge of propelling oneself through the snow, and he is way too big to carry.  So he had some toddler moments, yes.  But he also had a lot of fun: both boys indulged in throwing snow on ice, playing with a swinging vine, throwing rocks in the water, poking puddles with sticks.  And then sliding down the snow mountain in the parking lot!  They are fearless. 

And when Alden gave me a sweet hug goodbye, he said we took a fun hike!  Yes, we did, little boy.  Yes, we did! 

little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

splash!