Over and over again this trip, I was reminded of how stunningly quickly life changes. Three years ago this summer was our honeymoon in the Adirondacks. Two years ago (alas, I don't think I ever blogged about this trip) I was just barely pregnant with Tadhg and we slept in a tent and added a couple more High Peaks to our belt. Last year we had a 4 and a half month old Tadhgie Boy with us, staring wide-eyed at the world. This year, we have not just Tadhg, but another son wandering the mountains with us, three months old and as contented there as he is at home. It's enough to make my mind reel.
There were so many side-by-side comparisons of Tadhg and Pip running through my mind; I have photo evidence of a few of them.
Freshly arrived and enjoying our cabin:
Family photos:
Bug-eyed babies in carriers:
Porch swing lovin':
What a time we had. Tadhg was euphoric for the whole trip, wearing a grin that covered three-fourths of his face. He explored, he played in the dirt, he rode Daddy up a mountain, he waded in the Ausable River, he ate campfire food... This trip may have been the pinnacle of his life. Sad to reach the heights at 17 months, I suppose, but hey! Something's gotta be at the top.
Even just our time in the campgrounds at our cabin was the most thrilling sort of wilderness adventure for Tadhg (and just plumb restful for Rundy and I). Our cabin was perfectly situated--the best spot in the entire campgrounds, I think--and we had a big stretch of woods right off to the side of us. Whenever we had downtime at the cabin, Tadhg had spurts of exploring that stretch of woods; he knew we were just down the hill, and he had no need for us.
Off he goes (again).
Can you spot the Wild Tadhg?
Although we were planning on taking it pretty easy and doing milder hikes with our little people, our hands were forced. Adirondack parking policy has changed, and you can no longer park along the sides of the road near trailheads. This meant that parking lots were full to capacity (and beyond). When we attempted to go to two of the locations we had planned, neither had a single parking spot. Instead, we decided to be spontaneous. We found a trailhead for Rooster Comb Mountain and decided to see how far we could make it, never expecting to get close to the peak. Ha. We summited it! Both boys did so well, and we had packed plenty of food and water (and diapers), so we just kept going. About 6 hours later, we were back at our car.
What an adventure.
Just starting out:
Lunch break. (Tadhg and Rundy were the most endearing pair you could imagine. All day long.)
Realizing that yep, we can make the summit. Huzzah!
The top at last!
And on the way back down, a quick detour to a lookout and a snack break.
Man. These are some great boys, yes?
When night fell, we were ready for bed.
The next day we went to the Ausable to get our toes nibbled.
Ahhh. What a good trip. It was the perfect length. We were glad to arrive, glad to be there, glad to head home.
Until next year (we hope!).
