Going for a spin

This weekend has given us some fabulous fall weather, and we took full advantage of it.  On Sunday, we took the boys out to Minor Park to see if they would enjoy mountain biking.  I wasn't 100% certain how it would go; when I had asked Noah a couple days earlier if he'd like to try riding his bike on some trails and he told me no.

We haven't been here in nearly two years, but it's a fun place that I used to enjoy coming to quite frequently.  This was the very first place I tried my hand at true mountain biking, and at one time, I lived nearby and used the trails extensively as a great after-work release.  The Blue River trails have something for everyone, with difficulty levels from beginner to expert depending on your tastes.  But even the "beginner" level for a 3- and 6-year old can pose some challenging obstacles.

Initially, I hadn't even planned on taking Elliot's bike along, figuring there would be: a) no way he could keep up on his bike, and b) no way he could keep going the entire way.  Turns out, happily, that I was wrong on both counts.  We took his pedal-less Strider with us, but not Mandy's bike.  Hers is not a trail bike, and we figured Elliot would poop out quickly and they could just walk in the woods.

Noah had no problems at all, and loved the experience.  Elliot kept up on nearly all sections, until the end, but he kept going under his own power until we got back to the car after more than two hours and three miles of biking.  We stopped to throw rocks into the Blue River a couple of times, but Noah always wanted to keep going.  We had lunch about halfway through, then crossed to the other side of the river to head back along some other trails.

Afterwards, we took the boys out for some ice cream and drove by where I used to live and where Mandy's first house was.  She and I both were more tired than the two Energizer bunnies we had with us, but we all had a great time.

First big downhill.

First big uphill

Elliot getting on it.

Keeping up with big brother

Rock break.  This is the same place we stopped and threw rocks two years ago.

They liked exploring the "lakes" they kept seeing from the trail.

Noah found a board that would be perfect for a fort, and was convinced he could take this board back with him on his bike 

Lunch!

Climbing down a steep hill.  One that daddy would have ridden down in his younger years. They couldn't even convince Mom to climb down it.

Exploring

Climbing back up

The last part of the trail on this side peters out into a railroad line.

Weekend hike

Noah's been bugging us about wanting to go on a hike, so Saturday I took the boys to Minor Park for a walk in the woods.  Minor is a nice little area that runs along the Blue River, but most of it is low-lying, and it when it rains, as it had the previous few days, the trails get very muddy. 

We walked along the sloppy trails until we found the perfect spot to partake in the perfect hike activity - snack time!  The boys sat on a big rock eating and making each other laugh for a good 20 minutes. 

On a side note, as they sat there and ate, I thought about all the hours I spent in my younger, single days mountain biking these trails. I came out on a cold fall day 18 years ago - the first place I ever rode a mountain bike on real singletrack trails, and where I fell in love with the sport. I lived nearby at the time, and it was a little wistful thinking about how few obligations I had then and how easy it was just to come out here for a few hours after work, then go back and hang out doing nothing. This spot where we sat and ate was one of my favorite places to come barreling down the bike trail and then launch into and across the Blue River - the crossing you see in the picture below.  It was a little surreal to be thinking about those times, and looking at my boys in this same place so many years later.

Then it was down to business.  Throwing rocks in the water.  When I finally pried them away a half hour later, both boys whined and cried like I'd put them in time out.  They could have done this all day. 

 Along the way back, we took a trail that led us to some tennis courts.  Of course they had to stop and chase each other around. 

A little while later we stopped in a field to play some more and roll down hills. 

 I'm not sure what's going on here, but that's a balled-up PB&J sandwich in Elliot's hand.  That's how he likes to eat it in the great outdoors, I guess.

They were a muddy mess by the time I got back to the van, but I brought trashbags for just such an occasion.

Later that day, Noah and I went on a bike ride to Arno Park, where he decided to climb a tree. 

The end.