We had been plotting our first backpacking trip with both kids, as we’ve acquired some yet to be revealed gear that will allow our oldest Sprout to carry her own sleeping rig, but the threat of thunderstorms combined with the previous flood warnings changed our plans. . One of the greatest lessons we have learned taking our kids out is to always have a plan B ready, and also several changes of clothes for car sick kids. Some of our most memorable days are the ones that didn’t go as planned. . We may not have gotten to sleep under the stars or wake up to the sun rising over the Blue Ridge, but our little one hiked his first unassisted summit, both sprouts enjoyed a little of the freedom and accomplishment of scrambling up rocks, and we enjoyed our dinner together in the shadow of the mountain they had just conquered before driving home through the painfully beautiful golden hour while the sprouts yelled “goodbye mountains” through the sunroof. . Dinner was quick work with our @msr_gear pocket rocket @gsioutdoors cook set and @patagoniaprovisions smoked salmon and green lentil soup enjoyed in our new @seatosummitgear collapsible bowls. No pictures of the kids eating because we dug right in, devouring every bite before we could think about it. If we were at home at our kitchen table the 7 year old would ask for an oral history of a green lentil in a plot to avoid eating them while the less sophisticated 2 year old would simply proclaim “I don’t like it!” Maybe it’s the spent calories from the hike that made them so willing, but I like to think cooking in the open air of the mountains adds a flavor that can’t be found in the spice cabinet at home. #begoodstewards #themountainsarecalling #imustgo #justgo #takeimperfectaction #dayhike #familyhike #eatoutside #thewonderyears #hikewithkids #everykidinapark #1000hoursoutside #devilscourthouse #blueridgemountains #blueridgeparkway #gsi #msr #nalgene #patagonia #outdoorresearch #seatosummit (at Blue Ridge Parkway -Devils Courthouse) https://www.instagram.com/p/CApoCnHAKBm/?igshid=6ofxt9wlf5rd
