Monday, October 13, 2014

A Sunday Afternoon At Ledges

One of our favorite places to hike in Iowa is an easy 40 minute drive from our house. This time of year it is absolutely gorgeous with the brightly colored trees and fall smells (yes, fall totally has a distinct smell, especially out in nature). Sunday afternoon we drove up to Ledges State Park (but first a stop at another pumpkin patch! http://ashlen-kidspert.blogspot.com/2014/10/freys-pumpkin-patch.html) for a few hours of hiking. We hadn't been up that way since the beginning of summer so we took advantage of the steep, winding trails and hiked for miles.

 Gorgeous fall colors lined the Ledges.
 It was a crisp and chilly day. The minis were bummed we wouldn't allow them to walk in the creek as we usually do. Instead we let them run a bit in a small field before we made our way to the top of the canyon.
 The boys hopped, skipped, jumped, and ran their way through the trails.......
 while lil' Miss E took her time climbing, hopping, and skipping. So proud of her for hiking several miles on her own!




 Hiking Reindeer Ridge--this was the toughest hike yet, but the boys informed me that since they did it that we're all set for some Colorado hiking next.
 I grabbed ahold of Harrison's hand when he casually looked over the side of the ledge and said "oh look, there's that creek down there. How far down is it?" Mom panic took over and I didn't let go of his arm for awhile!



The steepest and narrowest part of the hike.....and of course Elizabeth insisted on doing it all by herself. Even when there was no more railing to hold onto.


We ended up at the Flood Pole, where Harrison worried his siblings when he informed them "and this is where we all die....right dad?" We had to re-explain the flood pole a few more times after that.

When Monday morning rolled around, all three minis informed me that there was something wrong with their legs every time they moved them. That, my children, is the sign of a few great hikes!