It's about darn time.

We've lived in Boise for almost 5 years and none of us has ever made the trek up to Table Rock, a must-do for all Boiseans. It's only 1.5 miles to the top, gaining 900 feet in elevation over the course of the hike and we figured that as long as we took lots of breaks and had no timeline, our kids would love the adventure.
Anna was a trooper. She made it all the way to the top and only complained of being tired once. Lily, allergic to any sort of exertion (see previous post), was an altogether different story. I pushed her hard, encouraging her to make it to the next curve, or next big rock, or next trail marker and then I would carry her for a while. For a three-year-old, though, she didn't do half bad.
Rachel lounged in comfort in a Kelty backpack, carried by Tim. We got more than a few comments from people we passed that we were brave to bring our three kids. Yes we were. They cried practically the whole way down. I alternated giving piggy-back rides to Anna and Lily for the entire descent. Fun, fun, fun. We filled our tired, starving bodies with lunch at Red Robin and came home for a bit of rest and relaxation.
In retrospect, I think we should probably should have tackled something a little less strenuous (for the kids). But I also feel they learned a valuable lesson about pushing themselves. We relieved their burdens a bit by carrying them part of the way and giving them breaks. But we could not fly in a helicopter to get them off the mountain. We all had to go back the way we came. And we had to use our feet to do it. One can only hope they gained a sense of accomplishment at having completed the difficult journey without giving up.
And now, for the pictures: