Hiking Bell Canyon

Bell Canyon is literally 5 minutes down the road from us, and since the weather has been so beautiful, we decided to forgo a boring dinner inside, and pack a picnic and go on a hike.  Brandon carried the baby in the Baby Bjorn, and I carried our dinner in a backpack, and Cade had packed his own special pack full of water and Air Heads.  :)  We were ready!

Only...
Well...
Okay. 

So either the hike that online is deemed "family friendly" is really FAMILY HELLY, or I am MAJORLY out of shape.  As I sit, typing this, my legs are literally trembling with exhaustion.  I thought this was going to be an easy peasy one mile hike, and the entire thing was uphill - MAJORLY uphill.  And yes, while Miss Shaky Legs was doin her best, her lungs doth protesteth much, and pretty soon I was just kicking myself for not bringing el inhalero.  Or rather, I would have kicked myself, had I the lung capacity to work a manuever that physically taxing.  Cade was more than fine, though, and I was at least grateful for that, as I was thinking that I desperately needed a couch to uphill hiking program.  Or maybe even just a couch to stronger lungs program.  Or!  Better yet - a couch to elevated heartrate program.  I am so out of shape!  It's almost embarrassing.  (Says my mind.  But my legs are just grateful to be home and propped up!)

Anyway, all was going well until we started trying to go downhill.  My lungs were thinking this was fantastic, but Cade, however; was not.  It was so steep, so he started to slide a little.  And that really freaked him out, and he thought he was going to fall and slide down the entire mountain.  And then that started his hysterics.  He alternately grabbed my hand and froze, to moving agonizingly slow while screaming
THIS IS THE WORST HIKE EVER.  EVERRRRRRRRR!
 And it was at that very moment that I was thinking that we were having some very tender, grade-A quality family bonding time.  :)

Finally we found a huge boulder to sit and rest and eat our picnic on, and that cheered everyone up immensly.  And, thankfully, we survived just fine; just have some dirty Keen feet and shaky legs (crap).  All in all it was fun!  Cade seems to have already forgotten he was on "the worst hike ever," and already wants to go again - and we will, and soon - just probably not Bell Canyon.  It wasn't quite family friendly enough.  And entirely not Brie friendly enough, either.  Boy, my weak legs and crappy lungs sure make me a winner!

Anyway, if you are at least moderately in shape and do not have to cart any children, I suggest you hike it.  It was beautiful!  Here are a few more pics.  :)