Big Spring Expedition

02.13.10

We followed up the mountain climb with a trek to The Big Spring - an outpouring of groundwater to a local trout stream. Expectations were high after last week's marked success that left us all three happy guys. In retrospect though, it's clear that this trip was a lot different: instead of climbing something before their eyes, the boys were asked to hike back to a destination unknown/unseen/not-understood. The road was pretty long and plodding, and the snow was rough in places - difficult for little striders. I was being somewhat of an ass first off - urging James to walk along, come along, go a little faster, why do you want to go home?, etc. I really didn't play that one too well. I had it fixed in my mind that James just wanted to go home and sit inside and that was really burning me. Seems though that he didn't mind where we were, he just didn't like what appeared to him to be endless walking over tough terrain. When I finally worked this out, things got better. We stopped and wrote words in snow, messed around, looked in the water, etc. He brightened and then I brightened and I fully realized how I'd messed up... So it was played better from there on and the trip out was slow and good. Found a tree that had been decimated by woodpeckers and fungi. Saw a fair number of deer. Sun shone down. Salvaged what became a fair trip and got a decent lesson in parenting. Did not make it back to the spring. Another day.