parfrey's glen

we have been long over-due for a good hike. a long walk through a beautiful woods is a favorite activity for david and i, and we've been anxious for our kids to be able to participate in hiking with us. we finally gave it a try this weekend, and it was wonderful! one mile in, one mile out, with a few foot bridges, lots of stream crossings on river stones, and slippery bouldering in a few spots, and ramona was brave and sure-footed the whole way. we hiked to parfrey's glen, a cool river gorge near devil's lake state park.

ramona got some pre-hike fuel by downing a ridiculous amount of cheerios in the parking lot
 

 james proved to be an excellent hiking companion, quietly riding along and smiling intermittently.
 

ramona had a few assists on the river crossings, but did an impressive job of navigating the dry stones in the stream.


the glen. cool, shaded, full of jurassic-style ferns.


a good place as any for a little break for string cheese


the seeming boundless energy of a 2 1/2 year old has its limits, and that limit was reached near the end of the walk. first, ramona needed to be carried for a bit,


and then she took off her shirt.
 

we'll have to hike again, and soon.