Day 5: Creek play and drive home

 On Wednesday morning, it was miraculously dry. Zac got to pack up all our stuff while the kids went down to the creek to play. We bid farewell to our beloved trees and creek and drove home.

Day 4: Low Gap Trail to Cosby Creek + Nature Trail

 Our last full day on the camping trip we decided to take it easy. We did a half mile hike up Low Gap Trail just to get to Cosby Creek and climb around. Then we walked back to our campsite for lunch. In the afternoon, we went down the the nature trail, a little short loop right by the campground. The loop wasn't that exciting, so the kids just played in the creek, building rivers and tunnels in the rocks.

In the morning, there was a deer near our campsite. Glad it wasn't a bear!

Day 3: Gabes Mountain Trail to Hen Wallow Falls

 Our second hike took us up Gabes Mountain Trail to Hen Wallow Falls. This was to be our big hike of the trip, since it would be over four miles. Some day I hope to do longer hikes again.

The beauty in this area is just breathtaking. I could've sat here all day while Zac and the kids scrambled around.

With many such pauses to play, we continued our journey up to the waterfall.

Hen Wallow Falls was a bit crowded by our standards, but not too bad.

We had lunch at the falls.

We played at the falls for a while, then headed back down.

Simon laughs in the face of death with a mushroom stem stuck up his nose. This is my "parenting in one picture" entry.

We didn't get rained on quite as much on this hike, but everything was very damp during our whole trip because it rained so much and was so humid. Thankfully it was not actually hot or cold though. It did make starting the fire a bit hard for the kids, so Zac had to help coach them through the process.

We relaxed at camp that evening. Alice read a lot, and Simon entertained himself.

Day 2: Lower Mt Cammerer Trail to Sutton Ridge Overlook

 In our hikes I've realized that short hikes with lots of play time are the best hikes and the least likely to cause Simon to cry. There were four trails emanating from our campground, and I planned for us to do three of them. So for the first day, we did the Lower Mt. Cammerer Trail to Suttong Ridge Overlook, a a mere 2.6 mile round trip journey. Perfect.

I can't get enough of these log bridges over beautiful mountain streams.

Like every hike, Simon whined about being bored in the beginning. But once we ascended high enough to get into the mountain foliage, he was happy. Simon loves climbing what he calls the "jurumpabambaboo" trees we find in the mountains.

Alice is too big already for those spindly branches, so she usually climbs on downed trees.

Zac and the kids like to climb up the streams. I'm much more unsteady, so I usually pick a peaceful spot and have a snack while they scramble around.

Then it started raining. I'd packed raincoats and ponchos for all of us. Zac used an umbrella. I actually like hiking in the rain, as it is a unique experience. Alice did not enjoy it.

We finally reached the overlook but we couldn't see much, due to the trees and clouds.

On a potty break near a stream Simon was playing at for a long time, Zac found a chimney from an old home.

After the hike, we went back to our campsite and had some snacks. 

Then we walked back to a nearby stream to play for a while before supper. 

Simon loves finding salamanders!

Alice had a can of pineapple juice that she inexplicable loved calling her "pop" and she had many hat ideas for it.

We pretty much ate the whole time. But sometimes I would read to Alice while she ate.