Mission: Jack's First Adventure Hike = Success

Or How Jack Ate Dirt Accidentally For the First Time.

Today, was Memorial Day. It was a good day. Good weather (though hot), and most importantly, a day I wasn't at work, that extended the weekend by another day. Woot indeed.

So we decide to take advantage of the day by taking the family out to eat (Kriste's had a very rough couple of days recently with Henry in particular, and needed something fun). Then the plan was for Jack and I to drop Kriste and Henry off at Meijer's to do some grocery shopping, and he and I would go find something to tire him out. (<< Life's great challenge right now)

So we go to Scotty's Brewpub. Totally awshum place that started out at Ball State and later Purdue, and later made a brilliant move by opening up places where those campus' alumni would end up: downtown Indy, and 96th and Keystone. It's a fantastic place to eat, and they always have some of the best brews around. Our friend Jon Miller, from PA, had asked me recently about Gumball Head beer, from 3 Floyds here in Indiana, which made me want to get one again (it HAD been like at least a few weeks since I had one....). So nostalgia of college + good food + good beerz = "let's go to Scotty's".

After that, we're heading to Meijer to drop off Kriste and Henry, and I ask Jack which he would prefer: finding a playground, or going on an "adventure". "Adventure" is typically my keyword for "it's going to be awesome, so pick that one", and it worked again this time. Without even really thinking about it, he blurts out "ADVENTURE!!!". I win. Again.

So the plan is to go to the bike trail at 96th, just west of Allisonville. It's a great little trail for biking, and runs from 96th, under 465, to 82nd Street, and then loops back. It's an approximately 8-mile loop all said, and has a nice mix of technical riding and tough physical riding (at least in my eyes - granted it's basically the only trail I've been on in my adult mountain biking life). The great part about this trail is that they do also allow hikers/walkers. You just have to listen behind you, to be sure you don't end up face-down in mud with mountain bike tire tread running up your shirt. Because I don't think I have to tell you that would be awful.

So, we hit the trail. We start walking, watching for exposed tree roots, rocks, and human limbs. Fortunately we saw none of the last of those, but the exposed tree roots and rocks were enough that you had to really watch your step. All of a sudden, Jack decides this would be a great place for not just an adventure hike, but a trail run. So, he takes off. I'm in my sandals, trying to keep up, and he's just having the time of his life, streaking (okay not literally - his pants were on - most of the time) down the trail. I keep him in front of me so that if one of us DOES get run over, it won't be him. Or at least, I'll be pushed down on top of him, at which point I can hopefully plant my arms enough to make a good ramp for the biker running me down, to protect Jack, on whom I'd be falling, and remind him that there are still bikers on the trail. Said bikers begin to come up on us, and I'm very diligent to listen for them, to alert him, so we can get to the side of the trail to let them pass. I guess I should have mentioned that this is a single-track trail, barely wide enough for a bike in most places, so letting them pass us while we continue walking is out of the question.

We carried on most of the trail without incident, but Jack caught on to me listening, and started pretending like he heard bikers too. He'd stop and go "wait...what's that?", and cup his hand to his ear. Then 2 seconds later go "Oh. I thought I heard a bike, but I guess not", and go back to his (relentless) trot. I was SERIOUSLY impressed by his stamina, and couldn't believe how long he ran!

Then, on the way out, I made a (not so) minor tactical mistake. I completely forgot how much further the way back was, as compared to the way out. We got out about 30 minutes, at which point I said "Okay, we better head back", because we had about an hour to kill. Couple the fact that the way back winds about twice as much as the way out, with the fact that I had grossly overestimated Jack's running stamina and forgotten that he'd probably be walking back, and the return trip was about 45 minutes or more.

We finally made it though, after a number of stumbles by tired Jack, one of which caused the aforementioned accidental dirt lunch. Jack kept saying "Why is there so much shade? I want to be in the sunshine", and that was his goal the whole way back. "How much further to the sunshine?". We even called Kriste, to let her know we'd be late, and he told her "We're going to the sunshine, and then we'll pick you up".

Still, for a 4 1/2 year old, he was a heck of a trooper, and made this Daddy very, very proud. I'm totally stoked for our next hiking "trip", and he was asking when he'll be big enough to ride his bike there too. Is good times.