The Next Generation

I took my son on our biggest hike to date last Sunday. We did a 4.5 mile loop trail at our local open space preserve - Button Rock Preserve. I carried him for 4 miles in the backpack and he hiked .5 miles, which for someone with a 10" stride, is pretty far! He loves being outside and this day was no exception. It was one of those rare warm (40's), sunny days with little wind. A perfect day for a father son outing. It was the furthest he had ever ridden in the backpack but I noticed that he was enjoying being in the woods as much as I was. I was pointing out the different trees and rock formations and handed him things to check out like pine cones, rocks, the dog leash (a great toy for an 18 month old) and even some ice we encountered along the trail. He was quite intrigued by all the different things that I handed him, and when done, he would just let go of them and we'd move onto something else. I know that my love of the outdoors started in my childhood and that's what I hope to foster in him. Early exposure seems like the best way to start a lifelong connection to the natural world, and to that end, we'll be spending a lot more time exploring the foothills, mountains, rivers, forest and other wonderful places together.