Beautiful day for a hike

Nov 17, 2018

Just two days earlier Maryland got an uncharacteristically early snow. This year has been on pace for Maryland's wettest year on record, but we got a break in the rain and clouds. We grabbed the sunny day and got outside. We headed to our family's favorite hiking trail, Cascade Falls in Patapsco State Park.

I threw bars and apples in my backpack, we filled water bottles, and pulled on boots. We picked Josh up on our way. The sun was shining and it felt warm on our skin. We visited the swinging bridge first. You still can't cross to the other side because the trail on the east side is closed from the Memorial Day weekend flooding damage but it was fun to go out and come back.

Then up we went. We climbed up the hill and followed the trail covered in crisp leaves. Most of the leaves were down and covered the forest floor. Johanna was gung-ho and kept up with her fast paced sisters. We crossed the waterfall, assisting each other from rock to rock and staying relatively dry. The waterproof boots were a crucial aspect of achieving this. We explored and scaled boulders, sitting and taking it in before moving on. We greeted others on the trail and tossed pebbles in the stream.

We took a path up a gully bed and went through a section where thin tree branches arched over the path. We climbed on grand trunks that were laid on their sides revealing their roots. Snacks came out at this point. And after meeting a few more groups who were unsure of their placement on the trails we decided to turn around and head back. The return is always a different experience. We took slightly different routes over the stream, and somehow wound up on a higher log. Johanna ventured out  onto the log ahead of me. It felt much less steady than we hoped and Josh jumped down into the water to give her a hand. I didn't realize it at the time but he wound up with wet shoes and didn't say a word. We descended quickly and piled into the van. We ate our apples but everyone was craving salt and fat that was quickly satisfied by a stop a Chik-fil-a.

It was a delicious day to soak up the grandeur of God's creation.