Hike to Max Patch, NC...

This week is Fall Break for Lily and Maddy, and Jonathan took a few days off from work, so we decided to do some fun things as a family. Lily has been asking him to take her hiking again for a couple of months now, so Jonathan planned a hike for us to Max Patch in North Carolina. Max Patch is part of the Appalachian Trail (which Jonathan would love to hike one day!) and is supposed to have some of the best views in the southeast. It definitely did! We drove about 1 1/2 hours to Harmon Den and were mesmerized by all of the beautiful colors of the leaves outside our windows: On the way we also saw a black bear cross in front of us! Before we started our hike we stopped for a snack and then we got back in the van and drove 6 miles on gravel road to the start of the trail. It was a little colder than we had anticipated. Here are the girls all bundled up and with their North Face backpacks all ready to start hiking: I carried Parker in the Bjorn carrier and also wore a backpack filled with his diapers, wipes, etc.(It was a good workout!): The girls set out to collect some nature items! Katy was so proud of the leaf she found:Maddy was excited to find yellow flowers that she was actually allowed to pick!: It was FrEeZiNg cold and very WiNdY, but the girls did so well hiking up the trail: Maddy and Lily stopped to snuggle together: Katy hiked almost the entire way up by herself!:It ended up being about a mile loop hike, which doesn't seem very long but with 4 kids ages 3 months to 5 years, it was enough! Even though the weather wasn't the best, the views made up for it: Yay! Parker and I made it to the top: This was his very first hike! We ate a picnic lunch: and Parker took a little rest: We hiked back down and headed back home. (But not before we made a stop at Cracker Barrel...yum!) What a wonderful day!
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12