Labor Day hike to the fire tower today on Doe Mountain: 2 adults, 4 kids ages 5-11, and 10 miles. I’m not sure how long it takes most people to hike with kids, but this particular one took us 4 hours round trip. The hike is mostly uphill on the way in and downhill on the way out.
Unfortunately for us, the majority of the hiking trails at the entrance we used were closed for updates so we had to take the ATV route most of the way, and it was not as enjoyable as I had hoped it would be. It was ultra dusty (which made me regret wearing my Chacos about halfway in), and the gravel made it very slippery. Note to self: call ahead next time and make sure the wooded hiking trails are open!
No matter, it was a challenging hike for us, but we did it. We made it to the fire tower—a first for all of us, and the view of our little mountain town tucked away into the Appalachian Mountains made it all worth it. Now we’re tucked up at home. The boys are watching a movie, Dean’s asleep, and me—well, I’m enjoying a glass of Cabernet while researching potager gardens and listening to the crickets outside before school starts back tomorrow.
Below are some photos of our day!
