I labored over that thing, I'm telling you -- labored. I wrote about a dozen different versions & then decided to focus only on the quiet part, when I played with my kids in that beautiful, alien place.
Wrong choice?
*
Blake hiked all the way to the snow by himself, did I mention that? Then he hiked one mile down by himself, and I carried him on my back the last mile. Forty lbs of wiggly boy on my back. A group of older women --in their 50s? 60s? -- charged past us, cooing with sympathy: "Aw, is the little guy tired?" I replied, "Is the boy tired?! The mama's tired!" But they had no sympathy for me.
By the time we returned to the trailhead, Blake and I and my mom lagged behind the others. I didn't know precisely how far behind we were, but we hadn't seen them since before Blake declared himself too tired to go further.
I wanted Blake to walk the last little way, so that he would finish the hike under his own power and also so that everyone would think, if only for a moment, that he had completed the four-mile journey on his own. On the other hand, I wanted to limp into the parking lot fully loaded so that everyone would cry, Jen! You're amazing!
In the event, Blake wanted to be carried until he saw our car -- and the family saw me carrying him -- and then he ran to them. (Yes, he ran, the little bugger.)
No one was particularly impressed by my, um, prowess. Because my husband carried Sasha the whole four miles, so he was a hero; and my dad carried the backpack that Blake displaced, so he was a hero, too. My mom has really bad knees, so even attempting the climb was heroic; and Artist Neice has run up and down Mt. Bachelor so many times that for her, a little hike to the glacier of Broken Top is blasé. I suppose it's a risk I took when I hiked up there with my kid -- that if he got tired, I'd have to carry him.
I would, however, like a small badge. A Girl Scout-type badge. You know?
Surfing Uncle, Blake and my husband with brave Sasha on his back scramble for a good view.
10 comments:
I love it, I've just been a little out of it reccently and not really commenting much anywhere!
We need to start the kids hiking. Next year...
I can never figure out what people will respond to and what they won't. I think sometimes people don't know what to add to posts they like, so they don't comment. Certainly good writing is no predictor of blog popularity.
Anyway. It was lovely--I have been behind on my blog reading for the last week or so.
You are a machine! I don't think I would be able to walk after a hike like that.
If you didn't get many comments on your last post, it's because blogger has been acting really weird for the last week or so. I hate when blogger comments don't work -- I always think people have stopped reading my blog .... then I go to comment on someone else's blog, and I can't, and I figure out what is happening.
Anyhow, you definitely deserve a medal of some type! I used to get bruises from carrying wiggly kids on my back -- somehow, they would always kick me. Now, of course, they are all old enough to run ahead of their mother ....
Jen, you're amazing!
Just catching up now...been out of town for a few days. Loved the story of your mom at the club, too!
Thanks everyone. My husband has been out of town (returns today!!) and with the new school schedule, I have been stuck in the house and haven't seen a soul for days... I missed hearing from you!
Thanks for the validation : )
Ahhh...so pretty. The pictures, the mountain and the way you described it. Your love for your space comes through in every one of your posts. And have I ever mentioned how much you make me miss Oregon sometimes?! ;)
- Jennifer (Faking It)
You carried 40 pounds of boy for a mile on your back?
You deserve a bright shiny trophy, not a Girl Scout badge.
The original post was so lovely that there was really nothing to say. But I'm surprised you couldn't hear all of us sighing in envy...
Phantom said what I was going to. ;-)
I'm impressed with your hike and heavy load!
Just visiting your blog---stumbled across it while researching Bend online (we are looking into a job opportunity there, currently in Western WA). May check back for more tidbits about the town!
Amy
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