Why I Hike

I love to hike, and thankfully I live in an area that has no shortage of places to get out and enjoy God's creation. 

There are so many reasons I love to hike. Hiking has been an amazing activity for my family. We tell stories, we play games, we have great conversations and laugh. We also fall down, cry, get wet and have to push through the not so fun times. It builds character as well as physical endurance.

It's also a chance to find beauty in the ordinary and the extraordinary. 

Like moss...who knew moss grew in so many forms and in some places is literally hanging off the trees like it's dripping.

or fog...

Another fun thing about hiking is that if the trail is new and unfamiliar, you never know what you'll see up ahead. Today, we hiked high enough to clear the clouds and it was amazing. Something I've only experienced from the seat inside an airplane. 

Talk about surreal. 

We even sometimes come across funny things, like this moss guy.

I love it all. The mud we track home on our boots, the beauty we pass and experience, the tired, exhausted feeling we have after a good long hike and the memories we create as a family.