Hiking with a little one

As a parent I often daydream of sharing certain experiences with my children. From the moment I was pregnant with our first son, Asher, I could hardly wait for all the hiking and camping we would eventually do with him. Flash forward three years and my dreams of hiking with my child have finally come true.

Although this is not the first time we have taken Jasper hiking this is the first time he was wide awake and attentive for the entire experience. In the event he was cranky or unhappy we decided to do one of our favorite short hikes- Rattlesnake Ridge. On the ascent up the mountain Jasper was so quiet I kept checking on him to see if he was asleep. He wasn't asleep, rather keenly interested in every bird tweeting and tree branch blowing in the wind. Since Jasper is still so young and relatively light, we were able to carry him in our Ergobaby. For our hike we tried to keep things simple; we packed a few extra layers in case the weather took a turn for the worst, a change of clothes and a hat for him. We also brought along our baby essentials- diapers, wipes, burp cloth and pacifier. This wonderful Saturday morning spent hiking has made me eager for warmer weather and more hikes as a family.