Hiking in the Woods with Kids

On Saturday afternoon, we decided to take advantage of one of the last nice days of the fall, and go hiking along the Split Rock River. At the entrance to the hiking trail, the distance of the loop was 5.1 miles. We thought we'd give it a try and see how far we could get.

Just getting started.

A boy in a tree . . .

and a girl in a tree.

Mushrooms? growing on a downed tree limb.

Checking out the river up close.

Ollie enjoyed the walk.

A nice walking path.

Raina, full of energy.

Barry carried Remy in the backpack most of the way. Remy did walk part of the way at the end of the hike. I carried Ollie in the Hip Hammock, which I find very comfortable as it distributes weight evenly so my back and shoulders don't get sore and I have both hands free. He slept through the second half of the hike.

Taking a little break.

The rocks that are the inspiration for the name "Split Rock"

It was only around 50 degrees, but we quickly warmed up going up and down steep hills. The river was beautiful and the scenery varied from waterfalls, still pools, cliffs, trees and vegetation.

Split Rock River

What's left of a foot bridge that was destroyed by an ice jam in 2006.

Raina and Jackson seemed to have endless energy for the long journey, except for the very end when they were getting tired.

At about the halfway point, we crossed the river and the hike got a little easier. The path veered away from the river and was less steep and easier to navigate. However, I was getting a little concerned that we wouldn't make it out of the woods before dark. You know how moms worry. The sun was getting lower in the sky, and a person can start to second guess herself. What if we somehow missed the loop and were hiking to Beaver Bay, which was 11 miles away? Would we have to huddle together in the forest all night long, facing wild animals and freezing temperatures?

Split Rock Lighthouse, about 4 miles away.

Lake Superior

Raina was quite the trooper on this long hike.

Lake Superior through the trees.

But we kept going and soon came to the clearing where the Spur Trail split off to the parking lot where our car was parked.

Remy decided we had hiked enough.

The view of Lake Superior at the top was spectacular. The smell of fall--leaves, fresh air, woodsy scents--was definitely in the air. Was it worth a twisted ankle (I guess I jinxed myself by saying it's a good thing I don't have weak ankles, because at one point I did twist my ankle enough to finish the hike with a little limp)? Absolutely. There's something to be said about finishing, rather than turning back when the going gets rough. Although from this point on, I think we'll stick to hikes that are three miles or less, at least until all the kids are mobile and can hike on by themself.