C'mon, This Will Be Fun

The boys started school the day after Labor Day.  So we met our good friends in the mountains over Labor Day weekend for one last fun filled weekend to celebrate the end of summer.

It was suggested that we take the boys (ages 8 1/2, 8, and 5) on a hike.  Fresh air.  Exercise.  Climbing.  Exploring nature.  I'm all for that.  I don't want my boys to think I'm a wimp so I occasionally need to do something outdoorsy so they will have memories of their mother participating in outdoorsy things.

Someone in the group said that the Hebron Rock Colony would be a fun place to go.

This is a picture of the Hebron Rock Colony.

 I did not take this picture.  As you can see, it is a truly beautiful place with a babbling mountain stream and lots of foliage.  Here is a shot at a different angle.

This was not the easiest hike we've ever done.  Lots of tree roots and well, rocks (thus, the name).  Let's just say I am glad Kevin and Grant were there to help all of us (mamas and boys) up and down the rocks.

Some parts were downright treacherous.

See photo.

I did take this photo when we were taking a break.

Aren't they cute?

Does this post have a point?

Right after I took this photo, it started sprinkling.  The Dads wanted to press on to the top of the Hebron Rock Colony.  The Moms were not so sure.  The Dads wanted to live a little.  The Moms were concerned.  The Dads said we were being wimps.  The Moms wished the Dads had taken the kids hiking on their own while the Moms went out for pedicures.

The Moms threw down the Mom Card and said we must start heading back to the car immediately.

Then it started raining like this.  But harder.  Much harder.  Think of words like torrential and downpour.  Or maybe monsoon and tropical storm warning.

Those beautiful rocks from the first few pictures?
Guess how slick they get when it is sprinkling?
A little slippery.  But dry enough to still be hike-able (I think I just made that word up).

Guess how slick they get when it is pouring down rain?
Might as well try to ski down a mudslide.  It's like hydroplaning in a car, but with tennis shoes and children.  And other random hikers following you because they think you know the way out.  Poor them.  They had no idea we were clueless.  The blind leading the blind.  Or in our case...the soaked leading the drenched.

Did I mention the Moms were wearing white tshirts?  Yeah, that was fun.

I have blocked many of the details from my mind.  I think I have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  For the record, I will say that had we left when the Moms wanted to leave (when it was sprinkling), we probably would have made it all the way to the car quite easily.  But I'm not one to point fingers.  Or place blame.  Or say "I told you so."  The Dads said we were making a memory.  I'm going to have to edit out the bad words I was thinking in my "memory".

Needless to say, I was a nervous wreck getting out of there.  Took us forever to get back to our car.  Not only did Kevin have to help his feeble wife, he had to carry Luke on his back while scaling slippery rocks.  Believe it or not, we made it without broken bones or major injuries.  The boys were serious troopers.  I'm glad I was wearing a hat.  We were all drenched.

And when we finally got back to the car?

The sun came out.

Of course it did.

Note to self:  check the weather report before a hike with the Dads.