September 21, 2011
Water, check. Binoculars, check. Camera, check. Trail shoes, check. Socks, oops! We remembered her socks, but I forgot mine. Oh well, sweaty, dirty, dusty feet never hurt anybody. Here goes...we are ready for our first hiking/nature adventure. We started out looking at the exhibits and gift shop at the Galena Creek Visitor Center. We learned about the benefits of tap vs. bottled water, how to identify mammal tracks on the trail, what different animal fur feels like, and what snakes occur in the area. Now it’s time to hit the trail. It was a beautiful evening, warm temperatures, a little cloud cover, and no wind. We saw a few cyclists, joggers, and dog walkers on the trail and I taught L a bit of trail etiquette (move the the right, yield to the bikes, say hello, etc.). She carried the binoculars most of the way and tried to look at a couple of birds and a squirrel, but all were too fast and she never really got a good look at any of them. Practice, practice, practice . . . We looked at the different trees, aspen, cottonwood, pine, and also checked out how the pine seeds sit inside of a pine cone. After about 30 minutes we reached a great overlook with a view of the valley, took a few photos, and decided to head back down. Although...fall hikes are beautiful, I’m glad we were able to get in a hike before the official end of summer (autumn equinox is September 23, 2011).
Until our next adventure . . .
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