“Let’s go on an adventure kids”

Little did I know how adventurous the day would become.

I’d heard so much about Table Rock since moving to Boise.  A great short hike right in town, awesome views, not too difficult.  Even my neighbor said she hiked it everyday in the summer and ran down for exercise.  Seemed so easy, just a hop skip and a jump to the top.  So it seemed the perfect family activity on our sunny Monday off. 

We got bundled up, but I unfortunately, had left my only pair of athletic shoes in Oregon over Christmas so I was stuck wearing my trusty Teva sandals.  No big deal, I thought, I do everything in my sandals.  Boy, was I wrong.

At the very start of the trail there is a sign that warns if there is mud on the trail then don’t hike it.  Well, I wasn’t about to let a little sign stop me, so we continued on despite the sticky thick mud being piled up on our shoes.

 

But before long, the trail dried up and all seemed smooth sailing.

Hazel had the right idea.  This is the only way to hike!

Before long the mud was back.  And it was back in full force.  Here are Jaxon’s shoes being swallowed up in the earth.  This happened only after I had gotten Sage’s shoes out of the same predicament.   And as I was rescuing both children, my poor sandaled feet sunk deeper and deeper into the mess.   

Here’s what I ended up with.  And all this happened only about half way up the blasted mountain.  But there was no stopping the Christensen’s.  Oh, no.  So I just sucked it up, and hiked barefoot.

Well, long story short, we got there.  The views were as beautiful as I had hoped and the kids did amazing!!  Hardly complained at all.  (I’m pretty sure, okay positive, that I did most of the complaining)

The hike down was wonderfully uneventful, and we were all very happy see our car beckoning us in the parking lot.

We felt we deserved something great for accomplishing such a feat, so we grabbed my free birthday meal coupon and made our way to Tucanos for lunch/dinner. 

Tucanos is amazing, by-the-way.

  

So the moral of the story is, yes, hike Table Rock, but please, whatever you do,  don’t wear sandals.