Best Day Ever

It started with a text to my hiking pal. He texted back that he would be gone on Friday. He had the grandsons and he was going to try to find the trail on his own...unless...

unless I could come too.

I checked with Rich and he was okay with it. So off Charlie and I went. As we pulled up to park in the dirt lot [really, if you don't know where to look for it, you will not find it], a big red truck pulled up. Two ladies got out and inquired about 'the Ice Caves'. Bill said they were in the right spot and better yet "We have a guide! He pointed at me. Val knows all these trails!"

We all adhered to distancing. It is funny how that has become normal now for us.

I found myself being a tour guide. Charlie was ecstatic beyond belief. He smelled and greeted everyone and then took off leading us all. I asked the ladies if they minded Charlie being loose and they said it was fine. In the KVR dogs have to be on a leash only during nesting season. They are allowed to run off leash. 

Bill didn't want to try and take the kids up and down the steep rocky walls where the ice caves were. He wanted to show his grandsons the Beaver Dam. I pointed the way for the ladies and told them to just follow the tracks and enjoy exploring.

The kids had a blast and didn't really look at the ice formations much. They were into tossing snow and sticks. They were into being kids.

I took them on a trail I know that goes above the ice formations in the above photo.

I found a spot in the pines where they could just play. I told Bill that we didn't have to hike but find a good spot for the boys to just play. And we did.

I had a blast watching Bill handle his grands who sort of listened to Grandpa. He is newer at it than I am. I kept silent and just laughed at his attempts to get the boys to leave the fun area and head back to where we all parked.

"Come on now boys! I'll leave you here for the coyotes to eat!" They ignored him. Then he tried another tactic. "Oh the bears will eat you!" He chuckled. I laughed.

Charlie kept on eye on all of us and spent his time running ahead and then running back to the end by the boys and sitting next to them in the snow.

I told Bill we should make another date sometime to take the boys walking/hiking again. He seemed surprised and commented, "I thought they'd drive you nuts!" 

I guess he forgot that I've been a Grandma for a long time. Come to think about it, I've also been a Guide to friends in the KVR for a few years now too.

Besides, I could never tire of seeing friends and kids enjoy Nature's incredible beauty.

[Oh and since I rarely get to see anyone these days...well it was a bonus for me too.]